Celebrating the ESB

Annual General Meeting
Our AGM recently was well-attended and we had lively discussions and interesting suggestions for the future. The following were appointed for 2017:
Hon Presidents: Fr John O’Keeffe PP, Ted Moynihan, Mary Ryan, Michael Kelly, Martin O’Brien.
Chairman: Denis Floyd
Vice Chairperson: Aileen Campion
Joint Secretaries: Gráinne Delaney & Terry Griffith
Treasurer: Paddy Barry
Ast Treasurer: Donnchadh Floyd
PRO: Anne Barry
Youth Officer: Margaret Hogan
Committee: Margaret Clifford, Nuala Lawlor, Fiona Ryan, Brett Fitzpatrick, Cora Lahiff, Kathleen Bradley, Siobhán Larkin, Marian O’Brien, Bernadette Hogan

Arrangements have been made for our sub-committees to meet on Monday 14th and 21st November to consider proposals under the various Tidy Towns adjudication categories.

Celebration
Thanks to all who turned out to toast our Tidy Towns success last week. Thanks to Matt The Threshers for food and refreshments and to Eamonn O’Dwyer who did some recording for Tipp FM. Picture shows our CES workers Mike, Paul and Christy (now gone) admiring the trophy with Margaret Hogan.

Harvest Celebration
There was a fine array of produce on display in the Community Garden at the Old Barracks last Sunday morning to mark the harvesting season (See picture below). Some of the produce was from the beds newly-installed at the centre earlier this year. Enquiries about taking a bed for next year can now be made to Birdhill Tidy Towns.

AGM
Just one week to go to our Annual General Meeting where we will start laying the foundations for 2017. This will primarily be a planning meeting focusing on ideas, suggestions and proposals for development.

October Newsletter
Items Covered:
1. Thanks to the community
2. Annual General Meeting
3. Focus on Community Facilities
4. Harvest Celebration
5. CCTV for Birdhill

29th September 2016

Tidiest Village!
There was jubilation in Birdhill this week when it was announced at the Tidy Towns Awards ceremony at The Helix in Dublin that Birdhill was Ireland’s Tidiest Village for 2016. In addition, we retained our Gold Medal status and Number 1 place in the county, as well as being the overall winner in the SE region. We last held the ‘Tidiest Village’ crown in 2008. A lot of work has been done, much time expended, new projects undertaken and new features installed in the intervening years to earn this latest accolade. The involvement of many talented and knowledgeable people and the support of the broad community have been key to our success. Sincere thanks to all who have helped in any way.

Pictures below show:
Denis Floyd receiving the Tidiest Village award from Minister Michael Ring and Martin Kelliher (Supervalu).
Birdhill reps, Paddy & Anne Barry and Nuala Lawlor, along with Marcus O’Connor and Rosemary Joyce of Tipperary County Council at The Helix

10th September

Best Kept Garden
Congratulations to Martin O’Brien, Coole, Birdhill who took first prize in the Birdhill Garden Competition 2016. Agatha Murphy, Parteen Weir received second prize. Well done to all who participated and displayed such a high standard of presentation and maintenance. Thanks to our prize sponsors Careys Hardware, Newport and Applegreen, Birdhill. Thanks also to our adjudicators Tadhg McCarthy, Broadford, Co Limerick and Rosemary Joyce of Tipperary Co Co.

Tug-o-war: Well done to the Coopers, Latvian backboned, team which won the tug-o-war challenge. They finally got the better of the Bally Boys who had reigned supreme for the past six years. (See pictures of teams below)

28th April

Community Garden
With May almost here, it is time to start thinking of planting vegetables for 2016.
There are a few beds still available in the Community Garden at the Old Barracks. With grow grids in place on the raised beds, work and maintenance will be minimal. There is an initial cost of €20 per large bed and €10 for a small bed to cover set-up costs. Charges will be halved for continuing users in subsequent years.
For more extensive crops, plots are available in the Community Allotments on the Killaloe Road.

Community Composter
The Community Composter is also up and running at the Old Barracks. It can be accessed on Saturday mornings at 10.00am and on Wednesday mornings at 10.00am. or otherwise by appointment.

1916 Commemoration
Last Sunday’s commemoration was a very successful event. The ceremonies in the Park and the Green along with the concert in the Hall helped to mark a hugely significant part of our history. The memorial in the Park was specially constructed, with 7 dwarf conifers representing the signatories of the Proclamation, surrounding a plaque with the immortal words of WB Yeats “All changed, changed utterly; a terrible beauty is born.” A plaque with the words of the Proclamation is installed on the Village Green. We are indebted to Tipperary County Council for their financial support towards this project.
There is a limited number of programmes from last Sunday’s concert in Birdhill Community Hall available. Please let us know if you would like to secure a souvenir copy.

April Newsletter
Topics covered this month:
1. Cookery Demonstartion; Using leftovers; Saving on food bills; What to compost.
2. Coffee Culture at the Old Barracks; New Community Gardens; Community Composter
3. Birdhill remembers 1916
4. Spring Clean 2016
5. Potting of Flowers
6. Email distribution list
7. Tips to save you money

March Newsletter

Wildlife & Natural Amenities
Create awareness about cleaning bird-boxes, feeding time for birds, looking out for frog spawn, listening for cuckoo,
Solar lighting in Community Park and Longhouse
Initiatives re Deer, Badgers, Red Squirrel, Otter, Corncrake, Owls, Bats
Bat monitors
Location of Bat Boxes: Pollaghs, School, Motorway Bridges
Greenway signs
Hedgehog house
Ladybird homes
Replace wood supports for signs in Literary Trail
Create map of wildlife in Birdhill, showing places of interest
Wildflower meadows in Orchard, on Link Road to Motorway, on Roadside from Village to Church
Greater use of ‘Phone Box’ to display information
Plant berry trees in the Pollaghs
Hard core paths through orchard

Community & School
Tie in community events with 1916 theme
Work with school on Green Flag, Biodiversity and creating Wildlife Habitat
Arrange visits to the school for talks on litter, recycling, biodiversity, etc
Arrange occasions for children, teenagers and older people to mix and talk
St Patrick’s Day Parades: Convert train into army truck. Liaise with school to advise on what to wear.
Easter: Stations of Cross. Dawn Mass
Outdoor cinema
Community Day does not have to be in the community; Combine ‘having fun’ with educating people around Tidy Towns topics
Signage in Village for School, Hall, etc.
Tidy Towns Youth Committee
Wear club, county or country colours to display diversity on 1916 commemoration day

Tidiness & Litter
O’Briensbridge Road blackspot for dumping and litter
Cyclists contributing to litter
Compile rota for litter collection on all roads – appoint a leader to take ownership of road
‘Don’t Litter Birdhill’ signs
Large central bill board for notices
Meet with Applegreen
No alternative to spraying weeds?

Approach Roads & residential Areas
Hold a ‘Best Road Front’ rather than ‘Best Garden’ competition.
Distribute flyer to all houses with a list of suggestions to help Tidy Towns
Sponsorship approach to Applegreen
Railway Station entrance
Engage with Co Co to improve road edging and road surfaces
Expose stone walls adjacent to railway bridges
Review all signage to determine removal or replacement
Mark boundaries of townslands and provide information
Etchings on trees
Large Boulder at Cooleen
Slippage on main road at soccer pitch

Waste Management
Poster Competition/Make item from recycled from recycled materials
Make item from recycled materials
Composting demonstration.
Consider a Community Composter
Liaise with Environment Dept Tipp Co Co
Seek report from waste companies on weights collected
How will ‘Pay by Weight’ impact
Devise questionnaire for houses to help in compiling a Waste Action Plan
Compile an Energy Action Plan
Share surplus plants, flowers, food
Provide ideas for reducing what’s coming into houses
Smile exchange
Hold more Information Evenings
Charity Pick-up for clothes – 2 per year
Biabox deliveries
OWL energy monitors
Highlight car pooling and availability of parking spaces as a positive without putting up signage

Landscaping
Pot in centre of Cooleen Roundabout
Tully’s Cross ok
Yellow Begonias for Beds in Church Yard; Red Begonias in Car Park bed
Bunds on Birdhill Roundabout need landscaping – medium-sized ornamental trees, cotoneaster/holly/evergreens/berries
Create Irish Flag with flowers (green, white & orange) on Nenagh approach; also a ‘Harp’ in small square bed
Butterfly/Scented Bed in Park needs definition and edging. Include English Lavender; Replace nearby seat
Herb Bed in Park ok
Create herb garden in troughs in the Orchard
Containers: Include weeping plants to soften harshness of the metal
Orchard: Roadside boundary needs definition – post & rail; Path needs attention; Names of counties and apple varieties etched on railing
Refurbish bed between Mary Ryan’s (Cooper) house and Birdhill boulder
Sensory Garden

Built Environment
Challenge: Maintain marks.
Places of concern: Browsers Store & garden Centre; Post Office; Creamery; Area at Cooleen Cross.
Additional farm equipment on Roundabout
Village Notice-board
New feature to replace grass-composting area in the Park
Screen the service area for bottles and crates at rear of Coopers
Safe walking path in the village

1916 Commemoration
Reading of Proclamation, Raising of Flag and Singing of Amhrán na bhFiann on 24th April
Concert: “You may sing and speak about Easter Week” featuring songs, poems and music associated with 1916
1916 theme for St Patrick’s Day parades
Commemorative bed in the Park.
Provide a visual of what Birdhill looked like in 1916

January Newsletter