Community Notes Feb 2nd

Tidy Towns:

The following is a continuation of the adjudicator’s report on Timoleague.

The Biodiversity Education programme run by SECAD/Wild Work that visited the school much surely have beenexciting for the school children. Is a Biodiversity Plan for Timoleague the next step?Have you considered carrying out a habitat survey? Habitat mapping can help inform decision making in a numberof areas including planning, climate change mitigation and conservation of nature and as such is an important firststep in understanding the habitat around us and what we need to protect them and to identify any gaps in linkagesof habitat. The Heritage Council provide excellent information in their Conserving and Enhancing Wildlife in Townsand Villages. This would also be an excellent project for the children to contribute to.

Doing More with Less:You continue to ensure that all new planters and street furniture is made by recycling plastic and this year you have a compost bin in the Education Garden made from old pallets. The stone wall for herb was made from donated local stone donated and you have also been donated an old boat that the children can use as a play area in the garden.

Signing up for the All -Ireland Pollinator Plan is also a tangible way of demonstrating your sustainable objectives.This is a category where there is plenty of scope for you to increase your marks. It is a broad area and it is oftenhelpful to divide it into the core headings ofwaste, water, energy, transport and climate action. Do also refer to the Tidy Towns Handbook for ideas and guidance.

The Late Seamus Whelton:

The village lost one of its esteemed senior citizens with the death of Seamus Whelton in his nineth year. Son of Jimmy and Catherine,he lived in the family home at Abbey Street, Timoleague.  On leaving school, he went to work at Barryroe-Co-Op. He began in the creamery in Timoleague and then on to The Grain Store when the creamery closed. The Grain Store was a hive of activity and harvest time was busy with a huge intake of grain, so busy in fact that there was a night shift in operation

He was a tasty hurler in his youth. He was the proud holder of a West Cork juvenile hurling medal won with Kilbrittain in 1951. There was no underage hurling in Timoleague back then.  When the Timoleague club was reformed in 1967 - Seamus was pushing on a little, but he still enjoyed going over to Laurence Mc Carthy’s field in Maryborough for hurling and football practice and lined out in league games as the need arose. He was active in the Timoleague and Argideen Rangers club and was a frequent contributor at Annual General Meetings. Sometimes his comments might not have been popular and it could be said that he was indeed forthright in his views. He was never afraid to express an opinion. In later years he mellowed, somewhat!

He had a life- long interest in history, sport and politics. He was a loyal supporter and member of the Fianna Fail Party all his life. Seamus was an avid card player, poker being his game of choice. Many a long, enjoyable night was spent at Harrington’s playing cards.

Thursdays were special days for Seamus. His life - long friend Timmy Harrington would pullup outside the house, give a toot of the horn and Seamus and Timmy would make the trip to Clonakilty to do his weekly shopping. The excursion would not be complete without a call to the Bookies to place a few bets and maybe collect the winnings from the previous week.

Seamus was blessed with great health for the majority of his long life. When the time came when he needed professional care, he settled into Bushmount Nursing Home in Clonakilty. He looked forward to his weekly visits to Monk’s Lane on a Thursday with Vera and Denis doing the driving. He would regale Gavin and Michelle and anybody else who cared to listen with stories and yarns of long ago. He enjoyed social gatherings with a drop or two or three of whiskey thrown in – in fact he was the centre of attraction as he held court among a captive and appreciative audience. He was a character with a twinkle in his eye, a lovable rogue, if ever there was one.

Sympathy was expressed to his brothers Chrissy and Vincent and his nieces, Fiona and Colette and his nephew Tiernach and their extended families.Codhladhsamh Seamus.