In spite of having no competition this year, Belmullet Tidy Towns have done their best to continue with improvements throughout the town.
A spokesperson for the group said: "And so have the residents and business owners! The committee is delighted with all the newly painted premises and is earnestly hoping for increased marks in this area next year – they are confident that there will be a competition in 2021!
"The first quadrant of the canal banks is now complete and it looks very well, and has been very much appreciated by residents and visitors alike.
"The team members of Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead (Belmullet Tidy Towns ) are looking forward to seeing the other quadrants of the canal area improved in the coming years.
"The fencing project on the Blacksod Road (funded by LEADER ), the new recycled plastic benches, and the upgrading of the Bunduaile entrance to the town, are also very attractive additions.
"The improved bottle bank area at the civic centre looks much better, thanks to Mayo County Council. Before Covid-19, the committee completed Part One of another LEADER-funded biodiversity project with local schools (primary and secondary ), ‘It’s all about the Bees and the Seas’, and some amazing orchards have been planted, with native Irish apple trees. Throughout the year, members of the group have also done a lot of work in litter control and gunnera control.
"But as the famous political mantra goes, 'A lot done, more to do!' Sadly, on a negative note, the litter louts and irresponsible dog owners are always with us, and the town is constantly very badly littered.
"Cigarette butts are everywhere and dog fouling continues to be a huge problem. Despite all the newly painted premises, the remaining derelict buildings, broken downpipes, weeds in gutters etc. are all red flags to a judge’s eyes and will continue to lose marks for Belmullet town unless these problems are rectified.
"Belmullet Tidy Towns volunteers have been holding a weekly Street Blitz to improve all our streetscapes, but in spite of all their efforts, there is no way that the town can ever make progress in the national Tidy Towns competition if these problems persist. The remaining unsightly derelict buildings will also lose marks for Belmullet.
"So, Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead is appealing to each and every business owner and resident in town to take a look at your premises through a judge’s eyes. Peeling paint, an unsightly window, a rusty sign, weeds in the guttering, are all red flags when the judge comes around.
"The volunteers would love to see the town litter-free, with some more buildings painted, and they will continue to try and improve the approach roads and create more colourful planted areas around the town.
"In 2018, even though the marks for Belmullet went up by two points, the town was downgraded from silver to bronze and they also went from first to second place in the Gaeltacht Awards.
"This situation persisted through 2019. It is not that the town hasn’t improved, it’s the fact that other towns are overtaking Belmullet in the competition! In 2021, the people of Belmullet want their gold medal back, and they want to win the Gaeltacht Award outright! In order to achieve these goals, the help of Belmullet’s residents and business-owners would be very much appreciated. Ní neart go cur le chéile!
"As always, Belmullet Tidy Towns are short of funds, and this year they could not hold their annual Church Gate collection. The volunteers find themselves in a position whereby they cannot avail of certain grants because they simply don’t have the matching funding or the money to pay up front for a project.
"To this end, the committee is holding a six-hour Cleanathon on Thursday, November 5, from 9am to 3pm. They are also holding an online fundraiser - people can contribute via Belmullet Tidy Town’s GoFundMe platform. If you can help with the Cleanathon or make a donation, it will be much appreciated."
