Great turnout for Blackrock Entente Florale information night

Almost 100 people packed into Blackrock Community Centre on Thursday, 16 April, for a Public Information Night outlining preparations for Blackrock’s participation in this summer’s Entente Florale Europe competition.

The event, hosted by Louth County Council in partnership with Blackrock Tidy Towns, provided an overview of the international competition, the judging process, and plans for the jury visit scheduled for July. Proceedings were chaired by John Horan of Blackrock Tidy Towns, who acted as MC for the evening.

Presentations were delivered by Bill Kearney, Secretary General of Entente Florale Europe, and Dr Christy Boylan, President of Entente Florale Europe, both of whom outlined the competition’s focus on sustainability, quality of life, environmental stewardship and community involvement.

Contributions were also made by Joanna Kelly, Acting Director of Services with Louth County Council, and Niamh Gorman of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, who spoke about the significance of Blackrock’s nomination and the supports available.

Speaking at the event, Cllr Robert Nash, Cathaoirleach of Dundalk Municipal District, said the strong attendance demonstrated the level of community pride and engagement in Blackrock.

“It was great to see such a big turnout. It was standing room only, and that reflects the strong local interest and pride in Entente Florale Europe. The session provided the public with an opportunity to see the hard work that has been going on behind the scenes between Louth County Council and Blackrock Tidy Towns and, just as importantly, shows residents, businesses, schools and community organisations in Blackrock and beyond that they are all invited to play a part and contribute in any way.”

Joanna Kelly, Acting Director of Services, Louth County Council, said the competition provides an opportunity to showcase both local effort and ongoing Council investment.

“Louth County Council is fully committed to supporting this initiative. Staff across multiple disciplines are involved, and our role is to enable, support and work alongside the community to ensure that Blackrock is presented in a way that genuinely reflects the quality of life that exists here.

“This entry reflects years of work by the community, supported by continued improvements by Louth County Council in areas such as public spaces, biodiversity, sustainability and the built environment. Entente Florale Europe allows us to demonstrate how local authorities and communities can work together to enhance quality of life in a meaningful and lasting way.”

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John Horan of Blackrock Tidy Towns said the evening was about ensuring people understood the process and how they could play a role.

“Blackrock’s inclusion in Entente Florale Europe reflects consistent standards and a genuine pride of place built up over many years by Blackrock Tidy Towns and members of the community. Tonight was about sharing information and showing that everyone, residents, schools, businesses and community groups, who already contribute are invited to play a part in our preparations for July.”

Bill Kearney, Secretary General of Entente Florale Europe, said he was delighted with the turnout.

“I’d like to congratulate Blackrock Tidy Towns and Louth County Council for a very well-organised event. It was very encouraging to see so many people attending and showing an interest in the town's preparations, before the Entente Florale Europe jury visit in July.”

The evening concluded with a question-and-answer session, where attendees were informed of the 12-point route which the judges will take on their visit to Blackrock on Wednesday, 8 July.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.