On 1st June 2011 the Meath Chronicle announced a “Renaissance Initiative” from Meath Partnership. The aim of the Initiative is to help rejuvenate some of the towns and villages of County Meath and all communities were encouraged to apply.
A resident of Carlanstown decided to investigate the potential interest in submitting an application and sought support from various sectors of the community. Having established that there was a high level of interest, a public meeting was advertised and over the course of a few meetings Carlanstown Community Development Group was formed. Representatives of the group attended workshops on ‘Establishing your Community Group and ‘Fundraising and Finances for Community Groups’ provided by Meath Partnership. A detailed application was then completed and submitted for the competition.
We are delighted that our application was successful and Carlanstown was selected by Meath Partnership to participate in its Renaissance initiative, which provides support and funding under the LEADER programme to develop plans to protect, celebrate and enhance the distinctiveness of villages.
The group held their first AGM on September 25th 2012 and at that meeting the group changed its name to Carlanstown/Kilbeg Community Development.
A working group was established to co-ordinate the development of a plan and to liaise with the local community. A Renaissance cabin has been recently erected in the village to facilitate interaction between the members of the community and the working group. The cabin is open on Saturday mornings from 10.30am to 12.30pm and people are actively encouraged to drop in and engage in the planning process.
Carlanstown / Kilbeg Community Development 3 main projects over the next year.
- Tidy Towns
- A Community Park
- Revival of the Gymkhana Festival (August Bank Holiday Weekend 2013)
Tidy Towns
Carlanstown has a history of involvement in the national Tidy Towns Competition going back many years and an earlier Tidy Towns Committee had some notable successes.
In 2012 the village was awarded 220 points, the highest to date and we want to build on this over the coming years. In 2012, we concentrated on the Kells approach road and work was undertaken on maintaining the verges, planting of shrubs and daffodils.
Carlanstown / Kilbeg Community Development opened a new Butterfly Garden in the village on 21st July 2012. The new feature forms part of the group’s Tidy Towns Plans for 2012 and there are two further features planned for the Kells approach road.
The Butterfly garden is stocked with specially selected plants and flowers which are known to be attractive to the colourful insects.The garden really ads colour to the village on the Ardee approach road and is the first of a number of flower beds planned for the village and approach roads.
Click on the link below for further information about Carlanstown/Kilbeg Community Development.
Carlanstown/Kilbeg Community Development