Kenmare Tidy Towns Partnerships

Partnerships

Kenmare Tidy Towns are continuously working for the betterment of Kenmare. Yet this would not be possible without support. We value all efforts, no matter how small. We have made every effort to be all inclusive and to recognise all initiatives. Please contact us if you have a project which should be included on the website.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryūnosuke Satoro

Local Residents

Local residents and Kenmare Tidy Towns have a mutually supportive relationship. Residents contribute to the up keep of the town by:

Maintaining their own properties
Volunteering on a Tuesday evening at 7pm (currently on hold due to COVID)
Volunteering for litter picks
Supporting the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.
Adopting a stretch of road and keeping it litter free, 'Adopt a Mile' initiative, supported by Sean Daly & Co.

Why not adopt a stretch of road and keep it litter free for the community and visitors. You can do it!

Contact us and we will give you all you need for the job. You can do it at a time that suits you.
We want to thank the volunteers who do that exact job 365 days of the year. Their adopted areas always look great.

"Ní neart go cur le chéile" " There is no strength without unity"

Local Schools

All schools in the area are involved in the Green Schools initiative through An Taisce, Pobalscoil, St. John's and Cahir.

Students participating in the Green Schools, learn about waste reduction, recycling, energy, active travel, biodiversity and marine. Awareness raising programmes include learning about Global citizenship and participation in workshops.

Initiatives which the schools are involved in include:

Installing bike racks and Walk on Wednesdays’ / ‘Cycle on Wednesdays’
Planting flowers and vegetables.
Tree planting initiatives in and around Kenmare.
Awareness raising of fast fashion.
Artwork on the various themes.
Pobalscoil and Tidy Towns have run many workshops for students and the public on Sustainable Energy, Stop Food Waste and the Architectural Toolkit.
Rainwater harvesting.
Installation of LED lighting.

Kenmare.ie/KMEG

Kenmare Tidy Towns and Kenmare Marketing and Events Group (KMEG) have a common goal of continuously working on the improvement of Kenmare Town.

We work on many projects together, such as planning ahead, town events and maintaining presentation, which includes power-washing, painting and planting.

KMEG have generously provided donations which we put towards the betterment of the town - benefiting community, business and tourism.

Supervalu, our Main Sponsor

Supervalu are the main sponsor of the national Tidy Towns competition.

Our local Supervalu and Derry Murphy have been extremely generous to our group over the years.

Derry has been a constant support to us in Kenmare Tidy Towns, among other things, he has;

Donated a van to our group,
Sponsored prizes for competitions,
Sponsored a hoist for chimney painting project.
Sponsored cleaning of the Suspension Bridge.
Commissioned Holbein Carpentry & Joinery to make a cabinet for Kenmare Tidy Towns to display a selection of our awards.
Helped us in our sustainability category by organising an information meeting with James Hogan for businesses on Solar for electricity generation.
Sponsored An Choill Beag in conjunction with LIDL.

CE Scheme

CE (Community Employment) Scheme funded by Department of the Social Protection has been operating since 1986.

The workers on the scheme do regular maintenance around the town and also work on projects.
Their input has proved invaluable to Kenmare Tidy Towns.

Asylum Seekers

In 2019 a group of asylum seekers were posted to Kenmare and accommodated in the Atlantic Lodge. They are from many different backgrounds and have varying levels of English.

The local community has welcomed and included them.
Many of the individuals have helped with Clean Coast Initiative, planting trees on the Peninsula and engaging in tidiness/litter projects in return for the warm welcome given to them.

Taking part in local initiatives in the community helps to strengthen relationships, encourages integration and builds trust.

Local Businesses

Local businesses support the ethos of the Tidy Towns in several ways:

Keeping their properties bright, cheerful and well maintained.
Donating to our group. Many businesses and individuals have given us generous financial assistance to allow us to carry out projects that would not be possible without their financial support.
To allow us to carry out chimney painting, Supervalu and Finnegans Bicycle Shop donated toward the cost of the hoist.
Supporting All Ireland Pollinator Plan.
Reducing their environmental impact by engaging with James Hogan and students from Cork Institute of Technology on Green Business Surveys, attending workshops, reducing energy and resource use, implementing recycling and renewable initiatives.
Supporting local community projects.
Before the summer of 2020, it was all hands on deck to get the town in shape. Power-washing of the town was carried out by Steam clean, volunteers and businesses.

Local Groups

There are many local groups that are actively involved in litter picks, tree planting and other initiatives in Kenmare.
Irish Girl Guides have carried out litter picks on the Peninsula and as part of their activities, learn about global goals and sustainability.
St John of God Adult group are regular litter wardens of Reenagross Park.

South Kerry Development Partnership - SKDP

SKDP is a community led local development company set up to address economic and social problems within the local communities of South Kerry.

SKDP works to promote and assist the development of sustainable, vibrant communities in South Kerry, and to improve the quality of life of the people living there through the provision of social and economic opportunities.

SKDP administer LEADER funds, and other funding allowing Kenmare Tidy Towns to complete local projects, such as

3 year plan
Heritage Trail
Reenagross Ecological survey and virtual tour.
Signage
A Biodiversity and Climate Change course for participants in the Kenmare area is currently ongoing.

SKDP also place participants from the Tús and Rural Social Scheme with us to assist in keeping Kenmare beautiful.

https://www.southkerry.ie/

Kerry County Council

Kerry County Council is responsible for the provision and administration of a wide range of services in Kerry.

Kerry County Council administer several grant schemes (Community Fund, Town and Village Renewal Fund, Age Friendly Fund) from which Kenmare Tidy Towns have benefited :

Cromwell's Bridge project
Refurbishment of the railings around the Fair Green
Water dispenser
Signage for Reenagross
Street signage
Easier Access to Market Stalls project
Recycled outdoor seating project

Kerry County Council support us on a daily basis providing resources for the upkeep of the town.
We are in constant contact with Kieran O’ Halloran (KCC engineer), his staff and our local councillors. They are all extremely helpful.
https://www.kerrycoco.ie/

Ring Of Beara Cycle

The Ring of Beara Cycle is making every effort to go plastic free and made huge progress in 2019. Cyclists were asked to make sure that they carried their own water bottles as water would be available at 1000 L bowsers positioned around the route. This worked really well. Plastic water bottles were previously handed out to cyclists. Sandwiches were packed in paper wrapping. Biodegradable cups and as much unwrapped product as possible was used.
The signs used around the course are mostly recycled from year to year.
We’re not 100% there yet...but we’re trying very hard.

Kenmare Tidy Towns acted as litter wardens for the event making sure that no litter was left behind. The committee donated generously to Kenmare Tidy Towns for their effort in keeping Kenmare litter free during the whole event.

Wild Derrynane

In partnership with Vincent Hyland of Wild Derrynane, we are actively highlighting the marine life in Kenmare Bay. Vincent is an artist, wildlife film maker, naturalist and outdoor educationalist.

He is passionate about the natural world and especially marine and coastal environment.
With Vincent's help and FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Group) funding, Kenmare Tidy Towns are highlighting the marine life in Kenmare Bay. Eco Telly is the most recent project, see more info under projects.

Transition Kerry

Transition Kerry's objective is to accelerate positive change in communities through inspiring, encouraging, supporting, networking and training to consider and then implement their vision for the future they want to live in.

Transition Kerry are currently training and mentoring members of the Kenmare community, to make positive changes in Kenmare, through a Climate Change and Biodiversity programme, facilitated by Kenmare Tidy Towns and funded by SKDP.

Professionals

We are very lucky to have professionals who advise and support the Tidy Towns Committee.

Dr Patrick Crushell from Wetland Surveys Ireland did a baseline Ecological Survey and Biodiversity Plan for Reenagross Park, see Resources.

Jan Van Soest, horticulturist, helps us with implementing the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Sharon Eastwood from Woodrow has prepared our 3 year plan 2019 to 2021, which can be downloaded on our Resources page.

KWD

In 2012 a number of local groups and businesses in Kerry got together to start a clean up initiative. Their aim was to have an annual county wide clean up of the road ways of Kerry and so the County Clean Up was born.

So on one chosen day, everybody involved picks all the litter off our main roads and by-roads. This has proved a great success and has gone from strength to strength each year . There has been a greater amount of volunteers each year cleaning up more roads and keeping our environment cleaner for locals and visitors alike, to enjoy and return to, whilst also creating more awareness of littering going forward.
KWD Recycling provide clean-up packs to groups which register at www.countycleanup.com or e-mail countycleanup@kwd.ie and collection points will be designated around the county to ensure that all litter gathered is disposed of appropriately.

An Taisce

An Taisce is the national trust for Ireland. Kenmare Tidy Towns have been involved in many of the education programmes run by An Taisce.

Green Schools project involves school children in sustainability initiatives in their school. All schools in the Kenmare area have achieved Green Flag status and retain it over the years.

Students from Pobalscoil participated in the Learning about Forests, (LEAF) programme at An Choill Bheag, sponsored by LIDL/Supervalu.

The National Spring Clean is a nationwide anti-litter campaign which takes place during the whole month of April. Kenmare Tidy Towns participate in this initiative each year.

Clean Coasts organise hundreds of beach clean-ups annually - mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from our coastline, as an island nation and as a town on the sea.
T hink before you flush is an awareness campaign by Clean Coasts, supported by Irish Water.
Clean Coasts reminds us of the importance and value of what we have and to look after it so everyone can enjoy it.

Kenmare Community Care

Ann Browne from Kenmare Tidy Towns donated a handcrafted crib including knitted figures to Kenmare Community Nursing Unit for Christmas 2020.
The Crib was live-streamed to all bedrooms for residents to enjoy during Covid lockdown.

Kenmare Tidy Towns have always supported Kenmare Community Care and Taobh Linn with Meals on Wheels. This has become especially important during the ongoing pandemic.

Future Planning - We will plant a bed on a green patch at the entrance to Kenmare Community Nursing Unit and maintain it - as a cheerful welcome to all.

Carnegie Arts Centre

During the COVID Summer of 2020 The Carnegie, Kenmare Tidy Towns and KMEG hosted an Outdoor Drama "The Parish" in the Town Park. All regulations and social distancing was observed, with the audiences seated in their social groups.

Kenmare Tidy Towns help with annual outdoor maintenance of the historical Carnegie building- cleaning shoots, power-washing slabs, weeding and painting railings.

Some Kenmare Tidy Town members “strut the boards” on various Carnegie drama productions.