Voluntary group recognised for work at Old St Peter’s Graveyard
The committee of Portlaoise Tidy Towns working in partnership with Laois County Council has received an award from the Adopt Monument Scheme of the Heritage Council, in recognition of their tremendous work in the conservation of Old St Peter’s Graveyard at the heart of historic Portlaoise.
Speaking at the presentation of the award Gerry Brown, Chair of Portlaoise Tidy Towns Committee said “We are delighted to receive this award and even more delighted with what it represents – the successful completion of our campaign to get Old St Peter’s Graveyard conserved and ready to open to the public. I’d like to pay tribute to all the people who have been involved with this project over the years in sourcing funds and ensuring that Old St Peter’s could be brought back to the beautiful reflective community space that it is today”.
Gerry Browne, chairman Portlaoise Tidy Towns; Catherine Casey, Laois Heritage Officer; Patricia Lodge representing the late Cllr Jerry Lodge; Dr Sharon Greene, Abarta Heritage and Vincent Booth, secretary Portlaoise Tidy Towns at Old St Peter’s Graveyard for the announcement that Portlaoise Tidy Towns has received an award from the Heritage Council and the Adopt a Monument scheme in recognition of their achievements on behalf of Old St Peter’s Graveyard Portlaoise. Photo: Alf Harvey.
The Committee invited Patricia Lodge, wife of the late Cllr Jerry Lodge to accept the award on their behalf, in memory of Jerry’s pivotal role in getting the conservation project at the site started, a number of years ago.
Thomasina Connell, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council said “I am delighted to welcome the completion of the conservation project at Old St Peter’s Graveyard. I know this newly conserved space will be well used and warmly welcomed by the people of Portlaoise. I was delighted to see the committee pay tribute to my late colleague Cllr Jerry Lodge, and I’d like to add my words of thanks to both the committee and the Lodge family for the enormous role they have played in this project. I’d also like to congratulate the sections within Laois County Council who have collaborated to deliver this complex and important project.”
Portlaoise Tidy Towns representatives Gerry Brown and Vincent Booth with Patricia Lodge at Old St Peter’s Church and graveyard Portlaoise. Photo: Alf Harvey.
Dr Sharon Greene of the Adopt a Monument Programme said “The Heritage Council Adopt a Monument mentor’s award has been given to Portlaoise Tidy Towns Committee in recognition of their remarkable achievement in conserving and presenting Old St Peter’s graveyard. It can sometimes be forgotten how much time and effort can go into a project like this, as well as the knowledge and experience gathered along the way. Portlaoise Tidy Towns Committee are in a position to share that knowledge and experience with others as a Mentor Group in the scheme and will no doubt carry on to achieve more themselves.”
The Old St Peter’s Conservation Project is a Partnership Project of Portlaoise Tidy Towns and Laois County Council, supported by the Heritage Council, the Community Monuments Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.
Old St Peter’s Church and graveyard Portlaoise. Photo: Alf Harvey.
A project led by the community in Stradbally and Laois County Council is taking practical action to enhance the town’s wildlife and built heritage.
Stradbally Community Development Association was granted funding in 2021 through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, for the conservation of the bridge at the centre of the town, public realm enhancements and actions to improve biodiversity.
After a period of planning the project is now seeing visible action on the ground, with nest boxes for breeding swifts installed at strategic locations in the town this week. Swifts are a summer visitor to Ireland from Africa, a little bit larger than a swallow but blackish-brown all over, except for a small, white chin-patch, with a short tail and long, sickle-shaped wings Swifts in Ireland are in decline. We have lost 40% of our Swifts in the last ten years, according to BirdWatch Ireland. A survey carried out for Laois Heritage Office in 2018 highlighted the importance of Stradbally as a stronghold for swifts in the county.
A swift over Stradbally. Photo Alf Harvey
Ricky Whelan of BirdWatch Ireland assisted the SCDA group with finding the best site for the new nest boxes and was there on Saturday to help with installation. He said “It’s fantastic to see Laois County Council and local communities collaborate to help this charismatic and endangered bird across County Laois. The swift boxes installed in Stradbally will increase nesting opportunities for swifts in the town and we hope that this will have a positive impact on the population locally. A Biodiversity Week walk held in Stradbally this week explored the swifts, swallows and house martins of the town, and it was great to see such interest from people from Stradbally and farther afield in these beautiful birds and how to help them. BirdWatch Ireland looks forward to working with the community of Stradbally in the coming years to enhance the town for all wildlife”.
John O’Brien (Stradbally Community Development Association), Ann Simpson (Stradbally Tidy Towns) and Mary Rose Simpson (Building owner), with Ricky Whelan (Birdwatch Ireland) installation of swift nesting boxes in Stradbally, a Stradbally Community Development Association and Laois Heritage Office project, with the assistance of BirdWatch Ireland and funding from the Town and Village renewal Scheme
John O’Brien, PRO Stradbally Community Development Association said “ The birds are singing and moving SWIFTLY in Stradbally especially on Main Street and Hunters Lane . Stradbally Tidy Towns and Stradbally Community Development Association are delighted to join forces to execute a project that will enhance the town’s wildlife and built heritage. Thank You so much to Pat Deegan Engineering , Stradbally and his Team for their expertise, time and hard work on Saturday morning”
Pat Deegan installing swift nesting boxes in Stradbally, a Stradbally Community Development Association and Laois Heritage Office project, with the assistance of BirdWatch Ireland and funding from the Town and Village renewal Scheme. Photo Alf Harvey
Ann Simpson, Chairperson Stradbally Community Development Association said “We are delighted to have the swift nest boxes installed in Stradbally, and we would like to thank in particular Fr Breen PP Stradbally for allowing us to put three nest boxes and a caller at the back of his house. We are all looking forward to watching our new residents arrive!”
The nest boxes were installed in time for a Biodiversity Week walk in Stradbally and are part of an ongoing commitment to swifts by Laois County Council which has seen swift nest boxes installed in public buildings across the county, including the new Portlaoise Library, following the survey of swifts in Laois in 2018, and with the support of the Heritage Council and the Local Biodiversity Action Fund.
Ricky Whelan of BirdWatch Ireland leading a Biodiversity week Swift Walk in Stradbally organised by Laois Heritage Office. Photo Alf Harvey
The project in Stradbally will also see biodiversity-friendly planting at strategic locations through the town, and a planting plan is currently being drawn up to guide this.
Part of the project will also see conservation of the masonry of the main town bridge, including repointing and repair of the architecturally important early nineteenth century ashlar limestone piers and parapets, and conservation of the historic ironwork on the west side of the bridge. As the road on the bridge is a national primary route, consultation with Transport Infrastructure Ireland has been required, and reinstatement of railings on the east side of the bridge (removed many years ago) has been ruled out, for safety reasons, but the project will ensure the restoration of this important part of Stradbally’s heritage to its former glory.
Bridge over the Stradbally River in Stradbally. Photo: Fred Hamond/Laois Heritage Office
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme project in Stradbally also includes public realm improvements including installation of disability access parking, universal access seating and bicycle stands in the village.
Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Conor Bergin, welcomed the progress in Stradbally and said “The funding provided by the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is very important in improving economic and social status of communities across Laois. The community section of Laois County Council works closely with local communities in developing and delivering these projects and I would like to commend all involved in Stradbally and communities across Laois who have taken advantage of these opportunities.”
Ricky Whelan of BirdWatch Ireland and Catherine Casey Laois Heritage Office at the Biodiversity week Swift Walk in Stradbally . Photo Alf Harvey
Biodiversity Week will be celebrated across Ireland from May 16th to 22nd and a range of events and resources are available for anyone in Laois with an interest in learning about the natural world.
Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer with Laois County Council said “National Biodiversity Week is all about connecting people with nature. It’s about communicating the importance of biodiversity and motivating people to play their part in protecting it. Here in Laois we are hoping that people will have some fun, and that will inspire them to learn more about the natural world around us and how we can help it”.
Swifts
In Laois, anyone with an interest in urban birds is invited to a walk to explore swifts with Ricky Whelan of BirdWatch Ireland, meeting at the Stradbally Market House at 7pm on Tuesday 17th May. The walk will end at the library and will be followed at 8pm by a Dusk Chorus walk with Des Finnamore of BirdWatch Ireland Laois Branch.
The swift walk is part of an ongoing commitment to swifts by Laois County Council which has seen swift nest boxes installed in public buildings across the county, following the survey of swifts in Laois in2018, and with the support of the Heritage Council and the Local Biodiversity Action Fund.
The most recent action for swifts in Laois has seen swift bricks installed during the construction of the new library in Portlaoise, with the help of BirdWatch Ireland. Bernie Foran, County Librarian said “We were delighted to work with BirdWatch Ireland to provide suitable habitat for swifts to nest in our new library. The historic centre of Portlaoise is a stronghold for these birds, and having had nest boxes on the existing library, we were aware of how important it is to provide for them in the new building. We were grateful to Ricky Whelan of BirdWatch Ireland for his advice and support in installing the swift bricks at the new library site”
With swift boxes at the new library in Portlaoise. From left: Laois County Librarian Bernie Foran; Gerry Browne, Portlaoise Tidy Towns; Ricky Whelan, BirdWatch Ireland; Catherine Casey, Laois Heritage Officer and Wes Wilkinson, Senior Executive Engineer, Portlaoise Municipal District Roads Office. Picture: Alf Harvey
Ricky Whelan, Swift Project Officer with of BirdWatch Ireland said “It’s fantastic to see Laois County Council and local communities collaborate to help this charismatic and endangered bird. The swift bricks installed at Portlaoise Library will increase nesting opportunities for swifts in the area and we hope that this this have a positive impact on the population locally”.
The swift project is just one of a number of biodiversity projects ongoing in Portlaoise, as the town’s “Town in a Garden” project goes from strength to strength. Gerry Browne, Chair of Portlaoise Tidy Towns said “we have already done a lot of planting for biodiversity in Portlaoise, including pollinator-friendly planting on our roundabouts and roadsides, and the planting of 10,000 native trees. This year we are working on a three year biodiversity plan for the town, and we look forward to seeing the benefits of that in the years to come”.
Wildlife in Buildings
The focus on wildlife living closely alongside humans continues with an online talk on wildlife in buildings with John Lusby of BirdWatch Ireland on Wednesday 18th May, starting at 8pm. The talk celebrates the launch of a new book and documentary on the topic, created by BirdWatch Ireland in partnership with Heritage Officers from Laois, Tipperary, Clare and Donegal County Council and the Biodiversity Office of Kerry County Council.
Wildlife in buildings can often be harmed during works due to a lack of awareness of their presence or indeed knowledge of how plan renovations and works in order to avoid disturbance, which is usually always possible. The loss of old stone structures due to demolition, dilapidation or renovation is linked to declines in species such as Barn Owl and Swift, which are dependent on these structures. Modern buildings do not provide the same opportunities for wildlife. However, there is a lot that we can do to improve modern buildings for wildlife to ensure that we continue to make space for nature. The new book can be downloaded and the film viewed here.
Resources for Children, Schools and Families
The Heritage Office of Laois County Council has focused on producing high quality material for children and schools as well as for adults in recent years and all of this material is free to download from our website at www.laois.ie/nature, including –
Gardening for Biodiversity book and colouring book by Juanita Browne
Saving Swifts and Wildlife in Buildings books by BirdWatch Ireland
Guides to building nest-boxes for birds and bats, from BirdWatch Ireland
“Wild things at School” book and worksheets by Eanna Ní Lamhna
Nature Activity sheets for kids by Reconnect with Nature
A video guide to bird song for young people by Ricky Whelan of BirdWatch Ireland
“In your Nature” Podcast by BirdWatch Ireland
“Spring into Nature” worksheets
Radio clips with nature tips, from Midlands 103
Anna and Sarah Rothwell pictured at the launch of the book “Saving Swifts” at Abbeyleix Library. The book is a joint publication of BirdWatch Ireland and the Local Authority Heritage Officer Network. Picture: Alf Harvey
These resources were produced with the support of the Heritage Council, the Local Biodiversity Action Fund of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Creative Ireland Laois and Healthy Ireland.
Details of all events and resources for Biodiversity Week in Laois are available at www.laois.ie/nature.
Everyone with an interest in wetlands and wildlife is welcome to this evening event in Mountrath on March 10th to celebrate the wetlands of Laois, discuss the ongoing survey, share information on the wetlands of the county and people who look after them.
Speakers
Patrick Crushell Wetland Surveys Ireland ,
The Laois Wetland Survey
Aoife Kirk, Project Coordinator/Community Engagement Officer
Connecting Communities with Peatlands
Mary Mulvey, Community Wetlands Forum
Recent work of Community Wetlands Forum Members
Followed by Q&A and informal networking
A partnership event between The Heritage Office of Laois County Council, Wetland Surveys Ireland and the Community Wetlands Forum.
The Laois Wetlands Survey is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Local Biodiversity Action Fund
The Abbeyleix Climate Action Project has been awarded the prestigious Supporting Sustainable Communities award in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards.
The project saw Laois County Council creatively engaging the community of Abbeyleix with the topic of climate change. Artist and Science Communicator Niamh Shaw was appointed with the support of Creative Ireland and Midlands Science to work with Abbeyleix Tidy Towns for six months, examining aspects of climate change, making videos of work already ongoing, hosting online discussion panels featuring local speakers and international experts, organising interactive citizen science workshops, and building capacity and confidence in the members on science communication and digital storytelling.
Congratulating the team involved with the project, Conor Bergin, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council said “The Excellence in Local Government Awards showcase best practice in local government and recognise the skills, hard work, innovation and enthusiasm within local government that can often go unrecognised. I am delighted to congratulate the team involved with this project in Laois County Council and within the community in Abbeyleix, for the tremendous work done on this creative project. The past year has continued to provide new challenges as we learn to adapt the way we live and work during a pandemic and I think the way this project delivered so many different digital and online events and outputs really sets it apart from other projects”.
Pictured with the trophy awarded to the Abbeyleix Climate Action Project and Laois County Council as winners of the Sustainable Communities prize in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2021. From left: Robbie Quinn, chairman Abbeyleix Tidy Towns; Catherine Casey, Laois Heritage Officer; Mary White, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns; Dr Niamh Shaw, Science Communicator in Residence for the Abbeyleix Climate Action Project; Cllr Conor Bergin, Cathaoirleach of LCC; Angela McEvoy, A/Director of Services Housing, Regeneration and Planning LCC; Dr Fiona MacGowan, Ecologist and advisor to Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and Cllr John Joe Fennelly, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns. Supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022, in partnership with the Heritage Office of Laois County Council, Midlands Science and Abbeyleix Tidy Towns. Picture: Alf Harvey.
The Supporting Sustainable Communities award seeks to recognise projects by Local Authorities that promote social awareness and work with communities to involve them in making their localities a better place in which to live and work. This category celebrates initiatives which promote sustainable communities, development of the community or contribute to improved quality of life in an area.
Welcoming the award Robbie Quinn, Chair of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns said “The impact of the project has been that the members of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns are highly engaged with the issue and there has been an increase in awareness of climate change among the wider community too. We have a bank of over 20 video clips on everything from sustainable travel and food waste to climate anxiety and monitoring the impacts of climate change. It has also resulted in the installation of air quality sensors in the town and the creation of the Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk, a walk with QR links to animated video clips, so we have a legacy remaining on the ground from the project too”
Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Catherine Fitzgerald MCC performing the launch of the Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk in 2021, with members of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, Dr Fiona MacGowan, Jackie Walsh, Cllr John Joe Fennelly, Mary White, Mark Clancy and Robbie Quinn, chairman along with Laois Heritage Officer Catherine Casey, Suzanne Dempsey, LCC-Community and Julie Scully, LCC Healthy Ireland co-ordinator at the launch of the Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk. Picture: Alf Harvey.
The Climate Action Project was supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022) in partnership with Laois County Council, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and Midlands Science. The Climate Action Walk was created thanks to the support of Healthy Ireland, an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare Fund delivered by Pobal, administered by Laois County Council.
The HSE are finding that those that older and vulnerable members of the community that have been cocooning are finding it difficult to start to socialise again. Your community group could help by delivering ‘Check-In’ cards to older and vulnerable persons in your communities and inviting them to participate in community activities that are being planned. This neighbourly non-contact check in invites people to stay connected and reach out if they need support. If your group wishes to participate contact the PPN on 057 8665661 or email ppn@laoiscoco.ie
A ground-breaking new Climate Action Walk for Abbeyleix has been launched by Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, working in partnership with Laois County Council, Creative Ireland Laois and Midlands Science. The walk is an end of residency project by science communicator in residence for the Abbeyleix Climate Action Project, Dr Niamh Shaw.
The walk is an interactive walking tour through the town of Abbeyleix to engage the general public about climate change, focusing on the cyclical nature of our planet, how climate change has impacted our lives, how it affects us emotionally and what we can do on a local level to positively contribute to this global issue.
Robbie Quinn, chairman of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Catherine Fitzgerald MCC with one of the tiles at the launch of the Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Speaking at the launch, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Catherine Fitzgerald said “Successful climate action will require deep changes in our society, and this cannot happen without citizen engagement at the heart of public policy change. I’d like to congratulate the members of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns for their enthusiastic participation in this ground breaking project to engage the people of the town with the breadth of change needed to address climate action and biodiversity loss.
“I’d like to thank Creative Ireland and the Laois County Council Culture and Creativity Team for giving this project the space to develop over the past year, and allowing the team to react in such an agile way to the new challenges of the Covid restrictions on public gatherings. The online elements of this project and in particular the Abbeyleix Almanac online programme really demonstrated how much engagement can be created when a creative approach is taken to communicating these topics”.
The Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk is designed for the public to discover ceramic tiles dotted along Main Street Abbeyleix, and guide them along a walk which starts at Heritage House and ends at Abbeyleix Bog. A unique QR code is printed on each ceramic tile, which will trigger a mobile device to open an animation or video hosted on youtube. An online Story Map has also been published so anyone in the world can “virtually” follow the path of the walk. The Storymap is on the Climate Action section of the Laois County Council website at www.laois.ie/climate.
Dr Shaw said “It was an absolute pleasure to work with the Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and local community for the past six months on raising awareness about the topic of climate change. This end of residency walking project was a most enjoyable part of that shared experience and would not have been possible without the people on the ground who worked with me in creating the walk. From the local businesses and council buildings who allowed us to install the tiles, to the Abbeyleix Tidy Towns committee who have helped with the installation, I have had terrific support throughout.
“I have to thank local graphic designer Paulina Nickstrom for making my words come to life in her gorgeous animations. Thanks also to Sally Weintrobe who permitted us to incorporate the talk she gave back in March as one of the audio pieces along the walk. But most importantly I want to acknowledge the guidance and support throughout my residency from Laois Heritage Officer Catherine Casey, Ann Lawlor from Creative Laois, Jackie Gorman from Midlands Science and the amazing Abbeyleix Tidy Towns committee. We can do some good things on our own, but together we can make the impossible possible”
The new Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk is a project under the Healthy Ireland Keep Well Campaign, aimed at showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and wellbeing by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routines.
Julie Scully, Healthy Ireland Co-ordinator for Laois County Council said we are delighted to collaborate with Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, The Heritage Office and Creative Ireland on this initiative that brings together so many elements of the Keep Well Campaign. This project links the past to the future with the use of the most up to date technology. The links between personal wellness and environmental wellness are well documented and this project, with the beautiful and informative videos by Dr. Niamh Shaw, encourages people to enjoy a leisurely walk in Abbeyleix Heritage Town while also engaging with climate action.”
Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Catherine Fitzgerald MCC performing the launch with members of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, Dr Fiona MacGowan, Jackie Walsh, Cllr John Joe Fennelly, Mary White, Mark Clancy and Robbie Quinn, chairman along with Laois Heritage Officer Catherine Casey, Suzanne Dempsey, LCC-Community and Julie Scully, LCC Healthy Ireland co-ordinator at the launch of the Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Abbeyleix Tidy Towns have been partners in the Abbeyleix Climate Action Projects since last year. Chair of the Tidy Towns group Robbie Quinn said “The current committee is charged with creating a community that continues to be an attractive place to live, to work and to visit. In doing this our focus is now on placemaking and on reimagining our beautiful heritage town as a smart and sustainable community that is fit for the 21st Century. We have an inclusive ethos and work very hard to engage the wider community in our work. It is through a positive working relationship with a range of public bodies and agencies, not least Laois County Council, that we are beginning to deliver a number of significant flagship biodiversity and climate actions projects that will move us forward on our journey to become a truly sustainable community. We hope our community and visitors engage and enjoy this experience “
An important aspect of the Climate Action Project in Abbeyleix was the attention given to the importance of having good scientific data to back up policy, and in creating public engagement with science. Jackie Gorman, CEO of Midlands Science said “we were delighted to be part of this innovative and exciting project with Laois County Council. It was a great example of engaging a community with science and evidence and using these experiences to drive changes locally. Climate change and climate action are defining issues of our time and are informed by science and how we engage with science. Our support for various elements of the project such as the sensors, the Fast Facts series and other outreach elements allowed us to explore how science can localised and brought into a community in a real way. We learnt a lot from working with the team involved and the community of Abbeyleix.”
Abbeyleix used the momentum generated by the Climate Action project to engage with UCD on the international We Count project. This citizen science project involved placing traffic sensors in locations around the town to enhance local understanding of traffic and travel patterns and related impacts on air quality, climate action and quality of life. This in turn led to a complementary project, supported by Midlands Science, whereby the community received training in how to build and install air quality sensors –using cost effective Internet of Things technologies and a citizen science approach.
“This exciting project ties in well with our vision to become a smart, sustainable community”, said Mark Clancy of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns “It is a very cost-effective way of generating scientifically valid data which we intend to use to better understand local traffic and air quality patterns and also to make compelling arguments to implement measures to promote active travel. We are grateful to Midland Science for providing us with the training and assistance to develop these IoT based applications. This STEM based learning alone has been fantastic and we can already see numerous spin off projects in making.”
The Abbeyleix Climate Action Project is supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022) in partnership with Laois County Council Heritage Office, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and Midlands Science.
The Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk Project was created in 2021 with thanks to Healthy Ireland, an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare Fund delivered by Pobal, administrated by Laois County Council.
The Local Authority Heritage Officer Network has launched a campaign to get people connected with nature, as part of the Government’s “Keep Well” Campaign.
A free booklet “Gardening for Biodiversity” has been produced and is available from all Local Authority Heritage Officers
Tidy Towns groups in Laois are being urged to enter a special award in the National Tidy Towns competition which promotes the protection of pollinators.
Irish bees and other pollinators contribute €35 million a year to the Irish economy by pollinating our plants, trees and vegetables. They are under serious threat for survival because they don’t have enough food to eat or places to live. In response to this, in 2016 Local Authority Heritage Officers and Biodiversity Officers, in partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, launched a new Tidy Towns “Let’s Get Buzzing- Local Authority Pollinator Award”. This Special Award encourages Tidy Towns groups to support the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan by making their communities more pollinator-friendly. There is an attractive prize fund of €9,000.
Ann-Marie Kelly, Tidy Towns Co-ordinator with Laois County Council said “We hosted various events to promote the role of pollinators over the last few months and these were well attended. It is clear there is a huge interest in making Laois more pollinator friendly. The interest shown by our Tidy Towns committees illustrates their ongoing commitment to enhancing our natural environment. My colleagues and I are very happy to help groups become more pollinator friendly and build on our joint commitment on an annual basis.”
There was a great response to the award in 2016 with 58 Tidy Towns groups taking part. Monaghan Tidy Towns, national winner in the large town category, turned their town into an urban orchard, by encouraging residents to plant pollinator friendly fruit trees.
“Most pollinator actions are not costly or too complicated” explained Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer with Laois County Council. “They can range from simply changing the grass mowing regime, to planting pollinator friendly trees and shrubs, or raising awareness by promoting the Junior All-Ireland Pollinator Plan to youth groups and schools. Local communities can lead the way in creating an Ireland where pollinators can thrive”
The National Biodiversity Data Centre has produced practical guidelines to help communities and Tidy Towns groups to take action. The guidelines and other useful resources can be downloaded here.
The closing date for the award is 25th May 2017. Details and application forms are available to download below:
