Canadian judges in Clon to see flowers

GREEN-FINGERED folk have gone blooming mad in a West Cork town in an attempt to win a prestigious international title.

The gardeners of Clonakilty are no strangers to accolades for the colourful displays having been previous winners of a gold medals in the Tidy Towns and Entente Florale competitions.

The town has entered a Canadian-organised environmental competition “Communities in Bloom” which pits it against towns in Canada, the USA, Northern Ireland and England.

Two Canadian judges will visit Clonakilty today.

“The Town Council and Tidy Towns Committee earlier this year decided to enter the town in this competition for the first time,” Clonakilty Tidy Towns spokeswoman Nina Ahern said. The town has Canadian links as it is twinned with Rycroft, near Alberta.

“The Tidy Towns Committee want to invite the people of Clonakilty to come out to meet the judges and show our unique community spirit,” Ms Ahern said.

The formalities got underway last night at de Barra's pub was the venue for the Festival of West Cork Window Box prizegiving. At 3.00pm they judges will conduct a walk of the main streets of Clonakilty An Old Time Fair will take place at 6pm at Connolly Street where the judges will see a bit of Ireland in the rare old times.