2024 Adjudication Report Mark 48 out of 60
Our visit to Murroe revealed that your committee have been working hard on landscaping projects for this year's competition. We particularly enjoyed seeing the long linear landscaped bed that runs along the boundary of the Garda station (between the railings and the natural stone wall). The bed had a remarkable diversity of plant species such as shrubs, cinque foils and hydrangea. The box planters of seasonal flowers that lined the base of the natural stone wall of the Church looked very nice and much like the attractive window boxes in the windowsills of the old Post Office, they added warm summer colours to the centre of your village. The planters that could be found at the entrance to the Muintir na Tire hall also looked well. The contribution of individual businesses to this category is appreciated with praise due to the Spar / Murroe service station, the Credit Union, the Post Office and the Murroe Kitchen for providing colourful planters and window boxes to the front of their premises. The natural stone hydrangea bed adjacent to the Forge is also an attractive landscaping feature. It is noted from your entry form that your committee have continued to engage in bulb planting at the five roads, at the entrance to the village from Cappamore and at the front of the Murrow Kitchen Restaurant. it is pleasing to see that a mix of spring bulbs are used which include pollen rich bluebells and crocus as well as daffodils. The addition of tulips should also be considered for 2025. It was not clear during our visit (due to restricted site access) whether the area at the entrance to Murroe Wood Park has been replanted so be sure to include this project in your entry form next year. Well done on addressing the 2023 adjudicators points in your work programme this year and the removal of the willow structure is acknowledged.
2023 Adjudication Report Mark 47 out of 60
The pictures you included in your submission of the green area at the Monument with crouses in bloom is a stunning vista. With each passing year they will proliferate in this area.
The containers at the Hall were nicely planted with Heuchera etc. Would the inclusion of blue flowers attractive to pollinators add that extra coordination – perhaps phacelia, cornflowers, nepeta (catmint) or verbena. As a gardener, many of these plants are easily subdivided or seeds saved – a local gardener may be able to assist if this suggestion is considered.
The raised bed in front of the Garda Station is an excellent example of perennial planting with healthy examples of hypericum, pieris, creeping thyme & many more. It presents a wonderful softening to an area that has many hard surfaces, as does the raised bed at The Forge.
Please do liaise closely with Murroe Wood Park CLG in relation to their planting schemes & place in their hands the All Ireland Pollinator Plan in addition to the guide “Pollinator Friendly Management of Sports Clubs” https://pollinators.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sports-Clubs-Pollinator-Guidelines-2022-WEB.pdf As the Park is located within the village it can play a vital role in the conservation of your existing biodiversity if they decide to adopt a pollinator friendly management approach.
You have taken on quite a task with the number of containers you have placed throughout the village. This summer so far has been exceptionally demanding from a water & people resource viewpoint. Many communities like to see flowering containers however in country villages & towns there is so much nature in the vicinity that the containers are sometimes excess to requirements.
As you are aware given the fine specimen trees within the village centre & in the environs, trees offer a myriad of significant benefits for the environment & for communities. There is a fantastic initiative “Pocket Forests” that works with local communities to create mini forests https://www.pocketforests.ie/. This idea is very similar to what you created at the Primary School with the two triangles of trees & wild flowers underneath. It might be worth investigating further in order to add more trees. Your plan to audit the health of the existing trees with the assistance of an arborist is well thought through.
2022 Adjudication Report Mark 46 out of 60
You have continued planting of bedding schemes in containers at various locations; replacement planting of some beech hedging behind the Muintir na Tire - only hawthorn and beech have been used in recent years. Please note that beech is not native but has naturalised in Ireland and provides lovely brown foliage in summer. Another plant you should consider is field maple (Acer campestre), it has nice autumn colour and is sometimes mixed with beech to add further seasonal colour changes. Well done for screening the high bank opposite the hall. When considering planting spring bulbs, daffodils are most often what are chosen. Remember to also use other bulbs such as Crocus that are good for pollinating insects. You are following the actions of the 5 year plan in regard to maintenance of green areas, maintaining flower beds and some other schemes.
2021 Adjudication Report Mark 45 out of 60
We are delighted that you have planted a white thorn hedge in two locations – photos would have been helpful. In addition, beech saplings were planted. The herb garden at the rear of Rua Café is quite beautiful – compliments to the owner. There is a great mix of herbs which flower and these are very attractive to pollinating insects. You will install bedding plant in pots in various strategic locations for effect. These have been admired during Covid lockdowns by the community and we are delighted that you will carry on with these this year. Have you any beds with winter and spring colour? After the long dark winter bright coloured spring flowers give everyone a little boost. The 2019 adjudicator mentioned quite a few locations where planting beds could be installed instead of temporary planters. Did you consider any of these as a project for the future?
2019 Adjudication Report Mark 44 out of 50
Trees are maturing nicely in the open spaces of The Meadow housing estate. Perhaps a few more clusters could be added. Trees have many benefits – they filter particles out of the air by trapping them in their bark and leaves, they reduce noise levels, they change from season to season, they provide shelter and food for birds etc. etc. They also break up the visual aspect of an area and contain views which makes an area more intimate. We admired the entrance to Cois na Coille with its neatly cut grass, rows of trees along the ditches and estate name in a beautiful pollinator planting bed. We also loved the specimen trees in the bed which swayed gently and gave added interest. The communal green space in Gilmartin Park had neatly cut grass and the planting beds with trees and mature shrubs looked good in addition to providing habitats to insects and mammals. Would you consider making permanent beds on the entrance road where the blue and white temporary planters with the wildflowers are located? We fee two large beds in this area with the wildflowers planted directly into the ground would be more suitable. You could also have winter and spring colour in these permanent beds which would be very pleasant. The planting beds at the entrance to The Meadow housing estate were full of colour and looked well. Put the plants which are at present in pots directly into the ground – pots are superfluous in locations such as this. The bank of nasturtiums opposite the entrance to The Meadow was very beautiful and had great insect life. 31 52 15 36 31 Tidy Towns Competition 2019 Adjudication Report Centre: County: Category: Ref: Mark: Date(s): 296 Maximum Mark Community – Your Planning and Involvement Streetscape & Public Places Green Spaces and Landscaping Nature and Biodiversity in your Locality Sustainability – Doing more with less Tidiness and Litter Control Residential Streets & Housing Areas Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes 60 60 60 50 50 90 50 50 43 43 43 30 14 52 35 30 290 Mark Awarded 2018 TOTAL MARK 470 296 Community – Your Planning and Involvement / An Pobal - Pleanáil agus Rannpháirtíocht: Streetscape & Public Places / Sráid-Dreach & Áiteanna Poiblí: Green Spaces and Landscaping / Spásanna Glasa agus Tírdhreachú: Mark Awarded 2019 11/07/2019 pollinator planting bed. We also loved the specimen trees in the bed which swayed gently and gave added interest. The communal green space in Gilmartin Park had neatly cut grass and the planting beds with trees and mature shrubs looked good in addition to providing habitats to insects and mammals. Would you consider making permanent beds on the entrance road where the blue and white temporary planters with the wildflowers are located? We fee two large beds in this area with the wildflowers planted directly into the ground would be more suitable. You could also have winter and spring colour in these permanent beds which would be very pleasant. The planting beds at the entrance to The Meadow housing estate were full of colour and looked well. Put the plants which are at present in pots directly into the ground – pots are superfluous in locations such as this. The bank of nasturtiums opposite the entrance to The Meadow was very beautiful and had great insect life.
2018 Adjudication Report Mark 43 out of 50
I note your remarks that no new work was undertaken in this section. However, the landscaping is beautiful with some splendid young and mature trees displaying sylvan beauty. There are many benefits from trees, some of which are as follows; they filter particles out of the air by trapping them in their leaves and bark, they reduce the noise levels in the area, they change from season to season where in summer they provide height, colour and fragrance, then in winter the bare branches of deciduous trees and the leaf bedecked stems of evergreens ensure that we are looking at a garden border and not looking at a bare patch of ground. Trees provide shelter and food for wildlife mainly birds and they reduce the visual impact of larger buildings in the vicinity. They bring an air or maturity to lawns and gardens.Trees like everything else need regular monitoring and some older trees can have hidden diseases like for instance mushrooms growing at the base that should be checked. The problem could be Ganodera notably at the base of mature beech trees, and such trees could have significant heart rot. An infected tree could fall over in stormy weather.
There is great landscaping with shrubs and great mature trees at the entrance to Glenstal, and the pitch and put is neat and organised and a great asset for the young people of that locality.There is also nice landscaping at the five cross roads.Lots of houses contain lovely trees, shrubs, lawns and flowers that added to your efforts make Murroe a picturesque village. The Botanical Survey is now useful information for your community and well done for getting it done.
2017 Adjudication Report Mark 43 out of 50
Estates visited have landmark shrubberies and add no end to the appearance of their surroundings and to the attraction of those estates. Some creative genius has created something beautiful with old tyres and plants along a wall near Ros Fearna, divine. There are so many fine examples of your handiwork but I must mention the work at the Five Roads junction which I would never have got to were it not for its inclusion on your map. Then there are the floral decorations at the Village Inn and along the front of the Church. All reminding us of the season of the year. Your park and playground are fabulous amenities. The butterflies and stuff on the playground wall sync beautifully with the real action. I loved the treatment of the village pump. The next observation could be made also in the tidiness section. It refers to the treatment of the remnants of an old building at a corner with wall painted, hanging baskets, grass mown to create a glory out of what could be a derelict site. Well done. Continue your good work with the field project. You are being advised by informed sources and been driven by a desire to improve further the healthy possibilities for the local people and for the local biodiversity. Your concern for tree planting is lauded.