Love of Dalton Park drives fun day and garden competition

A love for Dalton Park is what drives the members of the local residents association, and they show all locals how much it means to them when they organise the annual fun day and garden competition.

This year's was on Sunday week last, August 23, when there was a great turnout.

Sheryl Keenan the Westmeath Community Development engagement coordinator was delighted with how the day went.

"I coordinate the Empowering Communities Programme, the role of the programme is to work within Dalton Park and build on strengths and help the community to tackle issues and challenges.

"Most of our role involves supporting the local community groups.

"So the likes of today, the residents association and community groups have done a lot of great work over the years and always run these events.

"Our role is really just to help strengthen that, we brought some extra volunteers in on the group and we have a new youth club that is being established with the help of Youth Work Ireland."

Sheryl was over the moon with the turnout. "You can see it with the numbers," she said. "It’s great to see that coming to life and seeing the work.

"Working with Mullingar Tidy Towns, the residents associations and through Rapid funding, the garden competition has helped tackle the issue of the environment and help improve the estate."

Rosie McCormack of Westmeath Community Development was also happy with how the day turned out. "I’m here representing Mullingar Tidy Towns for the Best Improved Garden competition at the Dalton Park fun day. The competition this year was absolutely brilliant.

"It was great to see a huge improvement in the gardens compared to last year, and the winners are deserving for the improvement in their gardens."

First place went to Rían Heffernan, sponsored by Slanemore Nursery, second place to Kevin Byrne, sponsored by Mullingar Chamber of Commerce, and third to Rosie Donnelly, sponsored by Railway House B&B.

"The competition has been amazing and Mullingar Tidy Towns would like to wish them well. We look forward to seeing them next year for even more improvements," said Rosie.

Yvonne Bell, a member of Dalton Park Residents Association, said: "This is our fourth year to do the fun day in Dalton Park. It used to happen years ago, for many years, but then it stopped, and residents in the area were coming back to us saying it would be lovely to have a fun day again in the community, so I suppose that’s where it stemmed from.

"It’s to get everybody together, families and all, and to give them a fun day.

"Without the help from Westmeath County Council, Mullingar Tidy Towns, it wouldn’t have appended because we’re a voluntary group, we don’t get funds from anywhere, only what we get through grants, so today wouldn’t happen without the help of any of those people."

Yvonne said the residents group do a lot of work that people don’t see: "We meet once a month and try to organise all of the area for different events during the year. We do Emerald Park in the summer and we do a trip for older people in November. We also are having our senior citizens Christmas party in the Greville Arms. We have our community Mass in November, so we do a lot behind the scenes trying to improve the area and build up morale.

"Pat Grimes is the chairperson, without him it wouldn’t be possible because he attends all the meetings as well. There is lot of work, we fill out a lot of grants and forms and we have to attend a lot of meetings in the evenings as well. There’s a lot involved in it but we do it because of our love of Dalton Park and that’s really it. I think people are proud of Dalton Park."