2022 National Tidy Towns Results Swinford.
The 2022 National Tidy Towns results were announced earlier today by Minister Humphreys in the RDS in Dublin. Congratulations to Trim in Co Meath who were overall winners. Congratulations also to Rosscarbery in Co Cork who were named Irelands Tidiest Village. Well done to each and every one of the 882 tidy towns entrants in this years competition. It has been a difficult few years but it is great to see such interest in the National Tidy Towns competition.
We are delighted with our results here in Swinford this year. Our marks have increased by 10 points, up from 291 last year to 301 in this years competition. We could not have achieved this without the dedication of all our volunteers and the tremendous work done by all the lads on the Tús & RSS schemes and their supervisors. It has been especially difficult for our committee this year, as we lost our dear friend John. We have also lost through retirement, 2 of our founding and long time Committee members, Chairperson and Treasurers Imelda and Nora. These two ladies are the bedrock and foundation of where Swinford Tidy Towns are today. We thank them for all their selfless and tireless work down through the years.
2022 National Tidy Towns Results Swinford Adjudicators Report.
Community – Your Planning and Involvement / An Pobal – Pleanáil agus Rannpháirtíocht:
Fáilte chuig Comórtas Na mBailte Slachtmhara Super Valu don bhliain 2022. Táimid buíoch daoibh as ucht nahiontrála a chur chugainn, agus guimíd gach rath ar bhúr gcuid oibre amach anseo. Adh Mór…
Welcome to the 2022 Supervalu Tidy Towns Competition. Thank you for your excellent entry. You have been entering the competition since 1996 which amounts to 26 years. Your entry comprises 34 pages of a PDF document which includes a 7 page 3/5 year plan, a map and 10 pages of photos. This gives a detailed overview of the excellent central role Swinford Tidy Towns (STT) has in leading the wider Swinford community towards higher standards of environmental awareness and excellence. The map is very clear with 13 individually identified projects (2 M and 11 N) listed over the various categories. Note that the term FP is now phased out and all previous FP projects should appear in the 3/5 year plan. You continue to enhance your communication across the community in many ways. STT use Swinford Community Facebook as a communications channel with an outstanding 3269
followers. The excellent web site swinfordtidytowns.com gives a very good historic record of STT projects. You also use the weekly church/community newsletter to inform the community. Facebook pages gives a good record of your activities with lots of relevant photos and links. You have an impressive list of 19 supporting groups/organisations. The 5 year plan is presented in an excellent accessible and easily understandable manner. In your next revision, don’t forget to extend it to include all 8 categories. Your core committee of 7 supported by 12-14 regular volunteers. These numbers reflect the outstanding community impact of STT by a dedicated group of committed volunteers. We note the challenge posed by the recent passing of
one of your Tidy Towns stalwarts and the retirement of key committee members. The application form asks you to identify a specific project where particular effort was applied, you have listed the Wood Well project. Note that there is a new Tidy Towns Handbook which gives a lot more useful detail than before, accessible in the Tidy Towns website: https://www.tidytowns.ie/competition/handbook/
Streetscape & Public Places / Sráid-Dreach & Áiteanna Poiblí:
Swinford is a very attractive small town with a mix of shops, banks and private residences along the streets. The excellent footpaths, good road surfaces, street furniture and distinctive lamp standards and the well tended trees set off the Main Street. The mix of two and three storey buildings with a pleasing contrasting colour scheme was admired. The lamp standards with a attached flower containers added a splash of colour. The traditional AIB building stands out. Generally, the buildings, shops and business premises were well presented with a pleasing colour scheme. Closed businesses and potentially derelict properties did not detract from the streetscape. The wire free streetscape added to the pleasing visual aspect. The fresh stonework of Mellets Olde Worlde Bar with a lovely flower display was particularly eye-catching.
Green Spaces and Landscaping / Spásanna Glasa agus Tírdhreachú:
The green areas around the town were nicely trimmed. The flower beds at all the junctions in the town and along the bypass looked well. The planters around the town and the hanging baskets on the Main Street were carefully tended. The newly completed Wood Well landscaping project is exemplary.
Nature and Biodiversity in your Locality / An Dúlra agus an Bhithéagsúlacht i do cheantar:
You are still in the process of creating a community garden at the entrance to Rathunuas housing estate and we look forward to hearing more about the planting with suitable native fruit trees. The stream is a significant biodiversity asset – it is interesting to hear such a small stream is a spawning ground for
the much beleaguered salmon.
The on-going Swift project and the rainwater harvesting was noted.
The All Ireland Pollinator Plan requests all Tidy Towns groups to include a Flower-Insect Timed Count (FITCount). FIT Counts are very simple – you watch a patch of flowers for 10 minutes and count how many insects visit. It is a very useful tool for TT groups to measure change in their local biodiversity. Especially when they have taken action already for pollinators, by carrying out FIT Counts throughout the year and across future years will help track the impact of their actions on insect numbers and diversity as well as providing important data for the Biodiversity Centre.
Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count) – National Biodiversity Data Centre (biodiversityireland.ie).
Sustainability – Doing more with less / Inmharthanacht – Mórán ar an mbeagán:
The up-cycled golf carts for use as litter trolleys emulating Castlebar Tidy Towns is a very visible sustainability measure.
The use of 100% recycled material in the Wood Well project is excellent.
The continued rainwater harvesting is to be praised. The WEEE recycling day in April is commendable.
These are all important starting points in the sustainability journey. For additional ideas, have a look at the Top Tips in page 8 of the Sustainability section of the Tidy Towns Handbook , available on line at the Tidy Towns website https://www.tidytowns.ie/competition/handbook/
One additional suggestion, consider joining as a Sustainable Energy Community:https://www.seai.ie/community-energy/sustainable-energycommunities/join-the-sustainable-ener/
Tidiness and Litter Control / Slachtmhaireacht agus Rialú Bruscair:
The town was litter free and poster free on adjudication day. The TUS and RSS workers efforts together with the regular community litter picks seem to be working well. The Good Friday litter collection is a continuing tradition.
The extensive Dog Fouling posters and Mutt Mitt dispensers should vastly increase the awareness to this present day scourge. The new state of the art litter bin/compactor in the Town Centre was noted.
Residential Streets & Housing Areas / Sráideanna Cónaithe & Ceantair Tithíochta:
The main streets including Church Street, Market Street and Bridge Street looked well – your continuing work to improve the visual aspect of the town is commendable. The newly painted Courthouse, the Brookville Avenue painting and the Stone Building in Pound Lane were exemplary. The flower boxes and containers added a distinctive splash of colour. The wire-free streetscape was enhanced with the beautiful traditional lamp standards.
Among the many well presented housing estates Rathunas, Dun na Ri, Fraunhill, Railway Terrace caught the eye.
Coill Abhainn, Druids Court and Rath Dubh a were neat and tidy but a little bare. Residents with empty front gardens might be encouraged to plant an appropriate species of tree to add visual and biodiversity interest.
Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes / Bóithre Isteach, Sráideanna & Lánaí:
The Ballina approach road had well presented houses and a well surfaced road with good signage. The Dublin approach road margins were nicely cut with a 1-2 m strip allowing wildflowers to proliferate near the fence line. The empty Gulf garage which is for sale is turning derelict. Swinford district hospital is an imposing stone building setback from the street. On the south eastern approach along Church Street the imposing Church Our Lady Help of
Christians on the hill had nice clean cut stone. The mural on the wall at entrance to town was noted. A suggestion, encourage Baxter to do some wildflower meadow planting along their road frontage.
The tasteful renovation of the old Lyric Cinema on Brookville Avenue was admired as was the newly resurfaced Brookville Avenue road with excellent markings. Pound Lane was an interesting link road with the lovely Stone Building.
Concluding Remarks:
Swinford is a delightful town with lots of potential. The results of decades of hard work were apparent. We wish STT all the best in the challenge of renewing and expanding your Tidy Towns group. We look forward to seeing completion of the Weighbridge restoration, Golf Club Loop Walk, the Community Orchard and the Wood Walk.
Go n-eiri libh amach anseo.
Download the Adjudicators report for Swinford
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