The results of the Tidy Towns are out today, with the overall winners being Tallanstown from County Louth. Millstreet got 287 points (up 3 from last year) and are winners of North Cork Category C, and finished second across all of North Cork behind the village of Coolagown (which is on the border with Waterford)
CATEGORY C: Millstreet 287, Newmarket 259, Kanturk 221, Rathcormac 210
Read the full report below, or on tidytowns.ie
Read the overall scores for all competing towns in Ireland
Visit the Millstreet Tidy Towns website, and get involved!
Tidy Towns Competition 2010
Adjudication Report
Centre: Millstreet. County: Cork (North)
Category: C. Dates: 08/06/2010 & 02/08/2010
Overall Development Approach 43/50
Millstreet TidyTowns and Tourism Association is welcome to the 2010 competition. You would appear to have a good working relationship with IRD Duhallow, Cork County Council, FAS and Coillte as well as the local community and businesses. You have many plans for the town’s development. Many thanks for your clearly completed application form, tour, map, “before and after” photographs and 3 year plan, all of which were most useful to the adjudicator on the day.
The Built Environment 36/50
Both public and commercial premises of the town generally looked well cared for on the day. The limestone and sandstone church looked well in its prominent location at the top of the town. It was good to see that the mural depicting the flags of the participating countries of the Eurovision venue was being well maintained. Do ensure that plastic signage is replaced with ones of a more traditional timber variety, as they are more appropriate. The modern building that forms O’Keeffe’s makes a strong and confident impact on the main street. The Bank of Ireland looked well and the magnificent wrought ironwork of O’Driscoll travel was admired. The Garda Station looked well, with flower tubs. Siopa Deas and Cronin’s were also fresh and impressive. Do ensure that the render is not removed from traditional rendered street houses. This is not only incorrect from a conservation point of view but also leads to problems with water penetration. The County Council offices looked well. The adjacent school sported lovely grounds and window boxes. The Fire Station is an interesting and unusual design.
Landscaping 40/50
This is an aspect of the competition that you obviously relish to judge by the standard of landscaped areas. Those incidental spaces on the Mallow Road looked well with trees and permanent planting. The town park was admired, although some work had yet to be completed in the car park area by the looks of a prepared
bed which had yet to be planted? Some litter was apparent at this location also. The marvellous Turbid Well was beautifully maintained as ever. The new planters and relatively mature trees on Main Street were both items to be admired. Hanging baskets at the bridge over the Finnow made a cheerful impression.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities 29/50
The new wildlife area on the Mallow Road will be a marvellous asset when it matures. It was a good means of improving an empty site. The marvellous Clara wildlife area is another fine asset to have so close to the town centre. The Clara and Glebe walks are fantastic amenities to have on your doorstep. Some jaunty yellow flag irises were noted to the field of horses adjoining the Tubrid Well.
Litter Control 34/50
The standard in this category of the competition was quite good on the day. We were pleased to hear of your weekly clean-ups and daily litter picks- which are both good ideas. It was good to hear of the participation of local residents and schoolchildren in this activity. We are delighted to hear that you are planning talks at the school in this regard. There were a few papers to planting along the Mallow and Klilarney Roads and in the town park car park opposite the church, however. Congratulations on your litter awards over the years.
Waste Minimisation 11/20
The recycling facility must be a fantastic asset to have in the town, and indeed for the residents of surrounding towns and outlying areas. It has been landscaped to a high standard with stone walling and we were pleased to hear that you have a strong relationship with this facility. The talk on waste management and composting with its practical demonstrations sounded very successful.
Tidiness 24/30
The town generally had a reasonably neat appearance on the day. We were pleased to hear of your work in relation to weed control, an all-too-common problem for committees. Some were evident at kerbsides on the Mallow approach. Graffiti was noted at the new wall at the town park car park, which was unfortunate. We were pleased to hear of your success regarding undergrounding of wire-scapes.
Residential Areas 30/40
The standard in this category was good with the individual houses and gardens of the town and along approach roads generally being well cared for. The marvellous Tanyard Estate with its stone boundary wall was admired. Another new estate using stone gabions as a landscape feature to retain ground was admired closer to the town centre. The gothic white gate-lodge and adjoining wall on the Mallow Road should be repainted before next year – it’s a fine structure of its type and is in a prominent location. Some of the cottages opposite the County Council offices could be restored to their former glory. The best garden competition sounds very successful and hopefully the new commercial premises one will be equally successful.
Roads, Streets and Back Areas 32/50
The standard in this category was good on the day. The Mallow Road looked very welcoming, with well cut grass verges and overhanging mature trees. Directional signs coming in this road were slightly obscured by weeds. The Killarney Road was well maintained, although the speed limit signs appeared a little grubby as did signage for the Tubrid Well.
General Impression 8/10
Millstreet is a busy working town set in some magnificent scenery. It continues to perform well in the competition and its residents show a keen enthusiasm for their home town.
Second Round Adjudication:
Congratulations on submitting a really thorough and thoughtful entry. The map was excellent and your information very relevant. This was the adjudicator’s first visit to Millstreet and it was thoroughly enjoyed. The wide and colourful main street is charming- neat and vibrant. The church is really impressive building, good luck with the fundraising. The council offices look terrific and the landscaping here is excellent. The same can be said for several sites, including the Mallow Road and the Clara wildlife area. This last was admired but why is there no access to the water? The information here is very good indeed. Your new wildlife area is an excellent project but needs filling out a little. How about log piles or other invertebrate habitat?
