The 2014 AFRA Christmas Party was held in the Clybaun Hotel on Saturday 13th December. Around 20 people turned out on the night and a good night was had by all. Plenty of finger food was provided by the hotel.
Once again this year the GCC, as part of their Community Planting Initiative (CPI), provided the AFRA with 175 spring bulbs to plant in the bush/shrub areas of Ard Fraoigh. The bulbs consisted of 75 dutch master narcissi (daffodils), 75 tete a tete narcissi (also daffodils) and 25 galanthus nivalis (snowdrops). These were provided at no cost if the AFRA agreed to plant them.
We held a successful event on Saturday 29th November to plant the bulbs. The weather was cold but dry and calm and seven people turned out on the day. The work started at noon and we completed all the planned work by about 1:30pm.
All the bulbs were planted in the grass verge between 49 & 50, about one foot out from the shrub border and will add to the spring bulbs planted in 2012 and 2013. We also cleared up the leaf litter at the entrance to Ard Fraoigh, along the entrance road and in the cul-de-sacs and collected any rubbish that had collected in the bushes and shrubs.
Thank you to everyone who turned out and participated and to all those who gave the use of their brown bins for the leaf litter.
We will see the results of our efforts in spring 2015 when the daffodils and snowdrops appear alongside the spring flowers already planted in 2013 and 2014.
The fifth and final AFRA meeting of 2014 was held in the Clybaun Hotel on Monday 24th November 2014.
The minutes of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
The fourth AFRA meeting of 2014 was held in the Clybaun Hotel on Monday 29th September 2014.
The minutes of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
A successful clean-up of Ard Fraoigh was carried out by residents on Saturday 27th September to take us through the winter.
We were very lucky with the sunny and warm weather considering the time of year and about twenty people turned out on the day to contribute their effort.
As usual, all the public green areas were mown (some was cut the week before) and the bushes and shrubs lining the Ard Fraoigh entrance road were pruned back. Also, all the kerbs were sprayed with weed-killer and the green area between houses 49 and 50 was weeded. The application of weed-killer during the June clean-up proved to be very effective. Because of it, the amount of weeding required between 49 and 50 was greatly reduced and no weeding was required at the end of the second cul-de-sac.
In total we collected twenty-six bags of grass cuttings, weeds and prunings and one bag of rubbish.
Thank you to everyone who turned out and contributed to the effort, including those who cut some of the green areas earlier in the week.
A very successful clean-up of Ard Fraoigh was carried out by residents on Saturday 21st June to take us through the summer.
Although the weather was cloudy, it was warm and calm, perfect for outdoor work. We did experience fifteen minutes of very light drizzle early on but the threat of rain never materialised. Just over thirty people turned out on the day to contribute their effort and almost half were children.
All the public green areas were mown (some earlier in the week), all weeds were cut back and the bushes and shrubs lining the entrance road and at the end of the second cul-de-sac were pruned. The green area between houses 49 and 50 received a particularly good weeding as the weeds were starting to choke back the newly planted shrubs. Also, all the litter was removed from the green areas and bushes. The children played a big role in retrieving the rubbish from the bushes; overall they were a great help. Brian Forde sprayed weed-killer on all the kerbs, on the newly planted green area between houses 49 and 50 and on the raised island at the entrance to Ard Fraoigh, in front of Clybaun House.
In total, forty-one bags were filled with grass cuttings, weeds and prunings, and eight bags were filled with landfill (two with litter and six with rocks found in the shrubs).
Thank you to everyone who turned out and contributed to the effort, including those who cut some of the green areas earlier in the week. Thank you also to Dervilla Campbell for preparing a wonderful table of tea/coffee and sandwiches, crisps and soft drinks. It was much appreciated by everyone who had worked up a good appetite.
The 2014 AFRA AGM was held in the Clybaun Hotel on Monday 19th May 2014.
The minutes of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
On Saturday 12th April we held another clean-up event to clean up Ard Fraoigh after the winter. Despite a grey and drizzly start to the day the weather picked up and we were blessed with bright fresh weather for the afternoon. Ten to fifteen households turned out on the day to lend a hand. Work commenced at 2pm and was completed by about 4:30pm.
The main Ard Fraoigh entrance road were swept up. All the grass on the main entrance road, on the Clybaun Road in front of the apartments, between houses 49 & 50 and opposite houses 38 & 39 was cut. All the rubbish at in the bushes at the end of the second cul-de-sac was picked up.
In total we amassed twenty bags of grass cuttings and general organic waste and four bags of litter. The bags were collected by Galway City Council the following week.
Thank you to everyone who turned out and gave their time and effort.
A meeting was held on Tuesday 11th March to provide an update to the AFRA membership on the landscaping of the public green area between 49 and 50 Ard Fraoigh.
The minutes of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
The first AFRA meeting of 2014 was held in the Clybaun Hotel on Monday 3rd February.
The minutes of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.