Carrigaline Tidy Towns 2025 and Spring Clean Launch

Writes Leo McMahon

‘Join the Team’. That was the message to residents, businesses, schools, clubs and organisations from members of Carrigaline Tidy Towns (TT) at the launch of Spring Clean Month and their 2025 TT campaign following up on a hat-trick of gold medals in South Cork and other awards in the Super Valu National Tidy Towns competition in recent years and winning the Cork County Muintir na Tire Pride of Place Competition in 2024.

Speaking at the launch in Carrigaline Shopping Centre, chairperson Niamh Brody said the group now has 29 people of all ages on its WhatsAp but extended a warm welcome to more people to get involved for what will be another very busy year of activity in the county’s largest town.

Among the projects for 2025 are 1) The Litter League sponsored by Cork County Council over four weeks commencing April 28th; 2) The Urban Wood Trail (phase one) at Waterpark with support from NobleWood, Ballyfeard; 3) Fairy Doors in the woodland in conjunction with the Men’s Shed; 4) A 150 year old Carrigaline Tree Trail; 5) Participation in the Muintir na Tire County Pride of Place Competition and 6), the new National Large Urban Towns Category for eight centres in Ireland in which Carrigline will be representing Co Cork.

Members of Carrigaline Tidy Towns at the Launch of their Clean-Up Month for April 2025, in Barry Collins Supervalu, Carrigaline, 10th April 2025. Photo Siobhán Russell

Carrigaline Tidy Towns will, of course, be entering the overall national competition and participating in biodiversity, bee awareness pollinator and other projects in conjunction with local bodies, industries and schools. The group participated in the recent St Patrick’s Day Parade.

At the launch, Niamh thanked everyone for the effort they put in and said a warm welcome awaits every Tuesday at 10am, Wednesday at 6.30pm and Saturday at 9.30am at the Carrigaline TT shed in Owenabue car park. Regular duties include litter picking, planting, watering, tending to shrubs and planters and painting etc. and it was very enjoyable. She also thanked Super Valu and other sponsors and supporters.

Tidy Towners in attendance included secretary Marie O’Mahony; treasurer Betty O’Riordan; joint PROs Barry Cogan and Kathryn Barry; Alan Desmond, Hazel Kelleher, Edmund Rea, John May, Marie O’Mahony, Roger (also Men’s Shed) and Maura Morrissey, Anne O’Sullivan, Leo McMahon, Roger Curtin, Molly McElroy and Liam O’Connor.

Present also were Seamus McGrath TD, Cllr Patrick Donovan and from some of the clubs supporting Carrigaline TT for Spring Clean Month : Helen O’Leary and Carol Sexton, Basketball; Elaine ui Dhonnabhain, Soccer; Eric Hurley, Jerome and Patrick O’Sullivan, Rugby; Eddie Hayes, Badminton and John Gargan, Tennis.