Welcome to our newsletter! We have been busy over the last few months and have lots to tell you about.
Tidy Towns Awards
Raheny has won another bronze medal in the Tidy Towns Competition. We scored 333 points, up 8 points from the last entry in 2019. Out of the 44 districts that entered from Dublin, Raheny came 7th.
We were also awarded Highly Commended in the Water and Communities Award, thanks to all the work we've been doing on the River Santry this year.
We are delighted with the results! Thanks to the many volunteers who have worked so hard over the past year and to local groups who have collaborated with us. A final thanks to Linda Spellman for managing our entry.
Fundraiser
Raheny Tidy Village Group is aiming to raise €1,200 to replace two more of the planters in Raheny village next year and we need your help!
Some of the planters in Raheny village are old and disintegrating. Money raised will cover more durable planters, delivery, soil and new plants.
We would be extremely grateful for any donations. If you would like to donate, please go to our GoFundMe page:
River Clean
In August, the Raheny Tidy Village Group volunteers did a massive clean-up of the banks of the River Santry. More than 30 bags of rubbish, a trolley and two chairs were taken away in the clean-up! This is part of our plan to help improve the water quality and biodiversity of the River Santry. Thanks to LAWPRO and Thomas Carolan, Community Water Officer, for sponsoring training and supporting the cost of equipment and refreshments for the river clean-up.
St Michael's House Clean-up
We greatly enjoyed doing a clean-up in the garden at St Michael's House School in August before the students started back to school.
New Planters on Howth Road
In September we installed two new planters on the Howth Road (beside the Circle K garage on Orchard Road, opposite Foxfield). They look even better in real life so check them out the next time you are passing!
These planters were bought with your generous donations from our fundraiser on GoFundMe last year. Thank you! In keeping with our sustainability goals, they are planted with plants that were either grown from seed, cuttings or salvaged from another place.
Leaf Fall
This time of year, we are very busy sweeping the leaves from the many gorgeous trees in Raheny village. We compost many of these leaves into leaf mould and use the leaf mould for planting. We have a partnership with DCC to take some of our excess leaves to Balmayne for composting.
In October, some of our members attended a workshop on leaf composting organised by DCC in Raheny. The workshop was facilitated by Craig Benson, a renowned expert on composting. Please see www.stopfoodwaste.ie to read two excellent books he recommended: 'Stop Food Waste - A Pocket Guide' and 'Composting - A Household Guide'.
Useful links:
Raheny's Tallest Sunflower Competition
Have you ever seen a sunflower this tall? Congratulations to Eoin Cody, his wife Christine and son Tadhg for winning Raheny's Tallest Sunflower Competition 2021. Their sunflower was a whopping 279cm!
We were delighted with all the entries to the competition! Check out the photos of the gorgeous sunflowers and the prize-giving by John Gaffney at Supervalu here:
Beach Clean
We were thrilled with the turnout for the Beach Clean of North Bull Island and Causeway Road on September 18th, 2021. 29 people joined forces on a beautiful sunny morning to pick litter along the coast road and beach. Raheny residents regularly enjoy the stunning amenity of nearby North Bull Island. The island has several nature conservation designations and supports a range of species protected under European and Irish legislation. Raheny Tidy Village Group plays its part in keeping the island clean. The beach clean was organised by Raheny Tidy Village Group in conjunction with Clean Coasts.
New Planters at Avondale Road
We installed new planters at the entrance of Avondale and Maywood and planted them with carpet roses. We think they look great!
Seed Swap
In October, we held a seed swap in the village centre. Residents in Raheny swapped lots of varieties of flower and vegetable seeds. And also collected some sunflower seeds to prepare for next year's Tallest Sunflower Competition! This seed swap is part of our group's goal to be more sustainable.
Interested in Volunteering?
The Raheny Tidy Village Group meets on Saturday mornings at 10.30 am outside the Catholic Church. No experience or knowledge is needed, just a willingness to help out. As well as working on various projects described above, we are busy litter-picking every week and we are always happy to have extra help with this!
If you would like to join us, email rahenytidyvillage@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook or Instagram. All help is very welcome and no commitment is necessary. Volunteers should complete the volunteer application form on our website before joining. Under 18's must be accompanied by a guardian.
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