Ballincollig is blooming!
Ballincollig is set to represent Ireland in the Communities in Bloom (CiB) International Challenge later this month, after the town won Ireland’s Tidy Towns competition in 2024.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns was recommended for the global competition by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht’s Tidy Towns Award. The proposal was endorsed by Cork City Council.
The competition’s judges will assess municipal, residential, commercial, and institutional spaces.
They will assess the town across six criteria - community appearance, environmental action, heritage conservation, tree management, landscape, and plant and floral displays.
They place a strong emphasis on community participation and engagement across all the categories that they consider, with marks awarded in each area contributing to an overall international “bloom rating”.
The judges will visit Ballincollig on Thursday 25 June and Friday 26 June, from 8am to 4pm.
The judging itinerary will showcase a diverse cross-section of the town, including Main Street, Barrack Square, Regional Park, a local housing estate to meet community groups, and community facilities.
They will also visit the Ballincollig Tidy Towns allotment and the city council allotments, and a local primary school which is engaging in the Green Schools programme.
Preparation for the event has involved close collaboration between Cork City Council staff and Ballincollig Tidy Towns volunteers.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns volunteers meet regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the City Council’s Regional Park team plays a central role in preparing one of the town’s most important showcase assets.
A spokesperson for Cork City Council said the recommendation for the competitions was a “testament to the dedication, pride, and collaboration within the local community”.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to share Ballincollig’s achievements internationally while learning from other leading communities worldwide,” they said.
Tom Butler, Chairperson of Ballincollig Tidy Towns said the group was delighted to be involved in the competition.
“We feel very privileged to represent our community, our city and our country in this international competition.
“It’s not often that a community group gets to represent their country on an international stage, and for us, this is a great honour.
“A huge amount of work and effort has gone into this, and all that work, which is being done in conjunction with Cork City Council, will culminate at the end of June,” he said.
The competition brings together award-winning towns and cities across the world, including Britain in Bloom, America in Bloom, Japan in Bloom, Comuni Fioriti (Italy), and several other European countries to compete against each other.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.