Pride of Place

Pride of Place is an all-island initiative organised by Co-Operation Ireland in partnership with

IPB Insurance which celebrates the achievements of communities that demonstrate outstanding civic pride, inclusivity, and partnership with local authorities. This year, Louth County Council nominated Boyne Valley Camino in the Community Tourism Initiative category and Dromiskin in the Population 1,000–2,000 category. We, in Dromiskin, were delighted to be given the opportunity to highlight the spirit and innovation thriving throughout our vibrant community.

Members of various local organisations along with Louth County Council welcomed Pride of

Place judges Katrina Murphy and Tom Dowling on Wednesday, 9th July 2025. Our esteemed

visitors were led in to Dromiskin National School by piper Mark Toner, where a large crowd had gathered in the school hall. In an engaging presentation, Dromiskin Tidy Towns Secretary, Liam Reilly, showcased the impactful work being carried out throughout the community. This was followed by an insightful Q&A session with the judges, offering a deeper understanding of the initiatives’ contributions to community life. After light refreshments, our guests were taken on a whistle stop tour of the village. This included visits to the newly refurbished Biblical Garden, the Horse and Dog sculpture at Applegreen and an informative stop at the Dog Rescue Centre. Onwards then to the St Josephs GAA complex taking in the Community Centre, playing pitches, Sli na Slainte and including an athletics display from local St. Peter’s AC athletes. Award winning Church View was next on the list, followed by a visit to the historic graveyard where the judges were entertained by talented harpist, Jamie Martin. The Credit Union garden and the AOH hall were resplendent in the afternoon sunshine and Tom and Katrina were suitably impressed by the display in the local post office of trophies and medals garnered by the village over the years. The Heritage Park was next on the list and Noreen Mc Manus’s young fiddlers charmed all and sundry with their tuneful jigs and reels. The recently opened Sli na Manach Greenway led the adjudicators to the superbly appointed Ginnety’s Pond and a gentle stroll revealed the Foroige mural, SeamusMcArdle’s swan and a welcoming committee of friendly mallard ducks!! The judges then planted a commemorative tree to mark the occasion.

This brought a packed afternoon to a close and fond farewells were bid to our visitors from

Co-Operation Ireland. David Conway, Chief Executive of Louth County Council and Paula

Gribben, Administrative Officer, were fulsome in their praise of all concerned in how they had

represented their place, Dromiskin, and their county, Louth. Cllr Seán Kelly, Cathaoirleach of

Louth County Council, said: “Dromiskin is a shining example of what makes County Louth so

special. From preserving local heritage to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for

all, Dromiskin has set a standard we can all be proud of”.

Thank you to all in the community for making this occasion possible and showing that, indeed,

we in Dromiskin, are Proud of Our Place.

The winners of the 2025 Pride of Place competition will be announced at a gala awards

ceremony on 7th November at the Limerick Strand Hotel.

Opening of Siúl Na Manach Greenway

Dromiskin Tidy Towns was delighted have brought the Siúl na Manach Greenway project to a successful conclusion with the official opening on Saturday 3rd May. This community-led

initiative has transformed a disused public space into a vibrant, accessible and environmentally rich greenway for all to enjoy.

The official opening ceremony was a moment of celebration and gratitude, with special thanks extended to the local community, Louth County Council and all volunteers and supporters who contributed to the success of the project.

The Chairperson of Dromiskin Tidy Town highlighted the collaborative approach that brought this project to a successful conclusion including landowners, the Hand Family and, through Fr. Gerry Campbell PP, the Diocese of Armagh.

The project was awarded a grant of €113,000 under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) and thanks was extended to Louth County Council who were represented by the Vice Chairman Cllr John Reilly, Cllr Sean Kelly, Chairperson of Dundalk Municipal District and Chief Executive David Conway. Also among the large attendance were a number of local Councillors as well as Oireachtas members.

In his address to the large attendance, Cllr John Reilly was fulsome in his praise for the work carried out by Dromiskin Tidy Towns to increase the amenity value of the village while respecting its rich and varied heritage. He was delighted that Louth County Council was able to support the funding application that allowed the project to be implemented.

Local resident Kevin Halpenny who designed and project managed Siúl na Manach, was able to highlight for guests the benefits of such an amenity including for recreational potential, safe walking to school and pollinator value through the planting of native hedging and a variety of fruit trees along the route. Kevin also referenced the fact that this new section of Greenway provides safe connectivity between two public parks, also developed and managed by Dromiskin Tidy Towns, that make Dromiskin the only village in Ireland to have two Global Community Green Flags for the development and maintenance of public spaces entirely by volunteers.

The committee were especially honoured to welcome Mairéad McGuinness, former EU Commissioner and proud daughter of County Louth, as Guest of Honour. Mairéad’s presence

added great significance to the occasion, and she is thanked sincerely for her time, her words of encouragement and her continued support for rural and community development. Mairéad is no stranger to Dromiskin and was able to note the significant improvements since her last visit including the development of Ginnety’s Pond Nature Park, which she noted, combined with its linked amenities, contributed to increased wellbeing for all in the area. Mairéad also emphasised that the sharing, supportive and collaborative approach to the delivery of the Tidy Towns programme in Dromiskin could serve as an example for all to follow in political and

community life.

The Siúl na Manach Greenway—named to reflect the rich spiritual and historical heritage of the area represents a coming together of people, nature, and history. It is a space for walking, reflection, and recreation so it was fitting that Fr. Gerry Campbell should confirm how pleased he was to work with the community to assist its development and to bless the new amenity as it opens for use by the public. Partnership is key to the implementation of the Tidy Towns programme in Dromiskin, which is delivered on an age friendly basis so the relatively new partnership between the Tidy Towns and Darver / Dromiskin Foroige Club is seen as extremely important to the success of both organisations. A number of the young members of the Foroige group were in attendance and took the opportunity to recite a poem celebrating the completion of the project. They were also delighted to be able to showcase a mosaic that they had worked on over the last number of months and which will be installed on permanent

display in Ginnety’s Pond Nature Park given its design incorporates ducks who reside in the Nature Park.

As Mairéad cut the ribbon, in the presence of invited guests, the community looks ahead with pride and optimism, confident that the Siúl na Manach Greenway will shine as a beacon of sustainability, wellness and community spirit.

National Tree Week

A number of local residents got a sneak preview of Siul na Manaigh, the new stretch of greenway in Dromiskin that links the two Community Green Flag public parks in the village. While this exciting new project won’t be accessible and officially opened for a few weeks, a lovely informal event was held recently to celebrate National Tree Week and pay tribute to the sponsors of the 35 trees that were planted to create a community orchard and biodiversity corridor along the greenway. 

With this year’s theme for National Tree Week being Planting Trees - Growing Together - it provided the ideal opportunity to engage in a community project that sought sponsorship from local families to purchase, plant and stake a series of trees along the route in an unusual but very successful approach to creating a community orchard funded by the community who can monitor the progress of the trees as they grow together in keeping with the theme and spirit of National Tree Week. 

Chairman of Dromiskin Tidy Towns, Pat Mulligan, welcomed all present and thanked sponsors for their generosity noting that when a Facebook post sought sponsors for the trees all 25 were sponsored within two hours and such was the desire of local residents to become involved that arrangements were made to plant a further ten. 

Guest of honour at the event was Vice Chairman of Louth County Council, Councillor John Reilly who was fulsome in his praise for the work carried out by Dromiskin Tidy Towns and, indeed, Tidy Towns groups throughout the county who he noted played a crucial role in the environmental presentation, sustainability and biodiversity enhancement of local communities throughout the county. He noted that the greenway was funded by way of a grant under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and was delighted that Louth County Council was in a position to facilitate and recommend the grant that ensured the works could be undertaken. Councillor Reilly concludes his contribution by planting the ceremonial tree at the event. 

Dromiskin Tidy Towns is very lucky to have a professional Landscape Architect, Kevin Halpenny, as a member. Kevin has been responsible for the design and project management of many, many hard and soft landscaping projects in recent years with Siul na Manaigh being the most recent example of his work. Hailing the planting of the Community Orchard as a great success Kevin reminded sponsors that archaeologists advise that trees have been cultivated for fruit since Neolithic times but in the last seventy years there has been a huge loss of orchards across Europe and initiatives

such as this help to redress the balance. He also stressed that this type of orchard was multi functional as, in addition to being a source of food, it also provides a diverse habitat for pollinators, invertebrates, birds and another animal species so it really is a win win for all. The way the greenway has been developed ensures that is a multifunctional amenity in that it encourages and supports active travel, provides a safe route to school, creates a biodiversity corridor with the now added function of the community orchard - a practical example of how we can all play a part in improving our local environment. 

The event concluded with light refreshments in the school where local residents had an opportunity to catch up with each other and make plans for even more exciting initiatives in the community. Dromiskin Tidy Towns is looking forward to the official opening of the Greenway very soon which will provide the opportunity to pay tribute to the landowners, funders and volunteers who collaborated to make what seemed impossible a reality.