This article is from page 40 of the 2011-09-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 40 JPG
WEST Clare fared well in the national Tidy Towns results announced yesterday, with two of the three gold medals heading there.
Kilrush and Ballynacally – along with Ennis – took gold medals, having recorded impressive results.
Ballynacally recorded the county’s second highest score of 305 points (Ennis earned 307), which was just five points behind the overall national winners Killarney. Kilrush re- ceived 303 points. Kilrush increased their scores from last year by three and improved in the areas of landscaping, litter control and the built environment.
A three-point increase was also handed to Ballynacally, which increased points in the areas of landscaping, the built environment and wildlife and natural amenities.
The adjudicators were pleased with both areas and described Ballynacally as “a lovely rural village still retaining a good quantity of traditional farm buildings”.
“Ballynacally is a charming village retaining its original character and scale while developing a modern style and outlook,” noted the adjudication report.
In Kilrush, the adjudicators noted the improvement in the town, where “new buildings superbly integrated alongside the fine old structures”. St Senan’s Church and the grotto were pointed out, having impressed the adjudicators, who described the town’s work as a “truly wonderful effort”.
“The Vandeleur Walled Gardens are a unique attraction and the resurfacing of the access road here is an impressive project,” noted the adjudication report.
“Kilrush has a large number of incidental open spaces widely dispersed throughout the town and they are presented to a high standard. The production of bedding plants is an admirable scheme. Your plans to develop more sustainable planning augur well for the future,” added the report.