On 18 December KTT volunteers distributed information regarding waste reduction at Kevin Dundon's cookery display. Thanks to Peter Keane from PK's Supervalu for inviting us along! We hope the information and tips we provided were helpful.

On 12 January the Scoil Mhuire Parents Association and KTT will organise a recycling drive in the Fair Field in Killorglin. From 9 am to 12pm we will collect recyclables from parents. We will accept all the recyclables that normally go into domestic recycling bins, such as paper, cardboard, cans and milk cartons. Please ensure that the recyclables are not contaminated with food waste and that the plastic windows have been cut away from toy boxes! Many thanks to KWD who will be arranging collection on the day.

We have also arranged for a wood chipper so that Christmas trees can be turned to mulch for just €3. The woodchips are available for parents to take away so that they can be used in your gardens. 

Thanks to Eileen at the library for making this beautiful Christmas tree. The tree is made from books and a craftily folded magazine. We hope this tree will encourage people to consider ways of minimising waste in their homes this Christmas.

You can reduce waste at Christmas by making decorations, planning your food shopping, reusing leftovers and recycling gifts. Keep warm and save energy by insulating your home and stopping drafts - a little DIY saves a lot of money... and it reduces your carbon footprint too!

Scoil Mhuire National School is holding a Killorglin Tidy Towns recycled decoration competition and we will have an update on the winners next week. We hope that the students will spread the Green Christmas message to their families, and in turn, to the wider community.

On Sunday 9 December young and old alike gathered in Killorglin to turn on the Christmas lights. Santa Claus arrived in a horse-drawn carriage and the crowd was treated to performances by the Killorglin and District Pipe Band, the Mens' Shed choir and the local Scout troop. After lighting the Christmas tree in the Square, we watched the lights being lit on the Memory Tree in Library Place. Thanks to all the voluntary groups and businesses that supported this wonderful event.

See you at Sol y Sombra at 5:30 on Sunday 16 December, where the Men's Shed choir will be performing in a Christmas concert for the hospice.

Happy Christmas!

On Saturday 8 December Chris, Ruth and Liz participated in the CYMS Christmas bazaar. Their Green Christmas display included information regarding food waste and the Green Home programme.

The Green Christmas stand involved a variety of media, including an ipad to show An Taisce's Green Home website and a practical display demonstrating the energy-saving effects of good insulation. The insulation display consisted of a simple structure divided into two sections, both containing a 60 watt lightbulb.

The side of the structure that was insulated with polystyrene retained heat from the lightbulb, while the non-insulated side of the display did not. This display helped to get the public thinking about energy-saving and encouraged people to think about making their homes more energy-efficient. Householders were also interested in picking up tips on composting, as many people in Killorglin have started composting in recent months.

Thanks to Susan Vickers from the An Taisce Green Home programme and Donal O'Leary from StopFoodWaste for providing us with materials for the waste minimisation dsplay.

This is just the beginning of the waste minimisation work in Killorglin. KTT will distribute tips on food waste reduction at the Christmas cooking display at PK's Supervalu on Tuesday 18 December, and in the New Year KTT is inviting residents' associations and restaurants to improve waste reduction at home and at work.

If you would like to learn more or if you would like to get involved in waste minimisation in Killorglin, contact Killorglin Tidy Towns at killorglintidytowns@gmail.com

Fáilte Ireland on 7th Dec announced that Portmagee was the outright winner of the first ever National Tourism Towns Award.  Portmagee was chosen from a shortlist of ten top tourism towns and received a grant of €10,000 that will go towards developing the village's tourism potential.  What a wonderful achievement!  We congratulate them.


Portmagee by Jane McIntyre (2012)

On Saturday 1 December KTT volunteers planted rosebushes in the new flowerbed and cleaned the sculpture on the New Line.

The volunteers are hoping to erect an information sign to inform visitors and locals about the artwork on the New Line. The black and white sculpture, which was erected some years ago, is shaped as a ring focusing on the MacGillycuddy Reeks through its centre.

On Thursday 29 November Mary and Ruth met with Susan Vickers to work on promoting the Green Home initiative in Killorglin. Green Home was developed as a national framework to support and advise householders on ways to save money on their household bills while protecting the environment. The programme focuses on the themes of waste, energy, water and transport and extends the Green-Schools message beyond the school gates into the wider community. Susan is working with TidyTowns groups in Kerry to spread knowledge and skills that will save money and the environment. The KTT Green Christmas initiative and the national Green Home initiative complement each other because they both focus on waste reduction.
Over the coming weeks and months KTT will work to encourage energy saving in Killorglin, by sharing energy-saving tips and helping householders to complete the Green Home survey. We will begin on 8 December with a waste-reduction display at the CYMS Bazaar. In the new year KTT will organise information meetings with residents' associations to encourage energy-saving in people's homes. 
Many thanks to Susan and to the Killorglin Men's Shed for joining us in promoting the Green Home initiative in Killorglin.