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Geashill Tidy Towns
@geashilltidytowns.bsky.social
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Working within our heritage village for over 50 years to make it a great place for residents & visitors alike.

The first #TidyTowns on bluesky - we look forward to being joined by many more to foster the TT goals in a welcoming environment.
🐝 ♻️🚮
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FREE Sustainability & Biodiversity Workshop - Old School, Geashill, 29th November 2025 (R35K138)

Delighted to announce that The Midlands Sustainability &
Biodiversity Network is organising a FREE workshop for #TidyTowns & SEAl Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC's)…
FREE Sustainability & Biodiversity Workshop - Old School, Geashill, 29th November 2025 (R35K138) We are pleased to announce that The Midlands Sustainability & Biodiversity Network is organising a FREE workshop for Tidy Towns groups and SEAl Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC's) - focused on the Tidy Town's Biodiversity and Sustainability adjudication categories. The workshop takes place in the Geashill Hall/Old School, Geashill, Offaly (R35K138) on Saturday 29t* November, from 9.30am to 1pm. The workshop will be delivered by Woodrow Environmental Consulting and SEAI SEC Mentors, and include presentations on Sustainability and Biodiversity, examples of projects by Tidy Towns groups and SEC's, and a visit to nearby Sustainability and Biodiversity project site. The Workshop is FREE of charge, however pre-registration is required, and numbers are limited. To attend, please register early at: https://forms.gle/7bnJLevmvcbFBfMC6 For further information, please phone Laurence on 087 229 4045. The Midlands Sustainability & Biodiversity Network is a grouping of community organisations with a common interest in Sustainability and Biodiversity. The Network is supported by The Wheel's Training Links programme. Led by the EDI Centre in Longford, the Network includes Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC's) and Tidy Towns groups in Laois, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, and Westmeath. Further workshops will be organised in other Counties throughout 2026.
November 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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TIDY TOWNS AWARDS
What a day for Geashill in Croke Park - with Tidy Towns winning the County Award and a Gold Medal, while Raheen GAA Bravehearts descended from the sky.
We achieved 396 marks, a massive increase of 12 over last year and just 4 behind the overall winners Carrick-on-Shannon.
Three members of Geashill Tidy Towns attended the awards ceremony in Dublin and met the super value Bee 🐝
October 27, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Lots more discussion followed at the Old School afterwards as participants enjoyed teas, coffees and bites.

Our thanks to the Community and Culture section of Offaly County Council for organising the event.

#Offaly #TidyTowns
Photo of members of several different tidy town groups - all based in Offaly. They are lined up in the picnic area, with most wearing hi vis vests. In the background, a dramatic sky.
September 10, 2025 at 11:06 AM
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Our first time holding both Dawn & Dusk Chorus Walks in the same year & what enjoyable events they've been.

Many thanks to the hardy souls, residents & visitors who gathered by The Green at 4.15am to witness, first Blackbird, then Robin, followed by Thrush & then all together
🪶 #Biodiversity
Group in the early morning, absorbing the sounds of the dawn chorus
June 5, 2025 at 7:43 AM
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DUSK CHORUS WALK
A big thank you to Ricky Whelan for leading us through a lovely relaxing walk filled with birdsong this evening.

It's great to have someone to hand with so much knowledge, not just of the calls of our garden and woodland birds but insights into the fascinating lives they lead.
Photo of villagers and friends who attended the birdsong evening.
May 31, 2025 at 2:39 PM
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There are lots of other events to choose from starting with a relaxing Dusk Chorus Walk with Ricky Whelan on Tuesday evening at 9pm.

#DuskChorus #Bioblitz

See the attached poster for more details!

Some events will require booking Booking - email
geashillttowns@gmail.com
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS Tuesday May 20th 9.00pm Dusk Chorus Walk with Ricky Whelan Wednesday May 21st 4:30am: Dawn Chorus Walk with Ricky Whelan 6.30pm-7.45pm: Bird Ringing with Declan Manley 8.00pm: Evening Birds Ramble with Ricky Whelan 8:45pm: Tea/Coffee in the Old School 9.30pm: Bat Walk & Talk with Anna Collins* Booking required for Bat Walk - See Facebook All events start at the Old School Geashill R35 K138 & are open to everyone
May 18, 2025 at 10:47 AM
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IT’S BIOBLITZ Time!

We're delighted to share the highlights of our Programme, running Tuesday (20th May) to Thursday (22nd May).

Main Event - the 24hr #Bioblitz kicking off noon on Wednesday.

Join us as we record as many birds, mammals, plants & insects as possible - until 12 noon on Thursday.
Green poster - Text: BIOBLITZ 2025 GEASHILL VILLAGE Old School Geashill May 20th - 22nd EXPLORE Join us as we record as many plants/birds/bees/ mammals as possible in a 24 hours period ENJOY Dawn & Dusk ChorusWalks Bat Walk and Talk Bird Ringing Swift Talk
May 18, 2025 at 10:44 AM
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Geashill - A Day in the Life

Inviting all photographers,amateur & professional.

Join us on Wed May 21st to record the life of the village; its architecture; its nature & its people, at work, at play & at their leisure.
Poster text: Geashill - A Day in the Life May 21st 2025 Help us to create a photographic record of Geashill, its residents & visitors. Camera Clubs, professional and amateur photographers welcome. 3 images of the sensory path leading into The Green; a sculptural path to follow at the picnic area; a view of the village pub on a beautiful sunny day.
May 15, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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For those a bit squeamish about bats it’s worth noting that each one can hoover up as many as 3,000 midges per night!!

Watch out for the upcoming Bat Walk during our Geashill Bioblitz in May.

🦇
The recently formed Offaly Bat Group - 7 people - 6 wearing hi viz vests - are standing looking keen to get detecting!
April 13, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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Please, please delay mowing or simply leave some patches of dandelions for another few weeks. It's a tiny act and makes a HUGE difference.

🐝🦋🪰🌼

#Bumblebee #Hoverfly #Butterfly
Hover fly with glistening Jody and folded wings feeding on a dandelion Buff tailed bumblebee feeding on a yellow dandelion head
April 11, 2025 at 7:11 PM
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We talk a lot about #NoMowMay but when you see how reliant nature is on these flowers this time of year it really has to make you think.

#Bumblebee #Butterfly #Hoverfly #Pollinators

🦋🪰🐝
A honey bee feeding from a yellow dandelion flower. Comma butterfly feeding on a dandelion flower head.
April 11, 2025 at 7:09 PM
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“Give me 1 good reason not to mow or spray the dandelions this May?”

How about 5!

These pictures were all taken in Geashill in 2022 and show #bumblebees, #butterflies and #hoverflies all feeding from Dandelions.

🐝🦋🪰
Small tortoiseshell butterfly - atop a yellow dandelion is a beautiful delicate orange butterfly, wings striped with black and cream and a stunning border.
April 11, 2025 at 7:07 PM
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Clíona produced some lovely work on our Telefón Box last year.

Watch this space for another exciting Tidy Towns collaboration with her over the next couple of months! 🤩
Clíona’s artword - a painting, blue background - lighter blue at base getting darker by the top - and a pair of arms peeling a carrot, peel flying into the air and transforming into beautiful yellow and orange birds. A brightly smiling Clíona stands beside the yellow and green telephone box, now used as a free book swap. She is painting local flora and fauna onto the glass windows, bringing nature into the box.
March 31, 2025 at 8:24 AM
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Good morning!

Exciting news to share!

Congratulations to Geashill artist Clíona Madden on her wonderful paintings, Unapologetically Me and Carrot Birds exhibited at the FETC End of Year Exhibition of student work in Esker Artswhich will run until April 4th.
Artist Clíona Madden stands in a black top next to her painting - a self portrait of her face with birds, arts, heart and other creative elements flowing from her mouth and all around her.
March 31, 2025 at 8:21 AM
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Here’s a little guide we put together last year for splitting herbs.

MAKING THE MOST OF SUPERMARKET
HERB POTS
Try it with basil, chives, or pretty much any herb pots.
MAKING THE MOST OF SUPERMARKET HERB POTS Try it with basil, chives, or pretty much any herb pots. Follow our simple step by step instructions and you can transform that one supermarket herb pot into 3,4 or even 5 plants which can last for many months. 1 Water plant well - then carefully remove it from the pot. 2 Gently divide the plant into separate clumps. 3 Remove the leafy top growth to encourage root growth instead. 4 Plant 3-4 clumps in each pot of compost. 5 Water well. Place the pots in a sunny spot and in a few weeks you will have lots of parsley. The 5 pink pots of parsley originated from 1 small supermarket pot.
March 11, 2025 at 8:41 AM
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And just look at the cover of the report!
*Chefs kiss* #Bats 🦇
Cover of Neighbourhood Bats - analysis and report by mark robetts 2024. Top left has a white space with the organisation logo (bat conservation Ireland) while beneath is a leafy green background, with two leaves in the foreground. Centre stage is a bat - a glorious soft, fluffy looking bat with ears and snout(?) visible and silky looking wings.
February 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM
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The survey also highlighted the importance of green spaces and connectivity for bats, with high activity around parkland and woodland areas.

A big thank you to Vanessa Mack of the Kildare Bat Group for carrying out the survey.

Let's continue to protect and celebrate our bat populations.

#Bats 🦇
Two smiling women stand by a large tree. On the left is Vanessa Mack - who carried out the bat research. On the right, Caren, a Geashill tidy towns member.
February 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM
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Here’s the poster explaining a little more about our celebration of World Wetlands Day

#WorldWetlandsDay
GEASHILL TIDY TOWNS WORLD WETLANDS DAY Come and join us to celebrate World Wetlands Day at the Picnic Area in Geashill where we have implemented innovative nature-based solutions with our community raingarden and swale - our special wetlands. We will be cutting back old vegetation and mowing meadow grasses for composting and to make way for new Spring growth as well as a general tidy up. Bring wellies - and a rain jacket just in case! • Location:Geashill raingarden and wetlands, Geashill, Co. Offaly, Just off R420. • Time:11:30pm - 1pm.
February 2, 2025 at 4:53 PM
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A very enjoyable get together was rounded off with nice hot teas and coffees.
Thanks to everyone who came to lend a hand.

Great to see the next generation getting stuck in too!

#TidyTowns #Spring #CommunitySpirit
Two very happy young girls, wearing fluorescent pink vests and a floral wreath (on one girl) and a fluffy bear hat and scarf with gloves) investigate the artwork present at the site. It’s a round disk with tools made by villagers during a sculptures visit a few years ago. In the foreground a young lad looks quizzically at the wetland. In the middle a man bends over, clearing vegetation. In the back ground another adult stands, a litter picker visible in his hand. All three are wearing GTT fluorescent jackets.
February 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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We had a great turnout for our tidy up of old vegetation around our ponds and wetlands today - on a lovely sunny Sunday morning.

This clears the ground for fresh Spring growth, which can only be around the corner.
#TidyTowns #Wetlands
Geashill Tidy Towns, volunteers, friends and supporters helping out at the rain garden. In the photo, the smiling group are standing behind the round wall, sign posted Geashill Raingarden (& wetlands part of the sign is out of shot) Volunteers stand around the wetland area with one brave soul standing right in it, up past his knees! 3 men in bright fluorescent jackets are clearing up an area of the wetlands.
February 2, 2025 at 4:44 PM
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Good morning everyone!

So excited to see this beauty!

This barn owl was observed within 30m of one of 3 Barn Owl boxes we erected on the edge of the village last Spring.

🦉
A barn own sits atop a fence post. It is looking directly at the camera. The owl has a beautiful white chest that stands out against the dark night.
January 22, 2025 at 9:26 AM
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Nollaig Faoi Shéan Is Faoi Shonas Daoibh.
We wish our friends in Geashill, Ireland and around the world a Happy Christmas.
Photo of the village crib, in the green with the lit up Christmas tree in the background, bright lights and shining star atop it. The crib is a solid little shed, with greenery on the roof, lie up in red, with the nativity members in full view. A group of people (backs to camera) listen to a man in a Santa hat reading Christmas greetings to all. Possibly singing carols? They all look invested is the thing. In the village you can see some of the green, the Christmas tree all lit up and a few houses. Close up of the inside of the crib. The little baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph knelt beside are in the foreground. The shepherd and animals are also there. Oddly, it looks like the wise men are there too but they technically don’t arrive until the new year. We’ve better transportation links now so maybe that explains it.
December 25, 2024 at 10:15 AM
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And one more for luck!

Clíona Madden putting some final touches on one of the side panels

You can see the daisies and wild grasses coming to life.

#TidyTowns #LocalArtists 🎨
Close up of the the side panel. Cliona is inside the telephone box with books visible behind her. On the green framed window panels, vibrant green grasses and daisies are coming to life
December 3, 2024 at 12:30 PM
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Here’s a close up of a few of the panels - with local flora and fauna painted in by Clíona.

You can see birds and berries in intricate detail - including raspberries, wagtail, blackberries, chaffinch, wren amongst others.

#TidyTowns
Close up of the telephone box door. You can see birds and berries in intricate detail - raspberries, wagtail, blackberries, chaffinch, wren amongst others.
December 3, 2024 at 12:24 PM
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We’ve a converted Eircom telephone box in the village that is being used as a free book ‘library’.

It has been BEAUTIFULLY decorated by local artist Clíona Madden (on instragram www.instagram.com/clionam_art?...)
Artist Clíona Madden, holding two paint brushes) at the restored Eircom telephone box, now book library. The sides of the box are yellow, the window frames green and in the background you can see some of the books and local signs
December 3, 2024 at 12:21 PM