Heroes in hi-vis! My stint with Carrigaline Tidy Town volunteers

THEY may not always have the sunshine, but what they are never short on in Carrigaline is enthusiasm, dedication and smiles.

And when I visited the town to see the Carrigaline Tidy Towns group in action the other day, there were blue skies all the way.

The devoted and ambitious group are striving for their next accolade to place along their bronze, silver and gold medals in the annual national Tidy Towns competition.

Since its inception in the 1970s, the local group have stood for community, inclusion and a love of their town.

The first order of the day when I met them at their beautiful hub in the town centre was a warm welcome to one another, followed by an agreement on the morning’s plan of action.

The hub, surrounded by garden benches, tubs and planters filled with bright flowers, and with the river running beside it, is such an inviting and colourful place to start.

Aoife Coughlan, who is new to the group, says she ed because of her interest in the environment and sustainability.

Her children have a love of nature and have ed with the junior Tidy Towns group that meets to do litter picking on the first Saturday of every month.

Hazel Kelleher tells me that she loves the social side of the group, while Anne O Sullivan decided to as soon as she retired, and loves every minute of it.

They all agree that the gardening expertise so obvious to visitors to the town comes from the wonderful Betty O’Riordan.

Betty, who is now 28 years with the group, can name every shrub and plant that they have in their displays.

Not only is she an avid gardener, she also does soft landscaping design and her dedication and pride in the Tidy Towns group and their work is evident.

The organisational skills come from their chairman Liam O Connor, who is ionate about the group and showing Carrigaline in the best light possible.

Carrigaline Tidy Towns now have 20 regular volunteers every Saturday, and all are needed, when you consider the size of the town now. The population has grown exponentially to more than 16,000, making it the biggest town in County Cork. However, they have managed to retain the village feel, and all, whether local or a newcomer to the area, are made very welcome by the Tidy Towns group.

They don’t come more welcoming than Tony O Sullivan. Chatty and with a big smile, he is delighted to welcome all to their group.

Tony, who has been with Carrigaline Tidy Towns for eight years, is a retired prison officer and tells me that they have great fun together and it’s a wonderful way to make friends and be part of something beneficial to the community. We’re like a counselling group, he jokes.

As with other Tidy Towns groups across Cork city and county, this is clearly about more than keeping the town clean and looking good - it’s also about fostering a sense of community and people keeping in touch with one another.

After two hours of work on the Saturday I was there, the group reconvened at the hub and it was then you could see why they love their work so much.

Teas and coffees were sipped while they sat in the garden benches and caught up with one another’s news and lives.

Everything is discussed and any issues that are thrown into the circle are talked through. These people care about one another.

The social side goes beyond the Saturday morning meetings, as the group have gone to fashion shows and wine tastings and also have an eye out for any social occasions that the volunteers would enjoy.

As with most tidy towns groups, the type of litter they see the most of is cigarette butts and E-cigarettes, along with discarded water bottles and cans.

The group will be starting a new anti-litter campaign soon which will involve all ages and will be a community effort.

David Collins tells me that this group are dedicated to the environment and to sustainability.

David, who was the chairman of the group, as was his dad Barry, and is the owner of the hugely successful Supervalu in the town, can’t speak highly enough of the volunteers.

He tells me that the pods used to make our coffees in the cafe are gathered by the group and added to the compost heap to be reused in the flower beds.

David says the Tidy Towns group, which has been sponsored by SuperValu Carrigaline for more than 25 years, is hugely innovative and they are what community spirit is all about - multi-generational and multi-cultural.

The of many local businesses in Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy have allowed this group to create some beautiful features and gardens in the town.

Whether it’s the Carrigaline insect hotel and villas, the SuperValu-sponsored Wildlife Garden, the PepsiCo, Cork County Council and Lions Club sponsored Owenabue Sail Garden, or the garden dedicated to the late John Crowley, founding member and treasurer, who is much missed and so well regarded, their work is impeccable.

We wish them every success in all their future endeavours, and of course, if you wish to them, they can be found at 11.30am on Saturdays at their hub in the town centre, drinking tea and straightening out the world. You’d be more than welcome!