Ballincollig Tidy Towns Weekly Litter Pick

What to Expect

Ballincollig Tidy Towns runs a weekly Sunday morning litter pick around the town, meeting near The Plaza before heading out to clean up streets, green spaces and the main routes into the town centre. It is one of the group’s regular, ongoing civic activities rather than a one-off event, and it forms part of a wider push this year as Ballincollig has been selected to represent Ireland in the Communities in Bloom International Challenge 2026, competing against Nagykoros in Hungary in the medium town category, with international judges due to visit in the summer.

Alongside the weekly clean-up, the group has been maintaining planters of herbs and flowers along the main street that residents are welcome to pick from, and the litter pick is often followed by an informal coffee gathering at The Plaza. It is a low-key, all-welcome civic activity aimed at residents who want to give an hour or two to keeping the town tidy, rather than a formal council meeting or consultation, but it sits squarely within the town’s civic and Tidy Towns effort.

Ballincollig’s selection for the Communities in Bloom International Challenge has given the weekly litter pick extra visibility this year, with the group competing against Nagykoros in Hungary in the medium town category and international judges from Hungary and Canada assessing the town’s upkeep. The routine of picking litter, tending the planters and chatting over coffee afterwards has continued regardless of the competition, and new volunteers are welcome to turn up on the day without any need to sign up in advance.

Good to Know

• Weekly, every Sunday morning; next date given here is Sunday 9 August 2026.
• Meets near The Plaza, Main Street, Ballincollig.
• Free and open to all residents and volunteers, no booking required.
• Often followed by an informal coffee gathering at The Plaza.
• Part of Ballincollig’s entry in the Communities in Bloom International Challenge 2026.

Getting There

Ballincollig is a large suburb on the western edge of Cork City, reached via the N22 or by regular city bus services from Cork city centre. The Plaza shopping centre and its car park, on Main Street, is the usual meeting point, with additional on-street parking available nearby for those driving in.