Fruits of Collinstown collaboration evident in community orchards
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Pupils from St Mary’s NS, Collinstown with Richard Hogan, Paddy Dempsey, Damian Duffy and Mary Duffy.Image 2 of 6
Richard Hogan and Krzysztof Pawluk in Gleann Alainn with Áine and Kate Duffy and Annabelle Pawluk.Image 3 of 6
Richard Hogan and Frankie O’Neill at Clondareen.Image 4 of 6
Mary and Tara Duffy, Gillian Hall and Kenneth Moore at Cois Leine.Image 5 of 6
Collinstown Men’s Shed members Joe Potter, Gene O’Donnell, Johnny Fitzpatrick and Bernard Devine outside the school.Image 6 of 6
Breda Murtagh and Ger Crawley at Beechpark.Collinstown has become one of the first villages in Ireland to come together to plant community orchards as part of one big project.
During the summer and autumn months the orchards will provide free fruit for everyone to pick when out and about.
Community orchards – with a mix of apple, pear and plumb trees – in Beechpark and Gleann Alainn housing estates will hopefully lead to communities being able to come together on an annual basis, pick fruit and share the harvest with neighbours and friends in the estates, said Mary Duffy, secretary of Collinstown Action Group.
Smaller orchards in Cois Leine and Clondareen estates will provide fruit and increase biodiversity in the areas now that there is more life on the lawn.
Residents in each of the estates planted their own trees under the watchful eye of Richard Hogan, who provided the trees for all the orchards.
The project was organised by Collinstown Action Group and funding came from Westmeath County Council through the Community Environment Action Fund.
The pupils at St Mary’s NS watched as parents planted eight fruit trees on the school grounds, and promised to pick and eat the fruit when it is ripe and ready.
The newly formed Collinstown Men’s Shed members planted five trees outside the school and church area. The Men’s Shed were out again planting the largest of the new orchards in the village at the Lough Lene Gaels pitch.
Eighteen fruit trees were planted along what will be the new walking track around the two pitches.
Ms Duffy said: "We are delighted that our idea has brought the community together to plant our own orchards and to hopefully create a space and a project that we can all benefit from year on year. It was great to see each of the trees going in and to chat with each of the groups involved."
Joe Potter, chairperson of Collinstown Tidy Towns and Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, added: “We are delighted to have this orchard at our club grounds, it will be great for all who use our facilities.”