Tidy Towns - Results 2009

Overall Development Approach:
Congratulations on your submission of a very well-planned and effective entry into this competition for 2009. The information which your group has supplied was relevant and very useful. In particular, thank you for giving the adjudicator a very practical map and additional information on this. The photographs were also most helpful. Your committee size has increased and this is good as you have a very ambitious amount of work planned.
Congratulations on achieving funding from a number of sources. This is very important. Also important is your contact with a large number of other organisations. The adjudicator was very impressed to read about your liaison with other Tidy Towns groups. This is a very good idea and will really help all involved. Congratulatiosn also on your new Green Flag School! Your communication with householders is very wide and detailed and this is also very important. Wider communication through your very nice website is another great project.
It was not possible to visit Loch an Iuir before the start of the Gaelscoil period. It is accepted that during this time the population of the village dramatically increases and also that many of these young people have not been involved with your awareness-raising efforts throughout the year. This has been taken into account when judging this town.

The Built Environment:
The Ceardscoil looked freshly-painted but the grounds are really in need of improvement. If this building is central to the village then perhaps it should look better. ‘Casadh an tSugain’ is a lovely building and really forms a great centre-piece for the village. The national school is lovely and has a very good playground. The flowers here looked fantastic. The Cumann Iascaireachta looked very well too.

Landscaping:
The grotto is really very well kept. The candles show how important this little shrine is for some people. The gardens here are lovely. The old ‘ENFO’ posters should be changed. The black wooden planters are really very nice. There is a very high standard of landscaping throughout the village. The lime-workers monument is excellent. Your work on the main road was noted. Garradh Bharnai Mhurrai is excellent. Congratulations to all involved. This is a lovely amenity area on a very prominent area approaching the village. It was a beautiful day on visiting and the adjudicator was delighted to use the viewing area to look over the lake and valley.

Wildlife and Natural Amenities:
It is noted that you have created areas such as the Bird Sanctuary specifically for wildlife. however, it is thought that more relevant information could be provided. The village is surrounded by different wild places (e.g. lakes, bog) but the information supplied in most cases is very general and does not apply to this area. You should replace the old ‘Networks for Nature’ poster at the Bird Sanctuary. Remember that if you are putting up bird-feeders, you should fill them all year round. The ‘Local Flora’ sign at the Garradh is faded and should be touched-up. More importantly, this sign shows only one local flower. The adjudicator found over two dozen wildflowers growing behind the garden here which are not mentioned. Neither does any sign indicate where yew (Iur) trees may be found. Surely for this village this is important?

Litter Control:
Your efforts to control litter throughout the year are noted. You have some very good initiatives and some of these have had great results. You report that you hold litter sessions with the students of the Ceardscoil. This is a great idea. However, litter was found all around the area of the summer school, across to the shop (opposite), on the road up to the national school and even down toward the lake. Broken glass was found all over the road outside the national school. Perhaps the students could be involved with a summer litter patrol as part of their curriculum or programme?

Tidiness:
On the whole, Loch an Iuir is really a very tidy village. The roadsides and walls look great. The weeds on the road up to the national school have been sprayed but not removed. The pier looked very well indeed.

Waste Minimisation:
It is good that you are communicating with the local authority and with the school and your residents. However, it was not clear what measures (or means) were being used to reduce waste. Have you thought about community composting?

Residential Areas:
There is very good use of colours on the private houses. The walls and gates are all very appealling. The use of natural stone is very good. In fact, it was difficult to find fault with most of the houses seen. Some of the gardens were a real delight. Praise is due to the householders but also to your committee for your good commucation with them.

Roads, Streets and Back Areas:
There is a lovely approach to the village on the Crolly Road (Bothar Crothli). The new path here is fantastic. The adjudicator was travelling by bicycle when he visited your village and wishes that every town had such good paths. The footpath all the way to the national school is a great addition and encourages children and parents to walk to school. The proposed site of the playground and Peace Park is very nice and will have great views. The approach to this site could be better. The road to the pier is in good condition. The work that has been done on the approach from Dungloe is excellent and makes a very good impression.

General Impression:
On visiting Loch an Iuir, there is no doubt that there is a great deal of pride in the village. The amenity areas are very well kept and the high standard of almost all the buildings is obvious. Because the village enjoys such a scenic location with such great natural resources (e.g. wild plants and places), the adjudicator feels that more could be done to celebrate this. Your entry form describes the site that is now Garradh Bharnai Mhurrai as previously being ‘pure bog’. But now the site contains no native plants. Is this a positive step? Where might the visitor find one of the yew trees that gives the village its lovely name?
Litter from summer students is no doubt a problem. However, this school is an intrisnic part of this Gaeltacht village, as it is in many others. Your group must find ways to work with all involved to reduce any problems which might arise from this facility. Your entry shows that you have worked very effectively with other organisations. Without doubt, you will find ways to deal with these issues and continue to improve in this competition.

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