The residents of Scanlon Park in Castleconnell, Co Limerick are in full swing to prepare for the judges arrival in July for the All Ireland Pride of Place Competition. They are delighted to be representing Limerick in the ‘Housing Estate’ category.
Scanlon Park is a vibrant estate with a lot of activity. There are almost 90 houses with a wide range of residents – young families and children, older residents and single people. There are also several generations of families within the estate which gives a great sense of community.
There has been an active residents association for the last 10 years who have worked hard to develop the estate.
Residents spokesperson, Mags Byrnes, said that new members have recently joined and have organised a wide range of estate activities including BBQ’s and sports days, estate trips, clean ups, Halloween and Xmas events.
“These events are open to all residents of any age and are kept as affordable as possible,” she explained. “The residents committee are members of Limerick City and County Council Tenants Forum and meet regularly with Ballyhoura Development regarding various activities, supports and funding which may be available to them. They have completed committee skills training and drafted an estate action plan.
The Park has strong links to the local community, particularly the Tidy Towns group and many sports clubs that residents, both adults and children, are involved in. The Lisnagry Soccer club have their pitch within the estate and St. Joseph’s Graveyard shares the estate entrance so members of the public often visit for various reasons.”
Ms Byrnes said that the estate once had a reputation for antisocial behaviour in the past but this is no longer the case due to the active work of the residents and support from Limerick County Council.
“We’re delighted to have our years of hard work recognised and are looking forward to showing off all our achievements in July,” she concluded.
