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Chairperson : Máire George.

Secretary: Bernie Mullins

Treasurer: Eileen Murphy

Link to Reflections/1916 Garden

Link to Biodiversity Launch

 

9/12/17

Three lads helped Kathleen Abbey switch on the Christmas Lights in Ballon. 

Cathal Bailey, Senan Finn and J.J. Bolger. 

28/10/17

Feile Oiche Samhna Balana

A busy night with plenty of action orchestrated by dance director Maureen Culleton.

Thanks to Parents Association and to Spar for funding food and goodies.

 

23/10/17

Awards given by CCC Pride of Place

Marion

Ballon Improvement Group Joint Winners with Myshall Natural Heritage & Biodiversity Award

Kathleen

Ballon Improvement Group Litter Free Award

Ballon Hill

Ballon Hill Estate Joint 2nd Prize with Ashgrove Estate Fenagh Small Estates Municipal District of Muinebheag

9/10/17

See Maire’s photo summary via Facebook Link

 

26/9/17 Tidy Towns results for Ballon in pdf form

     Click on link:  2017 County Carlow Ballon         

20/9/17

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Martina Jordan,  Niamh  Murphy  from Carlow Partnership and Maire George Ballon  Improvement Group.

 

30/8/17

Bank of Ireland Enterprising Towns Award

Today saw the presentation to the judges of this award held in the Enterprise Centre, The Community Hall and a walk around the village.

The three presenters gave a first class acount of all that makes Ballon such a good place to live. The judges were impressed and interested.

Some of the local businesses and groups displayed in the hall which, given short notice and a working day, was well represented.

Ballon should be proud to have such ambassadors in the community.

 

12/8/17

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Group of 30 from Co. Kilkenny Tidy Towns visited village walkway ; school and Barracks gardens and Siopa Glas for a cuppa.

 

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Presentation of Local Fruit  to Bernadette, Environment Officer from Kilkenny County Council. 

11/8/17

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Artist Joseph Stafford, Cliona Mc Gagh , Mary Jordan and Maire George

at launch of Art and Nature workshops for Heritage week at Altamont Gardens on Tue 22nd at 11.00am

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Joseph Stafford  Artist, Mary Jordan The Forge, Carmel ,Sean and Ciaran Stafford.

5/8/17

Nature Walk in Ballon by MC Visual – Martin Cummins of Ballon

  Get the booklet from Siopa Glas and have a great day with the kids learning about their village.

 

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24/7/17

Kitty Dowling

Kitty Dowling says it all. Love the hair too.

14/7/17

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The Bishop pays a courtesy visit to Donald on Ballon Hill

6/7/17

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MARY Jordan of the Forge Restaurant collecting a collection of organic vegetables from the School Community Garden in Ballon on Tuesday 4th July.

Great to have local produce from the Community garden served in the local Restaurant.   Produce will be available at the Siopa Glas in Ballon over the next few weeks.

29/6/17

 Crazy cotainer competition

Bernie Mullins and Maire George pictured with  the  overall prize winners at Ballon School for the  crazy container competition.

1st: Daniel and Liam Morahan.
2nd: Emer and Aine Deacon
3rd: Molly Maher.
Judges prize: Ross Cummins

Other Winners Below

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17/6/17

On the 14th June a fun cycle for 4th year around the new Nature’s Way tour around the village.

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 There is an 8 page booklet available from Siopa which is very interesting and an ideal project for the children to follow during the holidays.

 

11/6/17

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7/6/17

Garden committee May 17

Here is a picture from our School – Community GIY Garden.  Picture shows the first green vegetables picked in the garden this season.  Our first time to grow Brocholli and it proved to be a great choice grew fast and furious but does take up a big space for each maturing plant.  Next came the Cabbage.

Very sucessful this time with the mature heads coming in not too fast.  Members of the school gardening club took home samples to cook.

Next big day in the Organic Garden will be our Potato day.  More on that later.

19/5/17

School Open Garden

5/5/17

School/Community gardening club interviewed by KCLR

Hear the interview on this link

 

21/4/17

 

14/3/17

Pictured in the School wild habitat are members of the Green school committee
Patches of wild flowers were sown and some young oak tree saplings.  The oaktrees were gown from acorns planted by some of the school children and their parents.

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10/3/17

We have planted over 1,500 new native hedging plants around the village this last few weeks. 

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Pictured here is the Ballon Green School Committee ready to plant the native trees supplied by Carlow County Council  with Maire George. 

8/3/17

Ballon Improvement Group   AGM     21st February 2017

In attendance was Councillor John Murphy, Chairperson of Carlow County Council

John  said “ the group should be very proud of the great work done during the year and also on the great attendance at the meeting”

A vote of sympathy for  Kathleen Percy  was extended  to the Percy family  and to Breda Wray  and the Coleman family on the untimely passing of Kathleen . Kathleen was much loved by staff and customers alike and  was  the heart of the Siopa Glas project . She worked  as a volunteer since the shop opened in June 2012.  May she rest in peace.   Her passing has left a huge void.

A vote of sympathy was also extended to  our secretary Bernie Mullins on the recent death of her mother Margaret  Halvey  May she rest in peace.

Secretary  Bernie Mullins gave an account of all the work and projects carried out in 2016.

2016 was a very busy year. 

 Dúlra Bhalana       Exploring Ballon’s Biodiversity   was launched ion 17th May  by Mr Michael Starlett Chairman of the Heritage Council of Ireland .  The project received funding from the Heritage Council.

Machamh   –  Reflection   The Ballon 1916 Commemoration  Garden was officially opened on the 15th March 2016.  

Thanks to all who were in anyway involved with the Siopa Glas Recycling project.

The Community Shop was the main fundraiser for  Village enhancement during the year.

We would like to thank our  Siopa Glas Volunteers and Tús workers.

Our Tidy Town marks increased by `12 points .  Ballon took four awards in the Carlow Pride of Place Competition.

The school GIY project was very successful.   A new outdoor classroom was installed in the Wild Habitat area at the back of the school.

Ballon Improvement Group funded the maintenance of the local Graveyard.

Thanks to Michael Martin  maintaining our very good village website  www.ballonvillage.ie.

Thanks to Eileen Murphy  and Maire George for the work done on lengthy submissions during the year.

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The same officers were returned for 2017.

Chairperson      Máire George

Secretary          Bernie Mullins

Treasurer         Eileen Murphy

 

 

   

 

28/2/17

Tree week is all week  FROM 3rd March.

If you would like to plant a native tree during tree week .  Just call into Siopa Glas and collect one.

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Greener Home Hints

http://southernwasteregion.ie/sites/default/files/HH%20Booklet%20Final%20003%20(1).pdf

The link above will take you to the electronic copy of the recently published Greener Home Hints booklet.

1/2/17 – St. Brigets Day. First day of Spring

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Maire George of  Ballon’s  Community  and school organic garden.
Dee Sewell chairperson of Community Gardens Ireland.
Tim Madden of Forward Steps in Tullow.
Pictured receiving packets of heritage seeds.
All afiliated Community Gardens in the County were gives vegetable seeds and peatfree compost via Agenda 21 scheme through Carlow County Council.

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Here are a few pics of Operation Transformation at the bank ajacant to the Lecky Graveyard on the  Dublin Rd.

BIG  are lucky that the students from a horticultural course presently in progress at BALLON are assistiing us with our landscaping in the Village.
Plants include Holly, Guilder Rose, Hazel,
Field Maple, Spindle.

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