Limerick town leads the way with ground-breaking community employment scheme partnership

Kilmallock’s appearance, from its historic walks to its housing estates, didn’t improve by accident and according to CE Supervisor Max Hennessy, the work happening behind the scenes is both “relentless” and rooted in local pride.

Mr Hennessy oversees the Kilmallock Tourism Community Employment Scheme, a programme with 23 participants who collectively maintain more than 47 acres of green space across the town and its surroundings.

The scheme is the only Community Employment scheme in Ireland with an official Service Level Agreement (SLA) with a local authority in this case, Limerick City and County Council. The SLA, worth €27,600 annually, supports the team’s ability to deliver a standard of work Hennessy describes as “professional, detailed and never rushed.”

Grass-cutting begins in February and runs to October, alongside hedge trimming, strimming, weed control, kerb maintenance, river clean-outs and regular litter picks. The scheme also supports sports grounds, local walkways and housing estates, essentially “everything inside the speed limits of the town.

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Max Hennessy says the secret to its success is simple, pride of place. “These lads and ladies are working harder than many contractors because this is their home,” he told the November meeting of Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal District. “If people take ownership of where they live, everyone else follows suit.”

The CE scheme doesn’t stop at maintenance. Participants support a wide range of community organisations from Kilmallock Tidy Towns and Friars Gate Theatre to local crèches and clerical work at Ballyhoura Development.

They’re also progressing major community projects, including 21 new allotments opening in March 2026, and a series of Climate Action Programme developments, such as museum retrofits, a climate garden, and a shift to low-carbon equipment.

For Max Hennessy, the vision is long-term, a cleaner, greener, more vibrant Kilmallock where community, heritage and sustainability work hand in hand. “We’re building something for the next generation,” he said. “Small towns can lead big change and Kilmallock is proving it.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme