Kilcullen improves in Tidy Towns

Kilcullen achieved 259 marks out of a possible 400 in the 2008 Tidy Towns Competition, an eight-point improvement on last year.

But the town slipped a few rungs on the county ladder, which local Tidy Towns leader Noel Clare said was due to improved performances by other towns.

The pride of place this year, the adjudicators said, is the new Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park, which they describe as a 'significant and successful presentation' of a very historic site.

They commended the campaign by Kilcullen and others towns to involve Kildare County Council in litter control and street cleaning, which they said has yielded 'rich dividends' for Kilcullen and the other towns.

Other elements by which the Kilcullen performance improved included the success of the primary school in achieving Green Flag Status and the second place achieved by Cross & Passion College in the national Power Of One Competition

The judges also praised the installation of the window boxes and the associated automatic sprinkling system.

Initiatives such as the window paintings in some unused main street premises are commended as 'welcome' short-term treatment. The adjudicators described as 'unfortunate' the reflective bands placed on the 'fine, robust black bollards' of the streetscape.

The full report is available here as a download.

Brian Byrne.