Volunteering for Rathcoole Tidy Towns

Rathcoole Tidy Towns Committee was set up in May 2018 under the auspices of Rathcoole Community Council when a group of like-minded people came together with the aim of helping to improve the environment of the area. I had the honour of being asked to chair the committee.

I always had an interest in the environment of the local village and felt that there was great potential for improving the main street in particular as there are landmark buildings of great heritage there such as the Anglican Church and Court House. We also are blessed with beautiful nature on the entrance to the village with the Rathcoole Park and a canopy of horse chestnut and oak trees. There was a good turnout at our first meeting and all the members of the committee expressed the desire to enter the Tidy Towns competition with a view to doing something positive for our community. It was great to get to know so many interesting and talented people willing to give freely of their time and skills for the betterment of the local environment.

We quickly began to roll up our sleeves and get to work, with the highlight being the installation of a traditional pump and rose bed landscaping beside Holy Family Church. While the pandemic has curtailed our activities over the last year, we are currently working in pairs with social distancing on painting derelict cottages. Many hands make light work! One of the great successes before the pandemic was the Community Clean-up day and it was a great way to meet families and involve children.

Conversation, banter and coffee permeate our sessions and help to make the jobs enjoyable! Getting to know residents groups, schools, businesses and parks staff has been very rewarding in working towards a common purpose of improving the environment in Rathcoole.

From a personal point of view the opportunity of giving something back to the local community and the knowledge that in volunteering you are working with others to create a better environment for the future is a source of great satisfaction.

Iggy Keane

Chairperson