Cuireann an moltóir seo fáilte roimh Dalkey (Deilgininis) páirt a ghlacadh i gComórtas Náisiúnta SuperValu na mBailte Slachtmhara 2019
The wide-ranging network of support groups and sponsors created by the Tidy Towns committee is impressive. With thirty-three years’ experience in the competition the committee of nine and thirty-nine volunteers have a solid foundation on which to build!
   Equally impressive is the range of activities aimed at achieving community integration, cohesion, education and a general raising of awareness of what can be achieved with a strong and healthy community spirit! The committee’s use of social media alongside more traditional communication methods plays no small part in their success to date.
   Engagement with the schools and youth organisations will make a significant contribution to the future development of Dalkey. The committee’s strategic approach to participation in the competition is a little unusual but should reap benefits. Thank you for the three maps showing general landmarks of interest, locations of visible major projects 2019 and map of suggested overview route; all were helpful in adjudication however, the map of locations of major visible projects should also have included project designations M (maintenance) N (new) and FP (future projects); it is acknowledged that projects were designated as such in the body of the application but it is a requirement of the competition that they appear on the map too. Thank you also for the Tidy Towns plan summary, we wish you every success in its implementation; well done also on the monitoring of planning applications.

   Congratulations on bring the “Eire”80th Anniversary Military Archive Project to such a successful conclusion, this really is an astonishing achievement and one no doubt of which the community is rightly proud. The 2018 “Buildings Spotlight Project” appears to have been very successful as most premises along Dalkey’s main thoroughfare were admired for their presentation this year; it is good to note the civic mindedness of property owners in this respect.
   The streetscape along Castle Street looked really well with attractive street furniture, absence of overhead wirescape and nicely presented shopfronts. The Tramyard continues to disappoint however, the murals to the rear of the yard mitigated the situation a little. Public buildings enjoy a good presentation overall. The installation of cultural signposting makes access to Dalkey’s heritage seamless. The Bullock Lecture Series and events is an admirable undertaking.

   The committee (and community) is wished every success with the implementation of the Sorrento Park Landscape and Development Plan jointly with the local authority and we look forward to visiting it for future adjudications. The park seems to be a haven for a wide range of pollinators and is ideal for the DTT Bee and Butterfly initiative; hopefully there will be universal accessibility? At the time of first adjudication seating had recently been installed and the bandstand was a ‘work in progress’. Dillon’s Park looked beautiful and was in great demand during adjudication; green areas in general were admired for their elegant simplicity and in many instances complemented by colourful flower and shrub displays. The committee’s liaison with DLRCC and the Loretto Secondary School regarding choice of trees to be planted is commendable. It is good to note the emphasis on pollinator friendly planting in beds, shrubberies and containers. Tastefully landscaped entrances to Dalkey create a favourable first impression of the town and planting for year-round colour and interest is commendable.

The creation of Bee and Butterfly Corridors under the All Ireland Pollinator Plan is admirable in scope and ambition and will do much to raise public awareness. When the project has been up and running for some time the committee might like to measure the success of the initiative! For guidance on this visit https://pollinators. ie/record-pollinators/fit-count/ where you will learn how to measure insect visitations to flowers; a baseline can first be established followed by subsequent counts on which to measure success; this type of feedback can be an
invaluable motivator to keep people engaged in a project. The wildlife information panel at the entrance to Bullock Harbour is an excellent feature which engages visitor interest significantly. Coliemore Harbour is picturesque and information panels here together with binoculars enhances the experience. Dalkey’s Tern and Swift Survival program is impressive and it is laudable that a number of bodies are involved with the Tidy Towns committee on this project. Flora and fauna interpretation in Killiney Hill car park is noted. The lecture series will be significant for raising public awareness of nature and biodiversity issues

    Well done to students and teachers of Dalkey’s schools for their participation and success in the Green Flag initiative. The Dalkey Household Research & Analysis Project is an important step in planning for future needs and making informed decisions; we look forward to learning more. Likewise, the Sustainable Energy Town Project is an ambitious but also an essential step in managing the towns energy use effectively; the Energy Master Plan to be created is an exciting venture. There is a great variety of projects for consideration under this heading and each has a role to play in developing a sustainable community. Consideration might be given to including a Seabin Project. The recycling point on the Dalkey Hill carpark was litter and dumping free but weed growth was notable.

Again, the range of activities engaged in for this category of the competition is wide and includes everything from litter and graffiti management to abandoned cars and street audits including billboards and not forgetting beach and island clean-up days. Litter control was very good on adjudication day and the town looked really well. Weed control was less strong with many stretches of kerb sprouting weeds, for example along the road at Bullock Harbour and at some traffic islands; it was not a serious problem but one worth mentioning. No doubt construction related untidiness will be remedied upon the completion of works. Your graffiti removal programme appears to have been very successful. The committee’s proactive approach regarding outsized billboards on Dalkey’s streets is commendable.

   Harbour Crescent is a charming tiny residential development which was admired for its presentatin and elegant simplicity. Weed growth was a feature of kerbs along Leslie Avenue, Colimore Road and Victoria Road also. Most roadside boundary walls to private dwellings are of natural stone and make a handsome statement in their street-scapes, some plastered walls need attention however, for example along Coliemore Road. A terrace of single-story dwellings along Saint Patrick's Road was admired and some lovely container flower displays in window boxes caught the eye. Some boundary walls along Convent Road would benefit from power hosing, these appear to be granite and feature beautiful capping stones. Identification stones on well managed greens at entrances to residential estates are a nice touch. Victoria Terrace is nicely maintained and displays some attractive planting.

    Entrances from approach roads to Dalkey are attractive and create a good first impression on the travelling public which is then reinforced on entering the core of the town. Container plants are suggested for the traffic islands marking the entrance to the main thoroughfare. The new stretch of footpath along Ardeevan Road is favourably noted however, the adjoining older stretch was quite weedy; the same point can be made in respect of the entrance to the Killiney Hill Park and the traffic island here. Signposts including road direction and cultural signage are effective in helping the visitor negotiate the town; street furniture looks well and seems adequate for needs. Car-parking is orderly and well organised.

    Dalkey is a lovely town with much to offer residents and visitors; community spirit is robust and almost palpable as one strolls through the town's streets, parks and harbours.

      The application and accompanying documentation are of a very high standard. The quality of the photos and maps are exemplary. I like my predecessor note that no project designation was included on the map. The delays in developing the Tramyard are difficult to ignore due to the prominence of the site. I like my predecessor noted the murals positively at this location. The Sorrento park is an exciting project and there is evidence of strong partnership with the Local Authority and the wider community on a wide range of projects including planning consent matters.
   The planting at entrances to Dalkey are very effective I also admired the cut stone slabs that have the name in both Irish and English. Good awareness was shown on the importance of our pollinators and good advice was given by my predecessor in measuring the success of the initiatives. The overall awareness of the committee on nature and biodiversity issues is high and must be commended. The proposed Energy Master Plan indicates a community that understands this important issue. Unlike my predecessor I found the recycling facilities on Killiney Hill Carpark to be heavily littered, but this adjudicator is aware that litter can build up quickly at these locations. Like my predecessor I noted excessive weed growth at this location and found weed growth to be a problem throughout the Town. It was noted in the cover letter that accompanied the application DTT volunteers had cleared 8 km of road weeds by hand and the success of DLRCC policy of not using chemical control methods had yet to be fully considered. The housing on St Patrick’s Road and St Patricks Square was also much admired by this adjudicator and more particularly the elevated landscaped square in St Patricks Square. I also noted approach roads to be satisfactory but found the back lanes to be moderately littered and again weed growth was noted to be a problem.

I concur with the results submitted by the 1st adjudicator and do not recommend any change in the mark awarded.