Boyle increased its marks this year from 317 to 327 in the Tidy Towns competition.
The following is the adjudication report:
Your Planning and Involvement
Welcome Boyle – Mainistir na Búille – to the 2025 SuperValu Tidy Towns competition. Thank you for your entry form and 3 year plan in this your 20th year of entering. With 58 volunteers supporting the core committee of six you have an enviable workforce. Regular meetings and weekly clean-ups from March onward keep you all busy. But you can never have enough hands to help out so the collaboration with the Family Resource Centre to host an open day for new residents was great to see. Fantastic that it also successfully boosted volunteer numbers. You have a broad base of support including local businesses, public bodies, and community organizations such as the Town Team, Chamber of Commerce, Roscommon County Council, and several local enterprises. Youth involvement is particularly noteworthy, with Abbey Community College and Foroige actively participating in environmental projects, and the Brothers of Charity maintaining the town clock area. This is the final year of your current three-year plan. We would encourage you to look to the Tidy Towns handbook for advice on the preparation of your next plan. It will help you identifying the group objectives & priorities, identifying action areas and establish a time scale for planned works to cover each competition category. Perhaps the Town Team could help with resources for this document and to ensure it aligns with their 2040 goals and vision for the town. Working together for the benefit of Boyle.
Streets and Public Spaces
It has been a while since this adjudicator made a visit to Boyle and we were so impressed with its character and
atmosphere. Boyle is undergoing a significant transformation in its streetscape and public spaces, with a clear focus on accessibility, heritage preservation, and public realm enhancements. Wider footpaths and new pedestrian friendly road layouts mark a major infrastructural improvement and a statement as to the importance of people on your core streets. The resurfacing of the car park beside the Post Office and the planting of new trees there is good to see. The devil is in the details sometimes and the restoration of McDonagh’s original mosaic tiles by the bikeshop and the preservation of historic shopfronts, such as Cosgroves on St. Patrick Street, reflect a respect for the town’s more ‘ordinary’ architectural legacy. We loved the shop frontage with tiles at McNamara’s too. The extraordinary architectural legacy is clear in the Kings House and the stunning Abbey. The reuse of buildings, like Cosgroves now serving as living accommodation while retaining its historic façade, is particularly commendable. The vibrant blue of WJ Sloans with its white window trims and window boxes caught the eye. Accessibility has been significantly improved, with new footpaths facilitating easier movement for all, including those with disabilities. The age friendly car parking space were also noted. Street furniture such as benches are being refurbished, and the Crescent area has seen careful repointing and cleaning of its flagstones. The transformation of the old Royal Hotel into “An Rioga,” a public space, is a fantastic project, symbolizing the town’s commitment to revitalization.
Green Spaces and Landscaping
Boyle’s approach to its green spaces and landscaping is both thoughtful and visually impactful. The town has
embraced a diverse planting strategy, incorporating perennial and insect-friendly species that support pollinators
and enhance biodiversity. This approach was particularly in evidence at the colourful display at the Crescent. The
new tiered planters placed throughout the town core were noted and admired. The concrete planters at the entrance to the car park and along the N81 were full of nectar rich flowers that still packed a punch in terms of form and colour. We also loved the CSPCA stone planter at the old Court House.
Tree planting has been a key focus, with new trees introduced at the back of An Rioga and in the car park. The
beds had yet to be fully planted out at the post office car park. Existing trees on the Crescent have been pruned to maintain their health and appearance. Tree ties at the pleasure ground park need to be removed as they are in
danger of damaging the trees as they establish. We enjoyed reading about the sculptures in the town along the
sculpture trail. The new bed at the spool factory was visited. The hanging baskets, prepared and installed by
volunteers, are a nice addition to the streets that reflects the community’s dedication and pride.
Nature and Biodiversity in your Locality
Boyle is making small by important strides in promoting nature and biodiversity within the town. The planned
development of the riverside Lawn area with a strong emphasis on wildlife and biodiversity is a forward-thinking
initiative that will provide long-term ecological benefits. We look forward to progress on this. The riverside meadows at Knocknashee were so impressive and must be significant for river biodiversity in how they are managed? The installation of a bug hotel on the grounds of King House and the sowing of wildflower seeds in the Pleasure Grounds are projects that support insect life and enhance the visual appeal of public spaces. Has the town had a Biodiversity Plan prepared by your Biodiversity Officer. A wider view of the towns biodiversity links and potential are needed so that you can be sure even minor projects are contributing to a wider biodiversity strategy. Dead verge trees at the Warren residential area could be replaced as part of national tree week with a focus on native species. We also encourage you to log your actions on the Pollinators.ie website (https://pollinators.ie/record-your-actions/) and write it into your Tidy Towns submission for next year’s competition.
Sustainability – Doing More with Less
The town actively promotes the “Return” campaign, encouraging recycling and responsible waste management. An example is the tea rooms in King House, which collect bottles and cans for donation to Tidy Towns—a great way to financially support your works. A notice for DVD swaps was seen at the railings to the Library, attached with plastic ties. Would a more formal noticeboard here be an idea. There is an increasing focus on active travel including cycle lanes, bicycle racks, and the Local Link service, which collectively reduce reliance on cars and promote more sustainable transport options. Plans for a communal garden opposite Drumderrig Nursing Home are exciting and we hope to see progress on this for next year’s visit. Several housing estates—Ashfield, the Warren, and Church View—have embraced edible landscapes growing strawberries, vegetables, and berries. You are also focusing on your planting practices, with all containers being repurposed. Do you compost your green waste or use chipping as mulch in new beds? Your streetlights at the Crescent seems to be mid change to LEDs?
Tidiness and Litter Control
Your commitment to tidiness and litter control is supported by your dedicated volunteer base. Weekly Wednesday morning sessions, supplemented by evening clean-ups, ensure that the town remains consistently well-maintained.
On the day of the visit, streets were clean and clear. Are all bins required. There seemed to be a surplus at the
Crescent car park. Look to upper floors of your town premises where old signs, alarm boxes, poles, wires and
defunct brackets added to streetscape clutter. Old Christmas lights were still in place on the facade of the Post
Office. Some litter was noted in your parks as our walk was early on a weekend morning. The amphitheatre at the
Pleasure Grounds had takeaway wrappers which we are sure would have been picked up by one of your litter
pickers. The campaign encouraging walkers to carry bags and collect litter during their walks is a simple yet
powerful initiative. It integrates litter control into daily routines. Litter and health combined. The undergrounding of cables has contributed significantly to the town’s neat and uncluttered appearance, and we hope this will spread to streets yet to be upgraded.
Residential Streets and Housing Areas
Boyle’s residential areas were visited during our time in your town. Your recently established links with residents’
associations and the support you can give has we hope led to improvements in the appearance and upkeep of
housing estates. This collaborative approach has gained you additional marks in this category. Well done to the
residents of Termon winning the best-kept estate. Their decision to leave areas of the green uncut is a simple yet
effective way to support pollinators and encourage biodiversity. We loved the community space at Church View with its bee and ladybird painted rocks. Work with your local estate agents to restrict and control the placement of temporary sales signage. Keep up the good work in this category even as it can be a struggle to get residents to engage. But with the newer residents there is the potential for new volunteers for your works!
Approach Roads Streets and Lanes
The approach roads and lanes into Boyle are well-maintained and welcoming. Regular planting and litter picking
along these routes demonstrate a consistent effort to present the town at its best from every entry point. The town’s streets have been upgraded to be fully wheelchair accessible, a significant achievement that reflects a
strong commitment to inclusivity and universal design. This makes Boyle open to all. On the morning of
adjudication, the streets were cleared for use by a cycling event. A fabulous change of focus with stewards happily halting traffic to allow the race take priority. We loved the white animal sculpture at the pedestrian bridge and the upgrading of the laneways provide safe and comfortable pedestrian access with the blue finger posts clear and clean. Sometimes the addition of a note of distances can help the visitor both in terms of actual distance and time to walk to key sights. The red surface of the bridge could be upgraded. A street audit could be undertaken to identify old and defunct signage which can be submitted to the Local Authority for them to take action. The banks of red roses on the approach from Lough Key were eye-catching and admired. The mature trees and stone walls along this approach make for an impressive first impression here although recent storm damage was evident.
Concluding Remarks
Boyle is a busy historic town, and we sense a real optimism and pride in your work. A 3-to-5-year plan will help you gather your thoughts and target areas of possible improvement. We greatly enjoyed our visit to your town and see no reason why Boyle cannot go far in the National SuperValu Tidy Towns competition .
