Calendar shows the community spirit alive in Kilmeen

By Kieran O’Mahony

IN what is a first for a rural parish in West Cork, a community business calendar has been published to help and encourage local businesses.

Recently launched by the Kilmeen and Castleventry Community Association, the calendar features ads for 50 local businesses and it was distributed free of charge to every home in the community.

‘The purpose of this calendar is to encourage and facilitate support for our local business people and to generate further economic activity in our area,’ said Dan O’Leary, PRO for the association.

‘This is a significant step in the economic development of our community,’ he said.

The hard working members of the sub committee, who produced this first ever-local business calendar deserve to be heartily congratulated for their efforts. Here we have a perfect example of a rural community taking the initiative to help itself, rather than waiting for others to do something for us.’

Dan also pointed out that the real challenge now is to encourage local entrepreneurs to open new businesses in the community.

‘The fact that a highly successful international company, JMC Parts, founded by a local man and doing business worldwide, has its headquarters locally in Inchinattin –thanks to broadband – is a brilliant example of what is possible in a rural community like Kilmeen and Castleventry,’ he explained.

Over 500 business calendars have been given out to both homes in the community as well as in the surrounding areas.

It’s been a busy and productive year for the community association and some of the work they have completed include the replacing of 16 baskets of flowers on four of the bridges in the area, after cruel thieves had stolen them. 

They also collected five tonnes of rubbish from roadsides around the community and painted Rossmore Grotto and the old village pump and its surrounds as well as cleaning the car park and streets in Rossmore village.

For the season that in it, they have also put up Christmas tress at Ballygurteen, Bealad and Rossmore as well the erection of an outdoor Christmas crib in Rossmore.

With 65 members already in the association, chairman Jason Collins invited those who are not already members to join in.

‘We support all aspects of community development and its aim is to serve the whole community in areas not served by other organisations,’ the chairman said. 

‘We are open, inclusive and a welcoming group of people who are from all age groups and all walks of life,’ said Jason.