Overall Development approach: Max Mark 50 Your adjudicator welcomes you to the 2011 Tidy Towns competition. Your participation is important to the Tidy Towns movement.
Thank you for the completed entry form, map and three year plan. I note you have 10 committee members that are drawn from the Youth Club, R.D.C, businesses and voluntary members of the community, and you are well supported by the agencies and bodies mentioned. The community is well informed of your activities.
Good to learn that the school has received their green flag.
We are pleased to find that the competition is appreciated by your people. The many festivals in Roundstone bring the people together on a regular basis and this helps to establish good community spirit. All of this means you have a good approach to the competition.
The Built Environment: Max Mark 50 This is a picturesque location where we are welcomed to the village with a sturdy stone signpost and there are great views looking out over its border on one side to the Atlantic Ocean. Good bilingual information on
Roundstone is found on the Tourist Information notice board, the bilingual map of the area on another
Freestanding notice board assists navigation of Connemara. However, the Local Information notice board
Down further needs attention and could be freshened up with a coat of paint. There are attractive shops in the Village notably The Shamrock Bar, Eldon’s Hotel and the Post Office that stood out. The two churches are well maintained and since my last visit I saw that the pathway to the Church of Ireland has been upgraded – well done. Down at Michael Killeen Park the remains of an old monastery are well preserved. Nice landscaping is admired in the little park there near Malachy Bodhran. Good to see the green flag at the school. Old farm
Machinery and the pot hanging on the crane are reminders of a bygone day. Your community centre is well presented and we look forward to the upgrading of the car park there. The pier is maintained in an orderly fashion with a nice shrubbery and the views of the boats coming and going are lovely features.
Landscaping: Max 50 There are natural landscape aspects to Roundstone with a variety of wild flowers and shrubs especially on the Ballyconneelly road. I loved the scenery of the fields stretching down to the sea with all the splendid stone walls. These features need little or no intervention to retain their beauty. There are of course some lovely bits of landscaping created in a few areas that brighten and give life to their surroundings. The triangle is now a Clean and well kept area. I loved the walled garden at the tennis court, and the little children’s playground is a good amenity. At the Fair green attractive landscaping stands out. In the grounds of the Church of Ireland there is a well kept old graveyard and in a stroll around I came across a headstone that dates back to 1807.
Old stone walls are well preserved and nice new walls are admired. The hanging baskets are a special feature of Roundstone and they contained great summer color, and these are added to with lovely flowers in tubs. New trees planted are pleasant features.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities: Max Mark 50 The actions of the gun club are welcomed in the reintroduction of pheasants back into the local environment. I note you will attempt to adopt a wildlife friendly approach to all improvements and maintenance works. You could enlist the assistance of members of the gun club and maybe some others to tell us all about the other wildlife that exist in all those stone walls, trees and wildflowers, such as birds, butterflies, bats and so on. We await the creation of the heritage walk and good to learn that the Heritage Officer of Galway County Council has expressed a keen interest in this project.
Litter control: Max Mark 50 The results of the two spring clean ups are evident with a good control of the litter. There are plenty clean and tidy litter bins all over the village, and it is good to see some of them freshly painted. The extra work on litter control reaching out to Dogs Bay and Gurteen Bay is acknowledged, our congratulations are extended to the boys in the photograph showing us the results of their work
Tidiness; Max Mark 30 The ongoing work to remove unsightly and obsolete signage is a positive initiative, and your general approach to tidiness leaves this village a pleasant place to visit with the message printed on stone Keep Roundstone Litter Free, again the message is seen on stone Keep Fair green Litter Free There is great work done on
McDonough’s house that is nicely painted in the boarded up manner, perhaps a bit of artistic paintwork could be done on the windows and door. The ESB light poles are attractive features with the cables underground.
Waste Minimization: Max Mark 20 It is good to learn that you are educating householders on the use of compost units. With the schools now having attained the green flag the children, parents and teachers will have a better understanding of best practice for the well being of the local environment. The recycling centre at the church car park is a credit to
The people of Roundstone - well done.
Residential area’s: Max Mark 40 There are some really fine houses all over this lovely village that have great displays of shrubs, lawns and flowers and they are certainly at one with you to present Roundstone at its best.
Roads, Streets and back area’s: Max Mark 50 Neat grass verges and sturdy stone walls greet us on arrival at the village, and the rest of the village is pleasant to pass through. The navigation is assisted with the spaces provided for off the road parking
General Impression: Max mark 10 It is obvious to the traveler passing through that you love your village. You are making a determined attempt to address all the different categories of the Tidy Towns competition. The new plans will enhance the village further
Tim Robinson’s Connemara: The film screening last Friday which is part Tim Robinson’s Connemara symposium in conjunction with the Galway University which was titled “In Conversation with Tim Robinson” drew a huge crowd to the extent the evening had to go to the top hall as it was a bigger venue
Gathering of the Oarsmen: The rowing races in Roundstone took place on Saturday with extremely rough conditions, to see these guys and ladies rowing against the wind was really quite some thing, they are a hardy bunch, and the speed they came back with the wind, it was fast, then in the evening the dinner dance at the Roundstone house Hotel with a presentation made to Paddy Shoulders for all his commitments over the years with the Roundstone Regatta, congratulations Paddy, the recon ignition well deserved.
Champions of Champions: Sunday was probably one of the best pony shows with 122 entrants and public turn out was amazing considering the bad weather, as is said the show must go on and it did. The All Ireland Junior champion was won by Seamus Keady with “Shauna Rose” from Spiddal, and the reserve champion Stephen Fahy with “Ben Ban Cracker Jack from Corrandulla. The all Ireland Champion Foal was won by Pat O’Neil with “Illaunurra Bay” from Ballyconneelly and the Reserve was won by Martin Feeney with “Danesfield Buster” from Moycullen. Supreme Champion Eamon Burke with his Stallion “Coolillaun Cushlawn” from Castlegar. Reserve Champion Michael Regan with his mere “Rathlacken Roisin” from Ballina. Then there was a one minute silence for the people of 9/11, then after the lunch break there was a very fine display from 12 yrs old Alana Cazabon Sullivan from Innisnee on Jean Anne Crowley’s pony “Roundstone Heather” giving us a dressage show around the ring, a lovely display of pony and rider showing off their talents. This little pony is a superb example of every thing the Connemara is famous whether it be ridden by Children and adults alike. I also notice Marty Sullivan from Innishnee a relatively new comer in the showing of Connemara ponies, got a second with his 3 yr old Colt “Eileen’s Hero” and 6th place with his 4 year Mere “Laura Lass”, I was also informed that Marty got a first in Oughterard, so well done Marty, its was a good day for Innishnee. To our surprise the first bus load came in to the grounds with 68 French students who are attending agricultural Collage, in Buvey and St Jean, they were sent specially to Roundstone to attend the pony show, to study the Connemara pony as part of their curriculum, so naturally enough they were publicly welcomed and all their questions were answered as much as possible during the day. No better place to learn and see these out standing creatures in the flesh. The day ended with a huge parade of all the winners through the village, which is always quite some thing. Once again I am sure that Paddy would like me to thank all those who volunteered to help out on the day on his behalf.
Full Results of the Roundstone Champion of Champions Connemara Show Sunday 11th September 2011
Yearling colt-1, Peter O’Toole’s Castle Monarch, by Castle Comet-Orphee Schueracher;2, Thomas Keaney’s Murvey Paddy, by Dooneen Just Joey-Murvey Cara;3,Patrick Kearns’ Monaghanstown Oscar, by Illanurra Lad-Monaghanstown Caillin . Yearling filly-1,Linda O’Donovan’s Addrigoole Eva, by Frederiksminde Hazy Match-Adrigoole-Breeze;2, Eleanor Curran’s Glencarrig Starlet, by Glencarrig Prince-Fairyhill Helen;3,Martin Keaney’s Sweet Janice, by Janus-Sweet Albany. Two year old filly-1, Pat & Mary Rabbitt’s Monaghanstown Silver, by Mountain Cascade-Monaghanstown Star:2, Bernard Keaney’s Murvey Rianna, by Currachmore Cashel-Murvey Cara;3, Kieran McGrath’s Hazelrock Colleen, by Currachmore Cashel-Smokey Star. Three year old filly-1, Seamus Keady’s Shanna Rose, by Janus-Gleann Rua Sea Mist;2, Kieran & Louise Fallon’s Corclough Lady Bella, by Tempo Active Atlas-Coreclough Dreamer;3, Alaoise Halpin’s Kilrock Cashel, by Coolough Cashel-Kilchrest Cashel. Two & Three year old colts-1, Stephen Fahy’s Ben Ban Cracker Jack, by True Commotion-Ben Ban Glen Sally; 2,Marty Sullivan’s Eileen’s Hero, by Janus-Eileen’s Beauty; 3, Padraic Folan’s Teach Mor Knight, by Castle Knight-Lishmar Lady Donna. Junior Champion: Shanna Rose-Reserve: Ben Ban Cracker Jack Filly foal-1,Sean Bourke’s Rathlacken Finola, by Rathlacken Finnard-Carraig Donn;2, Jim Mullaney’s Lissroe Sunset Lady, by Glencarrig Prince-Lissroe Lady;3, Feichin & Kerry King’s Bunowen Castle Lady Holly, by Dunloughan Troy-Bunowen Castle Lady. Colt foal-1,Pat O’Neill’s Illaunurra Boy, by Castleside J J Junior-Illanurra Heather;2, Martin Feeney’s Danesfield Buster, by I Love You Melody-Danesfield Heather;3, Declan O’Flynn’s Ballylee Cool Champ, by Coill Rua Champ-Woodbrook Lady. Champion Foal: Rathlacken Finola-Reserve: Illaunurra Bay Stallions four year old and over-1, Eamonn Burke’s Collillaun Cushlawn , by Currachmore Cashel-Glencarrig Aishling;2, Jarleth Grogan’s Mountain Cascade, by Laerkens Cascade Dawn-Mountain Lady;3, Raymond Conneely’s Bay Shadow, by Silver Shadow-Twain Ballinvoucher. Four to six year old mare with or without foal-1, Michael Regan’s Rathlacken Roisin, by Castleside Carraig-Lacken Mist;2, Caillin Conneely’s Glencarrig Rose Marie, by Glencarrig Prince-April Rose;3,Peter Molloy’s Dooneen Stephanie Rose, by Frederiksminde Hazy Match-Jennifer Rose. Seven to twelve year old mare with or without foal-1, Martin Feeney’s Danesfield Heather, by Moy Hazy Cove-Danesfield Rose;2,Sinead Lusby McGrath’s Lucky Secret, by Tulira Robuck-Lucky Mavourneen;3, Peter O’Malley’s Gallowstown Bibi, by Commanding Hero-Castle Caillin Ard. Thirteen years and over mare with or without foal-1Jane Andrews ‘Coral Misty Jane, by Cloonisle Cashel-Coral Misty:2, Dara Heanue’s Belcarra Mist, by Catamaran-Mountain Heather;3, Grace Murphy’s Lakeside Lady, by Abbeyside Dolphin-Kit’s Bay. Two years old and over bay mare -1, Esther Feeney’s Atlantic Morning Mist, by Janus –Atlantic Queen of Peace; 2, Peter Molloy’s Dooneen Starlight, by Silver Shadow-Dooneen Castle; 3, Johnny Conneely’s D’Arcy Eileen’s Janice, by Janus-Eileen’s Pet.
All Ireland Supreme Champion of Champions: Coolillaun Cushlawn Reserve: Rathlacken Roisin
Registration Adult Education:
For the Adult Education night courses registration will take place in the lower community Hall on the 26th of September at 8pm. Also under the banner of the Adult education we could have the head chef of EJ Kings, Kieran O’Shaughnessy Tuesday nights or a Wednesday night in the lower Hall, of course pending on numbers, Kieran is very enthusiastic, he will start with some Italian recipes for the first night and then will do whatever the class might like to cover and for how long, more details on this next Monday.
Well that’s all from me for this week, it’s the recycle blue and white bag for collection tomorrow Tuesday. Thank you for listening. Ann should be back next Monday to speak to you
