This article is from page 33 of the 2008-09-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
ALTHOUGH major honours eluded Shannon in the national Tidy Towns awards, the committee is celebrat- ing its sizable increase in marks this year.
Shannon increased its tally by 12 points, to 266. Although that was significantly less than the 300 marks achieved by the county winner En- nis, the Tidy Towns committee in Shannon was thrilled by the increase and is optimistic that the points will continue to increase over the coming years.
Of particular pride was the increase in marks for the overall development approach, where Shannon scored 46
marks out of a possible 50. Although points were lower in the areas of wildlife and natural amenities, litter control and roads, streets and back areas, the town received eight points out of 10 in the ‘general impression’ category.
The adjudicators were impressed by the schools in the town, particu- larly St Aidan’s – which displayed a ereen flag – but said that St John’s school in Drumgeely was in need of some attention as weeds were grow- ing in the gutters. St Caimin’s Com- munity School was commended for its shrubbery.
Several buildings were also praised, including Murphy’s Cottage restau- rant, the shops in Ballycasey Cres-
cent and the river walk.
“The Pope John Paul II Jubilee Garden outside the church of SS John and Paul is a fantastic feature, with a suitable sculpture of Pope John Paul II and the area was adorned with an excellent floral display. The sculp- ture of the fish cut in stone at Bal- lycaseymore is an attractive feature,” stated the adjudicator’s report.
The adjudicator suggested that a notice board be erected at the en- trance to the river walk, outlining details of the huge amount of wildlife and the visiting birds that migrate to the area. The report also noted that while litter was well controlled over- all, isolated bits of litter were noticed in the river walk.
Overall, the adjudicator was pleased with the efforts being made to keep Shannon clean.
“It was a pleasure to spend a few hours driving and walking around Shannon. I feel that other towns could learn a lot from what has been achieved at Shannon,’ stated the re- port.
Secretary of the Tidy Towns com- mittee in Shannon, Tess Barry, was encouraged by the remarks, but said a lot of work remains to be done.
“We have to do the roundabouts and our approach roads are not up to scratch yet. However, the county council has done a lot, particularly in relation to lights and footpaths,’ she said.