The Murroe Tidy Town area is the area enclosed by the 60 KPH speed limit restrictions including the Amenity Park and is denoted my MTT. Reference is also made to an area within a 5 km radius of the centre of Murroe. When discussing wildlife reference will be made to these areas to indicate where such wildlife maybe found.
Tidy Towns aims to protect and improved the areas within the Murroe Tidy Towns and will:
refrain from using any weedkiller, pesticides etc unless absolutely necessary (for example the eradication of plants such as Japanese knotweed).
ensure that roadside verges hedges etc are attractive for wildlife.
any planting of plants will ensure ensure that such plants , as well as being pleasing to the residents of the area, will also be attractive for wildlife.
provide nest boxes within the MTT area for birds and bats and maintain these boxes annually.
provide supplementary feeding for Red Squirrels within the MTT area during the winter months to help maintain and improve their numbers in Murroe.
Surveys of some species (mammals, birds and plants) have been conducted over the last few years and the results are given below. These records will be maintained and added to as additional records become available. An information notelet for the Amenity park is available here.
2024 Adjudication Report Mark 39 out of 50
Your entry form demonstrates that your committee regularly carry out a range of different projects under this category each year. It is pleasing to hear that a good proportion of your bird boxes have been occupied over the past year (by both blue tits and great tits). Given that your committee have successfully collaborated with the school children on planting insect attracting flowers in the school grounds, it occurs to us that the monitoring of the bird boxes would make an excellent school project - so we recommend that this activity is discussed with the teachers and school children in your local school as they may like to take it on. We note that a barn owl was sighted in the vicinity of the local park and we would welcome further updates on this next year. Well done also on continuing to improve the park with the addition of the new wood sign on the entrance gate and the resurfacing of the pathway. Be sure to mark the location of the gate to the amenity area on your map next year as we almost missed it during our visit. We were also surprised to see that the information sign on the amenity park in the car park of the Muintir na Tire Hall makes no reference to the amenity parks location. Can a directional sign be considered to point people in the right direction? The removal of the non native rhododendrons is acknowledged and we look forward to seeing the special (non self seeding) rhododendron mature in the years ahead. We were interested to read that yellow rattle seeds have been spread (for the second time) at the berry and nut area in Murroe Wood Park and we would appreciate an update on this project in 2025. Like the adjudicator in 2023, we loved hearing about the appearance of the (naturally occuring) early purple orchids in the lane - and we strongly agree that it provides ample evidence of the importance of initiatives such as ' don't mow, let it grow'. As you have continued to promote more limited grass cutting, consider doing an audit (with the help of your volunteers in the residential areas) of the number of householders who heed your advice. This would enable you to assess if behaviour is changing with respect to biodiversity. You are commended for writing to Limerick City and County Council and asking them not to trim the verges on the approach road as a means of protecting the orchids. It is possible that these areas now need to be temporarily fenced off in order to ensure that they are fully protected and accidental cutting is avoided. Well done also continuing to maintain the herb garden and for monitoring the bats in your village. Do tell us whether it has been possible to organize awareness raising events such as bat walks and talks in Murroe in your entry form next year. We were interested to read about the scouts training to become citizen scientists last year and we wondered if they are engaged in any new projects that are relevant to this tidy towns category?
2023 Adjudication Report Mark 37 out of 50
This is an area where you have been very busy & productive. Well done to your committee member on undertaking the bat survey. What a delight to find that all bat species are residing in Murroe. We look forward to hearing the results of this year’s survey within the village environs. Have you had the opportunity to present the information to the community or to have bat walks/talks? Well done too to your local scouts group for undertaking training as part of the wider Water Programme CWDF project. Well on their way to being Citizen Scientists.
Technology has played such a role in our understanding of local wildlife. How amazing to have seen on the webcam both red squirrels & pine martins at the squirrel feeder. A healthy ecosystem exists. You referenced that 10 of the nest boxes were occupied in 2022 – do tell us which species moved in & raised young.
Interaction with experts is the best strategy & your engagement with Birdwatch Ireland on the erection of a Barn Owl box is an excellent example. Are you planning to use the trail camera here too? We will be most interested to hear if one decides to make it its residence.
How fortunate you are to have areas where Early-purple orchids flourish in addition to other wildflowers. Perhaps a greater focus on these stunning native orchids may educate the community on their importance. “Ireland’s Wild Orchids – A Field Guide” is a superb book on the subject. We just saw your new profile picture on FB, the Common Spotted Orchid – stunning. Your Managed for Wildlife signs seems to be doing the job for you this year & dissuading those inclined to cut early. Your requests & education have paid dividends, well done.
Well done too on highlighting through social media how to assist the insect population through delayed lawn mowing & non use of herbicides. It was a delight to see wild flowers in estate greens.
Your adjudicator has not seen such a well-placed Herb Garden, beside a restaurant who avail of the bounty. It was buzzing with insect life on adjudication day with particular perchance for the flowering sage. The backdrop of the clematis & wisteria is stunning & both are insect-friendly. Perhaps the two additional planters at the end could be used elsewhere, they appeared surplus to requirements. It was a little alarming though to see herbicide use on the edges of the two green areas in front of the Herb Garden. Perhaps a word to those undertaking this work might be a good first approach.
Your adjudicator too had trouble locating the Amenity Park, as there is no identifier on the gate at the entrance. It is noted that you have plans to rectify this situation. As a new visitor, your adjudicator was concerned they might be trespassing on private property. It is excellent news that you have secured funding for resurfacing the pathway. It is a truly wonderful facility within easy reach of the village and on adjudication day the foxgloves were starting to reveal themselves. It was noted there are rhododendrons in existence there, a non-native invasive species.
The information boards at the Hall featuring local wildlife are most informative & eye catching.
2022 Adjudication Report Mark 35 out of 50
You have described the many attributes of Murroe Amenity Park which we visited – although we had much trouble trying to find the entrance. Obviously local people know exactly where it is, but we drove all the way to the gate of Glenstal Abbey grounds and missed the entrance. We realise that it is owned by the Abbey but managed for local enjoyment. While we understand that this woodland has wonderful biodiversity value, we feel that it needs improvements to make it more available for public use and for the visitors to better understand the ecosystem. Some suggestions include an entrance sign on the road and perhaps on the gate. An information sign inside the entrance with a map of the pathways, their length and something about the range of tree species and other flora and fauna that inhabit the woodland. Some of the pathways are difficult to use because they are puddled – we can imagine it being much worse in winter. Therefore, they need to be improved to encourage more visitors to come there. Are clean-ups planned, and are fairy trails that would interest children planned? Can some rudimentary seats be provided? Does the management plan – if there is one – include making some clearings to allow some light into particular spaces and encourage a more diverse flora to develop. These are some of the aspects that we suggest you consider. We note you have installed 20 nest boxes and 6 bat boxes and you manage them throughout the year and you propose to improve them by making them predator proof. Thank you for the information on the activities of the red squirrel and the pine martin and we note that you have used a webcam and plan to improve on that idea for the future. Well done on deciding not to use herbicides – although we understand that it will make your task more difficult. However, there has been serious over use of herbicides in Ireland and the weeds look much worse when they are dead. The benefit is of course greater biodiversity, as you have mentioned. Thanks for the information on the range of wildflowers that have emerged in the roadside margins (including orchids) since you changed your policy. We also note your experimenting on collecting seed, germinating it and introducing the seedlings to the margins. Thanks for the information on Murroe Wood Park, although it seems that a name change might be in order to better relate to your plans which seems to be more a wildlife park. We assume the herb garden is available for anyone who wants to take some herbs home with them. You have many interesting items in Murroe under this criterion and we can see that you benefit greatly from having the chairman of the Limerick branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust living in Murroe as well as members of Birdwatch Ireland as well as other knowledgeable people.
2021 Adjudication Report Mark 32 out of 50
You have had great success with your nesting boxes in 2019 and in 2020. Let us know the birds who claimed them and what success you witnessed in terms of young chicks. We are delighted to read that Murroe Tidy Towns have stopped the use of herbicide and now only use environmental methods for weed control. Adding sweet pea to the herb garden is a lovely idea as not only will it encourage more insects it will also look and smell beautiful! It is wonderful that you have a variety of wild orchids – these are loved by pollinators. We are delighted that you have swifts, jays and wood peckers. The silence of Covid lockdowns you feel might have contributed to their presence – hopefully not and that you have them again this year. The bug hotel looks great – loved by bugs and children. There is help available for the creation of wild pollinator nesting habitats which may interest your group in the future. Check out the website https://pollinators. ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/How-to-guide-Nesting-2018-WEB.pdf for information
2019 Adjudication Report Mark 31 out of 50
We see that you are aware of the wild flowers growing in and around the village having completed a Botanical Survey. Will you provide leaflets on this or put it on line for the community to access? We noted your wildflower area (do not cut area) at the Five Cross Roads and we wonder if it would be more suitable to leave an area along the wall uncut which would provide more cover for mammals. It is great when nesting boxes are used – we note that of the ten you installed five were used, albeit one by wasps! We had never heard of wasps using a bird nesting box. You now have another twenty nesting boxes installed around the village and we look forward to reading of the success of these too in future years. Do you know if you have swift nesting sites – in Glenstal Abbey or perhaps in crevices in the Church? It is wonderful to see swifts in the late summer evenings flying into their nests – a great spectacle for children to witness. We admired the sign for Murroe Amenity Park and also for Birds Around Murroe which not only has information on the various aspects of the park but also has a great number of photos so that children can see the flora and fauna and learn from these.
2018 Adjudication Report Mark 30 out of 50
It is great to learn that the birds are using the nesting boxes, as it sometimes takes them a long time to get accustomed to using them. It is wise to leave the treatment of invasive species to the professionals, and the notices erected by the county council will raise the awareness of the local people as to how best to tackle this problem.
Birdwatch Ireland provides a great service and congratulations for linking up with them. I can imagine all the noise created by the birds during this exciting dawn chorus.
2017 Adjudication Report Mark 29 out of 50
This section of your submission seems to lack the energy of other categories of the competition which is a pity because much of the work you do and plan for in landscaping promotes the forage and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies. A sign for a Wildlife Area was spotted on the way into the Abbey. So be aware that much is happening as a result of your efforts. That said your 3 Year Action Plan is a worry. There is nothing definite to chew on. So what is the story with the wildlife survey? And the ponds in the Abbey sound like pie in the sky. Even if you mentioned the pollinator plan for your landscaping it would show how your thinking was developing. What about getting the wildlife enthusiast into your planning department. There are so many fine trees in the grounds of the Abbey which could entertain an enthusiast all year round. I came on a sign for a Looped Walk. This must have -Wildlife connections. Why was it not on your map as a must visit for the adjudicator? On the road from the Five Roads junction I am almost certain that there is some Japanese Knotweed. You may be disappointed with the mark reduction. I felt he previous adjudicator was that bit generous.