This is a press release I issued following the Borough Council’s purchase of St Mary’s Church and Graveyard. I have to say, I felt very proud signing the purchase agreement and to have played a part in bringing this day about. The Church of Ireland and trustees of St Mary’s have to be commended for taking care of it for so long under difficult circumstances. This site sparked my imagination at a very young age. The possibilites around its development and re connection with the civic quarter of the Tholsel are endless, a museum, wildlife garden, community centre, but most of all we can consolidate this beautiful part of the city for locals and visitors to enjoy, a lovely Christmas present. Happy New Year everyone had here’s to another great year for Kilkenny!
The acquisition of St Mary’s church and graveyard in Kilkenny City caps a great end to Kilkenny’s historic 400 celebrations in 2009. That’s according to Kilkenny’s Mayor Malcolm Noonan. In welcoming the allocation of 700, 000 in funding from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mayor Noonan acknowledged the priority given to the site by his colleague, Environment Minister, John Gormley following his visit in November.
‘I am encouraged that the allocation of this funding will now secure the long term viability of St Mary’s and establish it as a key heritage site in Kilkenny, linked to the Tholsel. As an ecclesiastical site, St Mary’s is important as St Canice’s Cathedral. It contains many monuments and features of international interest. I am delighted to have been involved in this process, particularly as I had set it out as a key priority in my agenda for my year as Mayor’ said Mayor Noonan.
Mayor Noonan acknowledged the funding support of the Heritage Council and the elected members of Kilkenny Borough Council. He also paid tribute to the Church of Ireland for their efforts in maintaining the property under very difficult circumstances for many years. ‘I now hope that the purchase of the church and graveyard will endorse the implementation of the Conservation Plan. While some work is underway on certain monuments, we will be looking at a long term strategy to present the site in an imaginative way that will build on the City’s rich built and cultural heritage’ he said.
‘Key to that development will be the reconnection of St Mary’s and the Tholsel perhaps beginning with the re opening of the arched gate connecting both properties. I envision both sites as a single heritage area, developing a medieval museum, re presenting the city charters and documents and creating a habitat around the graveyard, while giving the public access to the stunning array of tombs and monuments contained in it’ said Mayor Noonan.
‘However that is work for another day. This is a good day for Kilkenny. Our strongest asset is our heritage, and we have now secured the missing link in that heritage. I would like to pay tribute to the county manager, Joe Crockett and all of the stakeholders involved in this process. The cooperation of everyone involved has allowed us to avail of this funding opportunity and take ownership of this historic gem in the heart of medieval Kilkenny’ he concluded.
Following the decision by An Bord Pleanala to refuse planning for a major retail development at the former Mart site in Kilkenny City, Mayor Malcolm Noonan is calling on Kilkenny County Council to abandon plans for a redesigned bridge as part of the Central Access Scheme. He contends that the re design of the bridge and Environmental Impact Statement now represents an undue financial burden on the local authority and may never be constructed in light of the refusal of the citymart development.
‘I would largely agree with An Bord Pleanala’s decision, this is an edge of town site and a retail development on this scale could have potentially damaged the core retail area and city centre. While the short term construction jobs would have been most welcome, it is unlikely in the current climate that all of the development would have proceeded and I would now hope that that the project proposers will go back to the drawing board with a scaled down plan for the site that is more in keeping with the future needs of the city’ he said. He also said that the project failed to adequately address new planning and retail guidelines on edge of town and out of town retail developments and the damage they can do to town centres.
Mayor Noonan also stated that the Central Access Scheme (CAS) is so compromised now that it should be scrapped in favour of the completion of the outer ring road and the implementation of a public transport scheme and other mobility measures to service future needs of the city including the mart site. ‘The redesign of the bridge cannot be justified on cost grounds while our water infrastructure requires so much investment and our library services are chronically under funded. The CAS has already cost us signifiacnt financial and time resources and we the elected members have not been furnished with a costing for the re design of the bridge crossing’ he said.
He said that the decision to refuse the current proposal for the mart site should be viewed as an opportunity to look at the entire scheme, road infrastructure, connectivity and consolidating the city centre. ‘Kilkenny has been relatively fortunate, we didn’t over do out of town retail like other towns in the region. Many places like Clonmel and Carlow are suffering because of an over proliferation of retail on the edge of their towns. Kilkenny has a fantastic opportunity to get it right. I would hope that an imaginative re designed plan for the citymart site with a good mix of social and commercial infrastructure will protect our beautiful city while creating much needed employment’ he concluded.
Hi
By now the fruit tree project has well and truly started. We began planting in with Sean O hArgain, Muniteoiri agus na Paisti. It was such a great day and our little orchard will hopefully mature over coming years. On Thursday 5th of March, I planted six trees with sixth class and my son Colm who is in Junior infants at St Canice’s National School. Then it was on to the Castle Park on Friday for the main event. What a great turnout and we had a film crew from Glass Eye Productions in Thomastown. I hope to have footage of this up on this site when the edit is complete.
Finally I went to the Model School on the Comer Rd and prepared the planting holes for the parents who were coming in on the Saturday. I had to be in Wexford at our Party Conference on that day so I haven’t gone back to see how they got on yet.
All in all it has been a really inspiring project, one that I hope will leave a lasting mark on the 400 celebrations. Here’s the press release I put out that week, we will be back in Autumn to complete the planting.
Malcolm
Celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the signing of the City Charter will take place this week in schools around the city and will culminate in the planting of an orchard in the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. The 400 fruit tree project will see the planting of orchards around the city to leave a lasting legacy of the 400 celebrations.
Speaking on the significance of the event, steering committee member, Cllr Malcolm Noonan stated that it was particularly poignant given that the theme of this years National Tree Week is ‘Our Trees, Our Culture’. ‘Kilkenny City and County is steeped in a tradition of growing and self reliance and this project seeks to reconnect communities with growing our own food, while enhancing wildlife in our urban areas’.
Three primary schools will take part in the first phase of the project, Gaelscoil Osraí, St Canice’s National School and The Model School and will plant small orchards of old native varieties of fruit trees including one native to County Kilkenny. On Friday March 6th, a group of twenty trees will be planted on the grounds of Kilkenny Castle formally marking the start of the project.
Brian Dillon of Future Proof Kilkenny who are involved in the coordination of the project acknowledged the support of Kilkenny Local Authorities, the OPW and other partner organisations and schools. ‘Claire Murphy of Kilkenny County Council has been instrumental in sourcing the right trees and we are most grateful for the support of the Local Authority and the 400 Celebrations Committee. Also the OPW have been most supportive of this project since it was first mooted’ he stated.
Elaine Bradshaw of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful is hopeful that the project will enhance Kilkenny’s chances in this year’s tidy towns, particularly under the wildlife and biodiversity categories.
It is hoped that the project will be completed in late autumn 2009 and the committee will be announcing a sponsor an orchard scheme to raise further funds to complete the planting. They are also hoping to identify more suitable sites throughout the City that are secure and will be well maintained.
A delegation which includes German Green Party Leader Reinhard Beutikofer is to visit Kilkenny this Friday. The group will travel here with a German Television crew to record an interview with Mr Beutikofer for a National TV station. Local Green Party members will then host a dinner for the group as part of a two day visit to the City.
Speaking about the visit, local Green Party Councillor, Malcolm Noonan stated that it was a great honour to welcome Mr Beutikofer to Kilkenny. ‘The Green Party in Germany, (Bündnis 90 Die Grünen) like in many other European Countries has been part of Central and Regional Government for many years now. This has been a motivating factor in our decision to enter Government for the first time, it will be interesting to exchange ideas and talk about the many challenges we face as policy makers weather it be at National, regional or at a local level’, he stated. ‘It is a great privilege that Mr Beutikofer has chosen to use Kilkenny as a backdrop for his interview, particularly given the fact that it will be broadcast on National Television to millions of viewers, its great for Kilkenny but it is also great for the Green Party locally’.
Deputy Leader of the Green Party Mary White TD said that Mr Beutikofer is an inspiration to the Green Movement worldwide and in Government the German Greens have made a significant mark in Democratic Politics in that country. ‘It’s a great time for the Green movement, we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape policy towards a more sustainable society.The German Greens under the leadership of Reinhard Beutikofer are leading the way across Europe, creating thousands of jobs in renewable energy and in Research and Development along the way, his visit is a great honour to the Carlow/Kilkenny Green Party’.
Marking Biodiversity Week, Kilkenny Green Party Councillor Malcolm Noonan is urging the people of Kilkenny to do everything they can to enhance wildlife in urban and rural areas and to be mindful of using polluting materials in their daily lives.
‘Our wildlife, plants, animals and insects are facing huge challenges from human activity, pollution, climate change, habitat loss and overexploitation of our natural resources are causing the extinction of many species in Ireland and worldwide. This week is about focusing our efforts to protect our biodiversity, our wild habitats and wildlife and ensuring that we pass this rich resource on to future generations’ stated Cllr Noonan.
‘Ireland has pledged to halt biodiversity loss by the year 2010 and my colleague John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has stated that this target will be difficult to meet, given the intensity of our activities. Globally it is estimated that one in four species has become extinct in the last 35 years and some scientist believe we are facing a mass extinction not seen since the age of the dinosaurs’.
Cllr Noonan cited the example of bee populations in Ireland as an example of what could happen, stating that if current trends continue and we see the levels of colony collapse that have occurred in the US, our entire agricultural system and fruit production would be threatened. ‘What’s important to learn from Biodiversity Week is the interdependence of all life on earth and to realise that we are but one species of many millions, many yet undiscovered. But if people feel powerless to do anything to stop the loss of our wildlife, they shouldn’t’, he stated.
We can all do simple things and make simple choices in their daily lives that could have a positive effect on enhancing our wildlife in urban and rural areas, and people shouldn’t think that this wildlife is the preserve of our rural dwellers as our cities and towns are teeming with wildlife.
Some of these choices and efforts could include; planting our gardens with more trees and shrubs that attract insects, sowing wildflower meadows or leaving areas to go wild, using eco friendly detergents and washing up liquid, not using pesticides, weedkillers or lawn fertilisers in their gardens, buying locally sourced and if you can afford it, organic produce, put in bird boxes and bat boxes around the garden, and finally going on nature walks with family and passing on a legacy of appreciation of wildlife to our children.
Further information on Biodiversity week can be found on www.noticenature.ie. The week runs from 18th to 25th of May. Kilkenny County Council is currently in the process of drafting a Biodiversity Plan for County Kilkenny and will be looking for input from the public. In Conclusion, Cllr Noonan called on all people in Kilkenny City and County to get out during the bright evenings and enjoy the rich natural heritage of Kilkenny City and County.
