Ardclough Community Council
Making Ardclough a better place to live in
2010 Tidy Towns competition
Ardclough achieved a mark of 252 out of 400 in the 2010 Tidy Towns competition. This compares to 219 marks in 2007, 238 in 2008 and 246 in 2009.
- Once again, our highest mark was for residential areas ((77%, 31 out of 40), with the Wheatfield Estate being singled out for special mention.
- We also performed well in the areas of the built environment (68%, 34 out of 50) landscaping (68%, 34 out of 50), the attractiveness of the approach roads (66%, 33 out of 50) and the overall development approach (66%, 33 out of 50).
- The biggest increase in marks was wildlife and natural amenities, up 3 points from the previous year.
- The lowest scoring area was in litter control (52%, 26 out of 50 marks) and waste minimization (40%, 8 out of 20).
The adjudicators commented favourably on the overall development approach (“the village has achieved a standard of excellence”), the church (“the presentation of the church and its grounds is excellent and is a most attractive feature of ardclough”), the shop (“neatly presented”) and the triangle (“beautifully presented and is most attractive”)
The adjudicators suggested a number of improvements. These included the refurbishment of the seating in the green space opposite Lishandra Manor and tidying of the roadside verges opposite the triangle. It is intended that these will be acted on during 2011.
The Committee would like to thank all those who contributed to the good result achieved. In particular, we would like to thank all who participated in the work nights. A copy of the adjudication report can be obtained from Pauline Johnson or any member of the Committee.
Given the relatively high mark awarded in 2010, it is going to be a challenge to continue to improve our overall mark in 2011. We would welcome any assistance that members of the community can provide in that respect. In particular, we would be grateful for the support of land owners in the following areas:
- Good maintenance of hedges greatly improves the visual appearance of the area. This is the time of year for trimming hedges and we would be grateful if you would ensure that your hedges are as neat as possible.
- Good maintenance of field gates greatly enhances the visual aspect of the area. We ask for the support of land owners in ensuring that gates are appropriately painted and well maintained. With a view to having a consistent approach, we have suggested that gates should be painted black.
Biodiversity in your garden
Biodiversity is important for economic, social, medicinal and environmental reasons. We encourage the members of the community to promote biodiversity in their gardens. Details of how you can do this are provided in the leaflet accompanying this newsletter.
Canal walk heritage evening
With a view to celebrating the role of the canal in the life of the people of Ardclough, a heritage evening took place on Saturday, June 19th, 2010. This involved a local boat owner, Eric Kemp, taking his boat through the lock gates near LyonsVillage with commentary on the history of the canal from a local historian, Gabriel Boylan. There was a large attendance and we were blessed with beautiful weather. The event at the lock was followed by a barbeque in the newly renovated courtyard at the Village of Lyons. Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening and we would like to thank all who helped in the organisation of this event. It is hoped to organise a similar event next year. We will inform you of the details in due course.
St Anne’s National School
As part of science week, children in St Anne’s 4th, 5th and 6th classes presented 27 projects. Two projects were chosen to go through to the Regional Final in Intel on December 9th and we wish them every success.
The parents’ support group is producing Christmas cards as a fundraiser for the school this year. The cards will feature a group photograph of all the children wearing Santa hats! Cards will be sold in packs of 8 at €6 per pack or €10 for two packs. Cards are available at the school.Please support.
Halloween party at the GAA club
The children's Halloween Party took place in the GAA club on Halloween night. The event was attended by close to 90 children. The evening consisted of fun and games for all, with music provided by a professional DJ who kept us all entertained. There were over 20 spot prizes won in various categories such as, best dancer, scariest laugh and funniest joke. The best costume was won by young Sean Reeves from Boston Hill. Well done to him. Many thanks to all those who helped out on the night. Without their generosity the event would not have happed. As always we are open to ideas to improve the experience. Be sure to let us know. We look forward to next year's event.
Christmas lights
Christmas lights will be put up in the grounds of Ardclough church and a turning-on ceremony consisting of carol singing, mulled wine and soft drinks will be held in the church grounds on Friday December 3 after the First Friday mass. This event has contributed to providing a Christmas atmosphere in the village. All are welcome to what is always a very enjoyable evening. Children are especially welcome. Many thanks to Father O’Byrne and Father Kelly for their cooperation.
OK Bus Service still going
OK transport is still running the local bus on Thursday mornings at 9:30AM from the triangle or pick up from home if needed. The bus driver will take passengers to an agreed location via Celbridge if needs be. The bus returns to the triangle or via passengers homes at 1:30pm every day. Travel passes are accepted.
Please support the ACC in 2011
As you can see from the newsletter there are many things that can be done to ensure that this community is vibrant and safe for young and old alike. The work of the Community Council is based on the voluntary efforts of the members of the community.We would encourage you to consider allocating some time to assist the community in 2011. A commitment of even one or two hours a month would make a big difference.
AGM 2011
The Annual General meeting of the ACC will take place in February in the GAA Club. Further details will be provided closer to the date of the meeting. All are welcome.
Happy Christmas
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2011.