Ballincollig may not have been quite basking in autumnal sunshine on Friday afternoon but there was no mistaking the warm glow enveloping the town as news broke that the once country village turned commuter suburb of Cork City had been declared Ireland’s tidiest town.
Very much a mix of the old and the new with the northern side of the town only being developed following the closure of Murphy Army Barracks in 1998, there was no doubting the delight and pride among its 19,000 inhabitants as the news spread along the beech-lined main street
Leaf and Bower bookshop owner Fiona Farrell had just heard the news and was delighted for TidyTowns committee chairman Tom Butler and in particular volunteer Kitty O’Callagan and Cork City Council street cleaner, Frank O’Leary, both of whom do “Trojan work”.
“I meet Kitty every morning – she’s a volunteer and she’s here every morning, crack of dawn, rain or shine. They are a fabulous group because they are constantly working,” she said.
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Ballincollig became part of Cork City when the city boundary was extended in 2019 and among the first to congratulate Tom Butler and his team were Lord Mayor of Cork Dan Boyle and Cork City Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan.
“Huge congratulations to Ballincollig Tidy Towns. This award and their ongoing work is a testament to their fantastic community spirit and great pride of place which is evident for all to see in Ballincollig,” said Ms O’Sullivan.
Back on the street, traffic warden Michael Hegarty told how when he first arrived in Ballincollig, the army barracks was still open.
[ TidyTowns 2024: Full list of winners as Ballincollig in Co Cork claims top prizeOpens in new window ]
“I’ve been here during the boom and the recession – through the good times and the bad times and I’ve seen the great work done by Tom Butler and his team. They are like a family here and Ballincollig would not be the town it is but for them – it owes them a huge debt.”
Just off Main Street, Joanne Sheahan, whose family have run The Fry chipper for almost 40 years, was thrilled for all involved, pointing out that unlike many towns that sadly show the signs of business closures, Main Street remains in spruce condition.
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