With the crucial June Tidy Towns judging date fast approaching, volunteers from Loughrea Tidy Towns are calling on the community and local authorities to support their efforts in transforming the town.
Loughrea Tidy Towns is more than a community group, it’s a dedicated team of local volunteers who work year-round to make Loughrea a cleaner, greener, and more welcoming place to live. From planting flower beds and maintaining public green spaces to organising clean-up events and sustainability projects, the group plays a vital role in enhancing the town’s appearance and community spirit.
"For us, it is about taking pride in where we live and helping our community," explained Isabelle Ní Dhuinn, chairperson of the Loughrea Tidy Town Committee. "In Ireland, there seems to be a loss of the sense of community, so for us, the work we are doing is building up that sense of community in Loughrea.
Take part and help your community
Consisting of people from all walks of life, the committee has been hard at work in recent weeks, both preparing for June's judging date and cleaning up after those visiting Loughrea Lakes during the recent sunny spell. This hard work comes at an increased cost for the group, due to the lack of support from Galway Rural Development workers, whom they had previously relied upon.
"All the other towns in Galway have GRD support workers, bar us. Loughrea is a big town that requires a lot of work, and unfortunately, this work is left to us. A collection of people, mostly made up of middle-aged women, pensioners and students.
"We always welcome new members and volunteers, but it has to be said that due to the heavy lifting element, we need more men to help out and join us."
As a result, the hard work of local groups like the Loughrea Scouts, disability organisations, and the support of Youth Reach placement students has been vital in helping to transform the town, especially given recent attacks by vandals which resulted in a dead tree, a stolen shrub and spray paint tags being left across Loughrea.
"It is disheartening to see things like that happen, it is like our hard work is not valued."
Local support
While the support from the local authority may be wanting, Isabelle was quick to point out that the local businesses have been incredibly supportive. This support varies from participating in local initiatives such as the 'Proud to Keep Loughrea Tidy' scheme, to Lyon's Nurseries and Garden Centre donating bulbs and plants, Supermacs funding two huge planters in the town and the local Naomh Breandan Credit Union donating funds for the group's recently purchased mechanical weed scrubber.
"The businesses are a fantastic support to us," said Isabelle.
Adopt a Spot
With a catchment area spanning kilometres, Loughrea Tidy Towns has adopted a new scheme to encourage the town's residents to help in the battle to keep Loughrea tidy, Adopt a Spot.
"You can pick any area, it could even be outside your own house, or a tree, or a grid down the road, anywhere, and you just have to maintain that one tiny area," said Isabelle. I have chosen the road down by the graveyard, and it is a fair stretch, but I keep it weed-free and litter-free, and it looks great."
The motivation to keep her adopted spot clean is driven by more than just duty, for Isabelle, it is about making sure that the stretch of road travelled by locals on their last journey from Loughrea is beautiful.
"For me, that road represents the last time that the recently deceased will leave the town, and it should be special. It should be special for them and for their families who walk behind the hearse to say their final goodbyes.
Because in the end, she says, “Tidy Towns is about supporting our community.”
