A new guide to the Childers Town Park and Woodlands Walking Trail in Listowel has been launched by the Cathaoirleach of Listowel Municipal District, Cllr Jimmy Moloney. The walking guide is one of a series of local improvements funded through the Department of Rural and Community Development under the 2018 Outdoor Recreation Investment Scheme.
Walkways including the development of the one-kilometre Millennium Walk, two-kilometre Feale Walk and four-kilometre River Walk are clearly signposted with new colour coded way-markers and are included in the new guide. They are also clearly identified on new maps hand-painted by local artist Amy Sheehy and which are displayed on lectern units throughout Childers Park and Woodlands.
In addition, new information signage has been erected, including directional fingerpost signs. Accessibility has been improved with the erection of new accessible picnic table sets and benches and widening a number of access routes.
Childers Park and Woodlands on Bridge Road in Listowel is the only local authority park in Kerry to hold the prestigious Green Flag Award, increasing its marks on the 2018/19 results and the park is one of only 60 parks to receive this accreditation within Ireland and one of only 1800 parks worldwide. The award provides international recognition and is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world. The Green Flag Awards are judged every year by a peer jury of green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, and community involvement.
On the success of the park’s integral part to the Listowel community, as an authentic contemporary green space, Cllr Jimmy Moloney noted that: ‘Childers Park and Woodlands have provided a place of enjoyment and happy memories for generations of townspeople and Kerry County Council are committed to continue its investment for the enjoyment of the people of Listowel and North Kerry and the many visitors to the area. I would like to acknowledge the work of the local community groups along with Listowel Tidy towns in the maintenance of Childers Park and Woodlands and also the Municipal Staff of Kerry County Council.’
Joan McCarthy, Municipal District Manager of Listowel Municipal District stated: ‘Kerry County Council engage on a local level to encourage use of the park and provide vital services to help attract as many visitors as possible to the park and to ensure that they have a positive open green space experience. As a result, Childers Park and Woodlands is now an integral part of Listowel Town and indeed is a focal point for recreation and activity sports in North Kerry.
‘Currently, exciting plans are being drawn up to develop trailheads in the park for the extension of the Great Southern Trail Greenway, following the recent €3.5million funding announcement.’
Please Vote for Childers Park and Woodlands Listowel…
Every year the Green Flag Award for parks Scheme runs a ‘Peoples Choice Awards’ where they ask members of the public to vote for their favourite Green Flag Award park or green space via the Green Flag Award website. This year an army of experts awarded a record breaking 2,100 Green Flag Awards to some of the world’s very best parks and green spaces. The scheme is now asking the public to vote for their favourites.
To vote for Childers Park and Woodlands Listowel.
http://greenflagaward.org/park-summary/?park=3370
And you can then vote by clicking on the “Vote for this site” button. Once you’ve voted, why not encourage others to get involved too?
Voting opens on the 1st of September and closes on the 30th of September, with the top winning sites being announced on the 15th of October.
