Keep Kilkenny Beautiful awards 2017

There was a large attendance at the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful awards 2017 took place on the 7th November.

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful awards 2017 results

Best commercial floral display
Highly commended

O’Lanagain, Rose Inn St.
Rafter Dempsey’s, Friary St.
Rothe House Parliament St.
Winner
Bollard’s public house, Kieran St.
Flowering baskets and attractive seating area

Most improved commercial premises
Highly commended

Mullen’s Butchers, Friary St.
Cake face, Irishtown
Glanbia House, Ring road, Kilkenny
Winner
Kilkenny Inn Hotel, Vicar St.
Nice new outside seating area complemented with colourful planting

Best shop front
Highly commended

D&R Antiques, Rose Inn St.
Langton’s Hotel, John St.
Winner
The Dylan, John St.
Red painted traditional shop front with hanging baskets

Best shop signage
Highly commended

Glendine Inn, Castlecomer Rd.
Kilkenny Crafts, Rose Inn St.
Winner
The Butterslip shop, Rose Inn St. / Kieran St.
Attractive painted shop front and window display.

Best Kilkenny Hospitality
Fanad House, Bennettsbridge Rd.,
Hibernian Hotel, Patrick St.,
Winner
Springhill Court Hotel, Waterford Rd.,
Attractive outside seating area with attractive floral displays

Best Commercial centre
Highly commended
Newpark shopping centre
Market Cross shopping centre
McDonald’s, Hebron Rd.,
McDonagh Junction shopping centre.

Winner
Aldi Waterford rd.,
Imaginative planting following their recent upgrade, the national tidy towns adjudicator also noted “we were most impressed by the planting scheme at and adjacent to Aldi, the judge also said that this is the best supermarket planting we personally have seen”

Commendation For evening shop displays,
Presenting attractive shop front display in the evening.
Gift Horse, Rose Inn St.
Goods, High St.

Heroes in our Community Award
Frank Blanch
Regular Clean ups in the Loughboy area

Cathleen Seaver
Regular Clean ups in the Waterford rd. area.

The Brendan Lawless Memorial Award
Medieval Mile Museum, Mary’s Lane,
” This award is for the attractive restoration of St Mary’s church as the Medieval Mile Museum. The national tidy towns judge stated in the 2017 adjudication report “You have a fantastic built environment which you take care of very well. Your Medieval Mile is looking splendid…. We loved the work carried out to St. Mary’s in true conservation manner and housing all those wonderful artefacts, heretofore hidden in storage, and putting them on display for the public to see is excellent. “

Hidden gems award
Andrea O’Farrell, Tilbury place,
The judges were impressed with this little gem. Making great use of a very small front yard area and bringing life to the laneway. There are fruit plants, flowers, seating area, clothes line, seat, place for bins and toys.

Rinuccini’s, The Parade
For creative vegetable garden behind the railings to front of building.

Tourist hostel, Parliament street
The vertical wall of colour produced on this narrow frontage impressed the judges, the planting is updated during the year and gives a colourful welcome to passers-by and visitors to the Hostel

Hall of Fame Award
Elaine Bradshaw
This hall of Fame award is awarded in recognition of the contribution of a citizen who has selflessly given of her time and effort for the betterment of Kilkenny City and the Tidy Towns movement over many years. Always involved, meeting, greeting, coaxing and cajoling, seeking to get the best for Kilkenny City, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful are honoured to present this year’s award to Elaine Bradshaw.

PRIVATE GARDENS HIGHLY COMMENDED
ST CANICE’S PARISH
Ber Brennan, Parkview Freshford Rd.
Breda Slattery, Meadow Hill
Pat Shortall, Riverside Drive
Martin  Cleere, Connolly St.
Nuala Crotty, Dun Angus, Castlecomer Road

PRIVATE GARDENS HIGHLY COMMENDED ST JOHN’S PARISH

Nuala Byrne, Rosemount, Newpark Drive
Canice and Maura Hickey,  Newpark
Mary Nolan,  Lacken Drive

PRIVATE GARDENS HIGHLY COMMENDED ST MARY’S PARISH
Pauleen Phelan, Dean Kavanagh Place
Maureen Logan, Dean Kavanagh Place
Teresa and Noel Devlin,  Circular road

PRIVATE GARDENS HIGHLY COMMENDED ST PATRICK’S PARISH

Ann Mullhall,  Noremount
Edward Bourke,  Cypress Avenue
Caroline & Noel Carroll, Hazel Grove
Mary and John Cahill, Westfield
Joan Murray, Fr. Hayden road

CITY- BEST OVERALL PRIVATE GARDEN 2016
Runners up

Mary Deevy, Riverside Drive
Joan O’Sullivan, Riverview

BEST OVERALL PRIVATE GARDEN 2017
Winner
Toni Hayes, Glendine Heights

RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HIGHLY COMMENDED ST PATRICK’S PARISH

Dukesmeadows
Edenvale Close
Marble Crest
Gallows Hill

RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HIGHLY COMMENDED ST CANICE’S PARISH

Broguemaker’s Hill
Sycamores/Aylesbury
Talbots Inch

RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HIGHLY COMMENDED ST JOHN’S PARISH

Lacken Drive
Newpark Lawn
Richview

RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HIGHLY COMMENDED ST MARY’S PARISH

Rose Hill Court
Old Callan road

BEST OVERALL RESIDENTIAL ESTATES 2017

2017 Smaller estate
Beech Park

“the judges were impressed with the care taken by this small community to look after their estate. The small green space at the rear is neatly looked after with colourful flowers at the base of the trees. The 2017  national tidy towns adjudication report also noted the estate and in particular mentioned the rose planting at the entrance ”… The lovely rose bed at the entrance to the Tennis club was admired” .. Congratulations to Beech Park, on their efforts and the receipt of their overall award in 2017 “

2017 Larger estate
Lakeside

“the judges were amazed by the extent of work which has been completed over the last number of years to improve this large estate. The judges were very impressed by the lake and all of the wildlife, the fruit trees, wild flower planting,  colourful flower area and also the composting area. The judges found the estate litter free. Congratulations to Lakeside on their efforts and the receipt of their overall award in 2017 “

Hurricane Ophelia undertakes tree felling in Kilkenny City!

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful has been undertaking extensive tree planting through out our City over many years.

We now have to  commence the task of reviewing the damage caused by Ophelia. With many  trees still in leaf there has been some damage. A tree replacement programme will be undertake during the winter tree planting season to replace damaged trees.

A number of trees planted by KKB 15 years ago on Bennettsbridge road have been damaged.

Kilkenny spruces up for a royal visit

Preparations are being made  to welcome Prince Charles to Kilkenny City. No doubt Kilkenny Castle and the  wonderful Castle Park will be on his tour. The Parade looks fantastic and  the weekly farmers  market will be in full swing  during the visit on Thursday to our City.

Kilkenny Castle park in May 2017

 

Kilkenny is prettiest town in Europe 2017

Kilkenny has been nominated the prettiest town in Europe 2017 by the Japanese Association of Travel Agents (JATA). Kilkenny was number one of 30 towns from throughout Europe.  The citation noted:

On the banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, Kilkenny is often referred to as a city though it is the size of a large town. Its heritage is on display in the form of Kilkenny Castle, St Canice’s Cathedral and its medieval walls.

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful congratulate all who have worked to keep our City beautiful and pretty for our citizens and visitors.

River Nore and Kilkenny Castle

River Nore and wooded riverside walks within our City

Kilkenny at Tidy Towns Regional awards 2016

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful were guests of Birdhill tidy towns at the South East regional awards ceremony which took place in Ballina County Tipperary.

Kilkenny City formally received their gold medal for 2016 and also the county award for Kilkenny city.

Members of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful following the receipt of the awards with Miss Bernadette Moloney of Kilkenny county council

Members of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful following the receipt of the awards with Ms Bernadette Moloney of Kilkenny County Council