Projects

Our Work

As a group, we are continuously working to maintain and improve the town we love, Kenmare. On an ongoing basis we:

Meet and liase with Kerry County Council, South Kerry Development Partnership, local groups, residents, Family resource centre, Kenmare Chamber of Commerce, Kenmare Community Garden amongst others.
Litterpick - This is still a major part of our work and we are grateful to have so many dedicated volunteers.
We distribute litter picking equipment.
Distribute and erect 'Managed for Wildlife' signs to highlight where meadows are allowed to grow for pollinators
Co-ordinate with local schools, on their Green Flags and litterpicks.
Paint, hoe, weed and cleanup. These are done regularly at various locations.
Apply for funding and deliver projects for the benefit of all.
Maintain our Facebook, Instagram and website.
Complete our annual Entry form to the National Tidy Towns competition.
Monitor Biodiversity and quality of our environment, particularly on the Swift project and water quality monitoring.

2023

Biodiversity Action Plan is published in March.
Kenmare Community Garden is established.
Kenmare Universal Access work is ongoing with Kenmare Family Resource Centre.
Three new planters were added to our streets, part funded by Community Support Fund (Kerry Support Fund).
For Biodiversity week, Heritage week, and during the summer we ran a series of events exploring nature in Kenmare, including Swifts, life in the river, salt marches and exploring our shore.
Many premises were painted and refurbished, keeping up the high standard of the town.

2022

Water fountain installed in Town Park, to reduce consumption of single use plastics. Funded by Community Support Fund.
Heron Sculpture delivered, and installed on the rear of the Courthouse, overlooking the Finnihy. Funded by LEADER, administered by South Kerry Development Partnership.
'Happy to Chat' benches, a joint venture with the Kenmare Family resource Centre, four benches have a sign, to combat social isolation and encourage conversations.
Courthouse upgrade, refurbishing the railings and repainting the building in heritage colours, under Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Ecotelly installed in front of Courthouse, funded by FLAG (Fisheries Local Area Group), to bring Kenmare Bay into Kenmare town.
The footpaths around the Town Park are redone under the Heritage Enhancement grant, making the town accessible to all.
Completed Biodiversity + Climate Change program with Transition Kerry
Kerry ETB delivered a series of public Biodiversity workshops, meeting at Kenmare Pier.
Biodiversity Action Plan is in progress, funded by Community Foundation for Ireland.
Upgrade of monument at crossroads on R569 by Kerry County Council.
Welcomed Ukranians into our group.
Ran a Seed + Plant Swap for exchange of resources and ideas.
Establishment of Kenmare Community Garden and Universal Access Kenmare, both of which have strong links to our group

2021

Website and video to highlight Kenmare Tidytown's work Adopt a Mile + Adopt a Road - to allow for volunteers to keep Kenmare in top condition during COVID.
Bee friendly competition to encourage locals to get planting for pollinators.
Installed Swift boxes, on Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, St John's National School and Cahir National School.
2021-2022 Under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme, Kenmare Tidy Towns, KMEG and Kerry County Council, saw the historic railings around our Fair Green repaired, strengthened and enhanced for future generations.
New footpaths around the Town Park.
Two new picnic tables for Town Park.
Swift mural. Tara McCarthy painted a Swift mural to improve the walk from Kenmare town to Sneem Road, funded by Pobal.
2020/2021 All litter bins were replaced in the town.

2020

Climate Change and Biodiversity Course, delivered by Transition Kerry, ran from October 2020 to April 2022.

New planters were delivered by Kerry County Council, which Kenmare Tidy Towns filled with vibrant pollinator friendly flowers, bringing vibrancy into the town.

Planted hedging on public Eco Park, The Point, before lockdown.

Biodiversity flowerbed in our Town Park.

An Choill Bheag, we planted a woodland in the carpark between Supervalu and LIDL. The project was sponsored by Supervalu and LIDL, LEAF (Learning About FOrests) delivered an education and co-ordinated the planting with Transition years from Pobalscoil.

Biodiversity sign. We designed a sign to demonstrate the value of Kenmare's biodiversity, supported by Community Environment Action Funding.

Sustainable Energy Seminar. Held at Pobalscoil with James Hogan- Green Business Programme Manager CIT & EPA, Pat Smith - MD Local Power Ltd and Michael Hayes - RVR, Kenmare. It was well attended by locals and Murphy's Supervalu, Kenmare has since installed 149.94kWp of PhotoVoltaic panels.

Bike stands were installed in town centre by Kerry County Council.

2019

In 2019, for health and Safety reasons, KCC were obliged to cut down a large Monterey Cypress tree in Holy Cross church carpark and we commissioned Fear na Coillte to carve a beautiful Anchor (with a chainsaw) from its trunk, to remind visitors to Kenmare on the R569, that Kenmare is situated on the sea.
3 Year plan developed by Woodrow Sustainable Solutions
In Reenagross, we got directional signs under Community Support Fund.
Green Business Project. 2017-2019. EPA, Cork Institute of Technology and Pobalscoil TY students attended information workshops and surveyed local businesses.
Introduced the CONSCIOUS CUP CAMPAIGN whereby people can bring their own cup to the participating restaurants for takeaway coffee and receive a reduction on the price. This is an effort to reduce the quantity of waste generated at source.

2017

Funded by the Town & Village Renewal grant, we got the historic Cromwell's bridge structurally stabilised using lime mortar as in the days of yore.
2017 and 2018 we were part of the “Save Our Market” campaign and were instrumental in locating the Casual Trading area to a safer and more aesthetically beautiful site on two sides of our triangular Fair Green. In 2019 we trimmed the understory of the trees in the Fair Green to let more light into the park and make the casual trading stalls more visible from the Square.

2016

A Garden of Remembrance was unveiled to remember the men, women, parents and children who lost their lives or suffered in 1916 - so that we might have freedom. The launch was a wonderful morning of poetry, song, music and short speeches for the whole community. All local school children and their teachers were present and took part in the programme.·