Just in - Another Top 5 IBAL Result for Monaghan !See our latest report here:
“No limit as to how far Monaghan can go in the competition” says adjudicator, as town achieves first Gold medal
The strong focus on biodiversity has been very fruitful for Monaghan Towns participation in the National TidyTowns Awards again this year. Monaghan Town continues to have one of the highest scores for biodiversity in the competition, which now involves over 900 towns and villages. The quest for a gold medal has finally been completed and now the committee will focus on retaining the gold and adding to the town’s score, particularly in light of the closing comment by this year’s adjudicator that “there is no limit as to how far Monaghan Town can go in the competition.”
This year’s report provides both praise and a good number of recommendations for action across all eight aspects on which the town is judged. Monaghan Tidy towns Committee wishes to thank everyone involved in the Monaghan Tidy Towns effort which has achieved GOLD medal status with a 15 point gain in 2024. “We want to thank all of our volunteers, local schools, residents, businesses, Monaghan MD staff and ground staff, Michael Carroll, Council Horticulturalist, St Joseph’s CE Scheme, the Migrant Men's Group, the Men’s Shed, Patricia Mc Creesh, Biodiversity Officer, Niall Malone, Environment Officer, Phillip Connolly, Litter Warden, Carol Lambe and so many from Monaghan County Council and Monaghan Volunteer Centre who have supported us. Thanks to Flemings Supervalu, Monaghan Harps, Staff of AIB, MDE and the Hillgrove Hotel for joining us to keep the town clean and tidy and so many more. See full report below... Our heritage site
See our work on Sir Charles Gavan Duffy - born in Dublin Street over 200 years ago. About us...
Welcome to our website which has been developed to keep people informed about our work on Monaghan Tidy Towns Committee. The purpose of this site is to provide a portal in which we can keep you up to date and offer a way for you to inform us of your ideas and help us all work together to ensure that Monaghan is a a great place to live, work and visit.
Monaghan Tidy Town Committee's aim is to work with the community to improve the environment in which we live. We would like to ask you to join us in whatever way you can. Explore a little further to see how you can get involved. The assistance of our partners – Monaghan MD and County Council is invaluable. We appreciate the support of local businesses and individuals. Sponsorship and donations received are greatly appreciated and these funds continue to be utilized in the enhancement of our town. Without our sponsors and partners our work would be very much curtailed. We want to promote sustainability, cooperation, best environmental standards, a clean town and have some fun too! OUR MISSION STATEMENT: To empower local people - we are actively looking for enthusiatic people of all ages to come on board and help us plan our activities, participate in litter clean-ups, help us to communicate our message to the business community and to enlist the help of our schools to protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built heritage around our town. 
Hug a Tree Day 2025 - Thank you to all who attended!Monaghan Hug a Tree Day 2025 21st June
Monaghan Hug a Tree Day returned to Rossmore Forest Park last weekend with well-known biologist and broadcaster Eanna Ni Lamhna leading the tree walk and talk. Initiated in 2018 as one of Monaghan Tidy Towns’ Biodiversity Town actions, Hug a tree Day is now an annual event. Éanna Ní Lamhna, biologist, environmental consultant, radio and television presenter, author and educator, is one of the best-known public figures in Ireland in the area of nature and the environment. Eanna regaled all present with information on trees, birds and creepy crawlies with some amusing history and folklore thrown in for good measure. “Hug A Tree Day was inspired by studies over the years that correlated the presence of green spaces with lower symptoms of depression and improved well-being. These studies show that trees are not just good for the environment, they are good for both our physical and mental health as well,” explained Monaghan TidyT owns’ Chairperson, Emer Brennan. “Trees, gardening and getting out into nature in general are all good for our mental health. The Japanese call it “forest bathing”. Spending time in green environments has been shown to lower blood pressure, glucose levels and stress hormones. This has been part of the Japanese national health programme since 1982. Researchers in Germany have also found physical evidence that a tree-filled environment can boost our mental health.” The event finished with some Laughing Yoga from Lasita and everyone had the opportunity to actually hug a tree at the end! Monaghan Tidy Towns seeks to promote the appreciation of trees in and around our town environment and this event is part of that effort. Monaghan Tidy Towns has planted hundreds of trees including many pollinator friendly fruit trees through their “Dispersed Urban Orchard” project over recent years and is currently involved in a Pocket Forest initiative in local housing estates, funded through the Climate Action Fund. |
Pocket Forests - New Climate Action Project for Monaghan Town
Monaghan Tidy Towns has begun a unique new project under the Climate Action Fund. The project involves the development of eight pocket forests in residential housing estates in the town. Participating in the project are Tidy Towns volunteers, Monaghan County Council, St Josephs CE Scheme and Pocket Forests CLG led by Catherine Cleary A pocket forest is a densely planted, small-scale urban forest, mimicking the diversity and structure of a natural forest. These forests are created in urban areas and are planted with a variety of native tree and shrub species; they can enhance the aesthetic and ecological value of urban areas. carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, climate resilience, community engagement and mental health benefits. Soil preparation for the pocket forests has begun this week with planting to follow at the end of the year. 
Monaghan Tidy Towns gets boost to protect and promote nature and wildlifeMarch 2025: Local efforts recognised with strategic grant
Monaghan Tidy Towns is receiving a boost with a new grant to support their local Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and promote plants, wildlife and habitats. The grant from Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service will ensure that the steps to protect local biodiversity will be guided by the expert knowledge of ecologists. Monaghan Tidy Towns is welcoming the support saying, “This funding will be a great support to us in implementing our Biodiversity Action Plan in 2025. A focus on biodiversity over the past ten years has been central to Monaghan Towns progress from a very low ranking to Gold Medal status in 2024. We aim to continue this work with the biodiversity projects outlined in our plan while working with residents in local housing estates, schools and businesses. This new support funding follows a previous grant from CFI to develop our Biodiversity action Plan.” Nationally more 94 projects are receiving support with more than 250 communities implementing local action plans since the partnership between the Community Foundation and the Parks and Wildlife Service started in 2019. The support being provided comes from philanthropists and donors to the Foundation matched with public funding. Making the announcement, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD said: “If we are to successfully tackle our national biodiversity crisis, we must all work together. This partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Community Foundation Ireland is a great example of how we can empower and support community organisations to learn about their local biodiversity and use that knowledge along with their creativity to come up with a plan which is unique to their area. I’m really impressed with the range of projects involved and excited to see the outcomes of their work.” Under the partnership the connectivity of the Foundation to local communities built up over 25-years as a philanthropic hub is matched with the expertise and knowledge of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. More than €591,000 is being provided under the current round to 94 projects. Monaghan Tidy Towns awarded grant to engage new audiences in their region on climateMonaghan Tidy Towns is receiving funding from the Climate Actions Work Engagement fund to support their work to bring people together and share information on climate action.The grant will be used to promote the "Biodiversity Town" concept through developing, modelling and sharing an exemplar for the protection and promotion of urban biodiversity across our local network of towns and villages. The fund is focused on climate engagement, awareness and communications - helping communities to reach new audiences in their locality. It will also provide opportunities for community groups to promote their work and spread the message of community-led climate action.
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Darragh O’Brien, and Minister for the Circular Economy Alan Dillon today announced the awarding of €500,000 worth of grants nationally under the Climate Actions Work Engagement fund. The grants, ranging from €2,500 - €10,000, will be distributed to 96 community groups and organisations across 23 counties. It is estimated that 30,000 people will benefit from the activities generated through this fund with the support of over 2,000 volunteers. The fund is administered by Community Foundation Ireland which as part of its mission of Equality For All in Thriving Communities has been empowering local groups, researchers and advocates to take action on climate and nature since 2000. The foundation's work in this space is informed by its 25 years' experience of partnering with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable groups as a philanthropic hub. A network which continues to grow. Minister O’Brien said, “Our local communities are delivering great work on climate action, much of which often goes unseen. This funding will help groups in those communities raise awareness of that work and bring the climate action message to a wider audience. From workshops to events to content creation, this fund is really targeted at storytelling – helping people to tell their stories about climate action. I am very pleased to help these initiatives showcase examples the great work going on across Ireland.” Monaghan Hug a Tree Day 2024
Monaghan Hug a Tree Day returned to Rossmore Forest Park last weekend June with well-known biologist and broadcaster Eanna Ni Lamhna leading the tree walk and talk. Monaghan’s “Hug a Tree Day” was initiated in 2018 as one of Monaghan Tidy Towns’ Biodiversity Town actions and is now an annual event. Éanna Ní Lamhna, biologist, environmental consultant, radio and television presenter, author and educator, is one of the best-known public figures in Ireland in the area of nature and the environment. Eanna regaled all present with information on trees, birds and creepy crawlies with some amusing history thrown in for good measure. “Hug A Tree Day was inspired by studies over the years that correlated the presence of green spaces with lower symptoms of depression and improved well-being. Basically, trees are not just good for the environment, they are good for both our physical and mental health as well,” explained Monaghan Tidy T owns Chairperson, Emer Brennan. The event was organised in association with Monaghan Mental Health Association and finished with some Laughing Yoga from Lasita and everyone had the opportunity to actually hug a tree at the end! Thanks to the Northern Standard for the photos and report below.... 
Biodiversity funding boost for Monaghan Tidy Towns
Monaghan Town is one of a number of local communities set to benefit by receiving support to develop or implement Local Biodiversity Action Plans to enhance Plants and wildlife in their areas. Monaghan Tidy Towns has been awarded €4800 to assess the existing biodiversity of Monaghan Town. The plans will lead to important actions such as tackling invasive species and providing additional roosting sites and improved foraging areas for birds, bats and pollinators. Monaghan Town has made considerable progress in the TidyTowns annual adjudication with a concentration on biodiversity over recent years and this funding offers the opportunity to make even further progress. Grants are being provided through a partnership between Community Foundation Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The organisations have been matching private and public money to protect biodiversity since 2019 in a relationship which has been extended until 2024. Funding is being provided under two strands. Firstly areas which will draw up a Community Biodiversity Action Plan will be supported to engage ecologists to engage with local people including landowners and volunteer groups to establish a baseline and examine what measures are needed to enhance biodiversity in the community. Other areas are being funded to move on to a second strand to implement existing biodiversity plans. Total funding of €325,000 is being made available nationwide. Local community groups such as Tidy Towns have been at the heart of local biodiversity action, this funding allows us to source the support of experts to guide them in selecting the actions needed and then it funds the actions. Communities get the chance to work closely with ecologists and be part of the fight in the national and global biodiversity emergency “Bee Babies” and "Primary Pollinators" new Pollinator Projects from Monaghan Tidy Towns
Monaghan Tidy Towns' pollinator project aimed at involving children in learning about bees and pollinators from the earliest age is in its second year. The committee has assembled a pack for each childcare facility in the town containing easy to grow sunflower and nasturtium seeds, window boxes and seed trays as well as a bee hotel so that children can get involved in growing their own flowers for the bees this summer. The pack will also contain a bee soft toy and some bee themed books. The project, entitled “Bee Babies” will be offered to eight different childcare facilities across Monaghan Town over the next week. Monaghan Tidy Towns will contact each facility in advance of delivery. Monaghan Tidy Towns hopes that the children attending each childcare facility will be able to get involved in growing their own flowers and will learn a little about bees and pollinators in the process. Supplementing this programme is a similar kit for primary schools in the town - this one includes a butterfly grow kit and identifiers keys for both butterflies and bees from the National Biodiversity Centre.
Monaghan Tidy Towns Respect the Dandelion Campaign
Monaghan Tidy Towns Committee are reminding everyone of the importance of dandelions at this time of year. “We would like to thank everyone who has delayed mowing to allow dandelions to bloom. Dandelions have been demonised as pernicious weeds for many years, however we now realise that if people hold back on mowing at this time of year we are helping a whole range of garden wildlife which depends on them for food - so we are saying let dandelions grow, bees, beetles and birds still need them,” explained Committee Chairperson, Emer Brennan. “Right now dandelions are in full bloom and they are providing much needed food, particularly for bees. Dandelions are often the first flower we see in spring and the last in autumn. Although in flower for most of the year, the dandelion’s peak flowering time is from late March to May, when many bees and other pollinators emerge from hibernation. Each flower in fact consists of up to 100 florets, each one packed with nectar and pollen. This early, easily available source of food is a lifesaver for pollinators in spring and that’s why we have asked people to hold off on mowing for a couple of weeks.” “Bumblebees, solitary bees and honeybees all visit dandelions for food, along with hoverflies, beetles, and butterflies. No one should feel ashamed of dandelions growing on their lawns, now that we know how important they are in the spring.” “In fact. the sight of dandelions blooming on lawns and verges is a sign that the householder is helping the survival of Ireland's endangered bumblebees and wild solitary bees. Ireland's wild bees are in decline because they are going hungry because of a lack of food in the landscape. Dandelions are a superfood for bees and according to Dr Una FitzPatrick, senior ecologist at the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford, letting dandelions grow must not be seen as a sign of neglect or laziness. Wild bees are vital in pollinating Ireland's fruit crops and plants. There are 20 species of Irish bumblebees and 77 species of wild solitary bees in Ireland. One third of these bee species are in danger of disappearing altogether. "We are working to change the perception that is so ingrained everywhere that dandelions are a weed. The presence of dandelions is very important to our wild bees that have such an important role in nature. A queen bumblebee must visit 6,000 flowers every day when she comes out of hibernation. Even if gardeners decided to allow dandelions grow in certain areas of their gardens or allow them grow even on one strip of grass or along the borders or on verges, it would be very helpful to wild bees. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan has achieved some successes with the cooperation of gardeners and TidyTowns committees across the country. Monaghan Tidy Towns were the first winners of the National Pollinator Awards in 2016. The Dispersed Urban Orchard Returns for Monaghan Tidy Towns Monaghan Tidy Towns is bringing back its award winning apple tree project for 2024. The Dispersed Urban Orchard project gave apple and fruit trees to residents of the town to plant in their own gardens at a low fee (€5). Recipients must be from Monaghan Town and must give their address to allow the mapping of the trees across the town environs. “Monaghan Tidy Towns has no land so we were looking for ways to plant fruit trees to help pollinators such as bees, particularly in the spring. We came up with the idea of using peoples gardens. People get the trees for very low cost, the trees are planted across the town and pollinators get more sources for food when they need it most. It’s a win, win situation. This project was a major contributor to our National Pollinator Award in 2016, when we were the first winners of that particular award.” Explained Committee Chairperson, Emer Brennan. | ||||||||||||||
