Meet the team that is keeping Ballinspittle spick and span!

A STONE’S throw from the wild beauty of Garrettstown and Garrylucas beaches, Ballinspittle is a beautiful and quaint village.

Its Tidy Towns group have been in action for 25 years, and like many of these beloved volunteers across the land, they have, in recent years, embraced the idea of biodiversity and sustainability.

Ballinspittle is a treasure trove of artisan restaurants, gorgeous coffee shops, a yarn store, and health food store.

Its position on the Wild Atlantic Way brings a lot of visitors, but the community is a tight knit group and the love for their village was evident when I went along to one of their weekly clean-ups.

Public relations officer, Ashling Minihane, showed me around.

“There are 35 in the group, and we meet on Thursday evenings to do a clean sweep of the village,” Ashling said.

“However, it is the efforts of each individual that keep the village looking so well. 

Residents have taken on the task of keeping their own properties and the surrounding areas clean and weed-free and their efforts are clear to see.

The homes here, like that of community-spirited Gerard Nolan, are painted in bright, cheerful colours and there isn’t a speck of litter to be found.

Kevin Dennehy has taken on the task of keeping the Co-op looking neat, and the beauty and colour of the bridge house garden owned by Pat and Elma Cohalan is a sight to behold.

Mary McCarthy tells me that the village centre is the heart of the community, and she loves to get involved in tidy towns activities.

Patricia Keating, who has been with the group for more than 12 years, says she loves to see the place clean and takes great pride in how visitors ire their efforts.

Smallies and their parents go weed picking on Tuesday evenings at the local playground, so the next generation are learning about pride of place as well.

Along the river walkway are native Irish trees and in boxes are kept beautiful lavender plants. The area is called ‘Joanie’s Place’ after a much loved and missed resident. It is a beautiful place to sit and listen to the river running alongside the wildflower area, where poppies and other species offer a welcoming haven to the bees.

All the plants are pollinators and summer bedding has been replaced with perennials.

Fruit trees have been planted along the pretty walkway beside the playground.

The grotto is maintained to the highest standard, and an old cart that was donated by Philip and Avril Copithorne was upcycled and now welcomes the visitor when entering the village.

The self-sufficiency of this group, using their ingenuity, is to be much ired. There is a clothes bin at the Co-op with all monies made used in the maintenance of the playground.

They work in tandem with Courcey’s Integrated Rural Development group, which offers advice and guidance, and they have availed of grants through Cork County Council to secure equipment.

Cllr Gillian Coughlan and Jean Griffin have been godsends with advice and encouragement. Both Aisling and local business owner Ena Galvin are driving forces behind future plans.

This Friday, July 21, the group will have an open mic session in the village square, where local singers and musicians will entertain the crowd. All ages are welcome. A collection will be held in aid of the river walkway. Music and craic are guaranteed.

Plans are in place to work with Elaine Hayes at the Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre. They will be working in tandem with their arts department and gardening department to enhance the beauty and colour of the village even more.

Their score sheet with the adjudicators of the tidy towns competition notes how Ballinspittle improved hugely from 2021 to 2022, and this will surely be the trend going forward.

The future of Ballinspittle Tidy Towns is in very safe hands, and it is a place well worth a visit.

Bring your appetite, your love of good coffee, your camera and your containers to collect your staples at the refill shop, and then maybe grab some fresh air with an Atlantic stroll.

Cllr Coughlan said: ‘Engaging with Ballinspittle Tidy Towns is remarkable- the volunteers are ionate and willing to try novel solutions to old problems.

“We are in talks about compostable toilets and initiating a grey-way to facilitate safe walking and cycling between the village and the beach.

While these are at exploratory phases at present, it is a testament to their energy and commitment.

“The ambition, creativity and cohesiveness of the group and their connections and the overlap with other voluntary organisations in the area is impressive.

“I look forward to continuing to work with them to improve and enhance the area for local people and visitors alike.”