This project we are very proud of. It has taken a lot of engagement with the shareholders, mainly the council, to create this ellipse around the town. It is a mixture of meadow, 6-week cycle mowing, wild flowers, hedging and trees as well as the planting of early pollinating bulbs to feed early pollinators.
Work on the Pollination corridor that surrounds the town continues to progress. This year the Managed Wildflower planting has been extended from Heywood Road junction to Carrigeen Roundabout. This display of managed wildflowers has provided a positive introduction to some citizens of Clonmel who may not otherwise have an appreciation of wildflowers. Softly introducing the idea of using them within a planned planting scheme will hopefully in time, develop an appreciation of native wildflowers. On the southern side of town it has been decided that Loreto Park will be allowed to become part of the rewilding efforts of the Borough Council. View the interactive map of our Pollination Corridor on the Maps section of our website.
The Pollinator Corridor around the town continues to develop. This year the managed wildflower planting on the bypass on the north side of town has been extended from the Cahir Roundabout to the Heywood Rd. Last year it was very favourably received by the public with lots of positive feedback. The Council has also embraced less mowing with some beautiful flower-filled spaces emerging. In an effort to encourage acceptance of this more natural planting we have initiated #alittlepatchofgreen as a means of educating the public about the joy of native wildflowers. We not only looked at plants along the pollination Corridor but also plants in little patches of green around town, thus bringing the joy of wild flowers to the public.
Much of our work regarding Green Spaces & Landscaping is ongoing maintenance of existing sites. One of the sites where we continue to assist with the maintenance and care of apple trees is along the Blueway. This has been going on since 2017 as part of the work of Clonmel Applefest. At the request of Applefest, we have mapped the trees planted by them on our website as each tree has been planted in memory of someone.
Our main focus has been the continued development of three parks. Loreto Park, St Stephen’s cemetery and Toberhenna Well. This year we have also added McDonagh Crescent Orchard and we continue to stress the importance of areas such as the Blueway for biodiversity, particularly the stretch from the Presentation Convent to Green Lane. We continue to add bulbs such as grape hyacinth and crocus to Loreto Park to create a larder of pollen for early pollinators. The dense brambles and fallen trees create perfect habitats for insects and birds alike.
We began this part of our work by mapping green spaces in and around our town. This would give us an idea of where and what we needed to do in terms of planting and/ or maintenance.
The map is also used to engage with the council and other interested parties in terms of forward planning. We have worked consistently with the council to create a pollination corridor around town. This corridor provides a variety of landscapes from meadow, to wild flowers to spring bulbs and trees, hedging, grasses and floodplains.
