Tributes paid to workers for keeping Mullingar blooming

With Mullingar climbing a couple of points in this year"s National Tidy Towns Competition, members of Westmeath County Council were keen on congratulating the Council"s outdoor staff for their work in keeping the town looking beautiful over the past year.In a motion tabled at last Monday"s Mullingar Area Committee meeting, Cllr. Jim Bourke called on his colleagues to compliment Council workers for the 'care and attention to detail' they have shown with arranging flower displays on the roundabouts in Mullingar, as well as the hanging baskets on the main streets of the town.'Their work is worthy of praise, and I"m sure it"s made some contribution to Mullingar gaining a few extra Tidy Towns points this year,' the Fianna Fáil man said.Over the past few months, the Mullingar Area outdoor staff have carried out considerable work on the main streets of the town. As well as the floral displays and hanging baskets, the work included new footpaths for Mount Street, Pearse Street, Oliver Plunkett Street, College Street and Bishopsgate Street; daily street sweeps and litter collections; the painting of street furniture, litter bins and poles; the installation of new litter bins and planters; daily traffic and parking management, and the resurfacing of Grove Street.Council officials said that these works, combined with the upkeep of buildings and shop fronts by residents and traders, have 'greatly enhanced the overall appearance of Mullingar'.Further works this year will include the replacement of the public lights on Pearse Street with decorative lights; the resurfacing of the Mount Street/Pearse Street junction and Bishopsgate Street; the upgrading of ramps on Castle Street, and the provision of pedestrian facilities at Nugent"s Corner.Labour"s Cllr. Mick Dollard said that much of the funding which had been acquired for the work had been obtained from paid parking fees. Fine Gael"s Fintan Cooney also praised the Council staff, while Dan McCarthy (Labour) said that a note should be circulated to outdoor staff thanking them for the work.