Tidy Towns success for Clare
Date issued: 25/09/17
Ennis has been named Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre in the 59h annual National Tidy Towns Competition, while Kilrush has joined the Clare County Capital in being awarded a Gold Medal in its category.
The result was announced at the 2017 National SuperValu TidyTowns Awards Ceremony at the Helix in Dublin.
Ennis was marked against strict adjudication criteria and beat off stiff competition from other large urban centres throughout the country. It’s the seventh time that Ennis has been designated Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre, having won the award in 2006, 2008 and 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2016.
Ennis was named overall winner of the ‘Gum Litter Task Force’ and ‘Can it’ awards, while the County Capital also picked up a County Award along with Kilrush and Mountshannon. Lisdoonvarna won an Endeavour Award and Bronze Medals were awarded to Quin, Ballynacally, Ballyvaughan and Tuamgraney.
The other main competition winners are Birdhill, Co. Tipperary (Tidiest Village and overall winner), Westport, Co. Mayo (Tidiest Large Town), and Clonakilty, Co. Cork (Tidiest Small Town).
Councillor Paul Murphy, Mayor of Ennis, commented, “These award successes mark the culmination of months of hard work by local volunteers and members of the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee to improve the appearance of the town and its environs.”
“Despite the huge volume of people that live in and visit Ennis, this large town has successfully managed to retain its unique heritage charm and tidy appearance. The adjudication panel referenced how clean Ennis was kept during this year’s Fleadh which is testament to the collaborative approach adopted by Ennis Tidy Towns, the local authority, community groups, schools, residents associations, businesses and State agencies.
I want to commend Clare County Council and the outdoor and office staff of the Municipal District of Ennis who have worked closely with Ennis Tidy Towns at different stages throughout the year. The work included removing all waste collected for the Ennis Tidy Towns Spring Clean Day which saw all approach roads being cleared of litter. The local authority also worked closely with Ennis Tidy Towns through the Gum Litter Taskforce and in promoting biodiversity throughout the town. The year-round efforts of the Ennis TidyTowns Committee and wider community have reaped dividends,” said Mayor Murphy.
Meanwhile, Mayor Murphy paid tribute to former Tidy Towns judge, John Finn who passed away last week.
“Well known throughout Ennis where he worked as a teacher in Flannan’s College, John also was highly regarded throughout Ireland as a Tidy Towns judge. I was delighted to hear Minister Michael Ring acknowledge John’s contribution to the competition at the awards ceremony in The Helix,” he concluded.
Mayor of Clare Tom McNamara expressed his delighted that Clare’s “longstanding track record of success in the competition” continued this year.
He continued, “I want to acknowledge the positive work that takes place in all of Clare’s towns and villages by the hardworking groups who with the support of Clare County Council have made the County a clean and green destination to live in, do business in and visit.”
“This competition provides members of the local community with the opportunity to showcase their pride in their respective towns and villages. I would urge communities across Clare to consider participating in 2018 which marks the 60th anniversary of the Tidy Towns Competition,” added Mayor McNamara.
Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, congratulated all of Clare’s participating Tidy Towns Committees.
He added, “This competition not only helps to make Clare a more attractive place to live in and visit, but it also acts as a springboard for the local community and business sector to promote their town as a visitor destination. It is heartening to see that the standards were extremely high again this year, which is a tribute to everyone involved.”
“Clare County Council looks forward to playing its role in further expanding Clare’s participation in the competition next year,” said Mr. Dowling. “Minister Ring mentioned the Action Plan for Rural Ireland in his awards ceremony address. Equally, Clare County Council is committed to ensuring that the recently launched Clare Rural Development Strategy along with the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, enable and encourage local communities to play a direct role in the social, rural, economic and physical development of this county.”
The Tidy Towns competition is organised by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and is sponsored by SuperValu. Judging of entries takes place in June, July and August each year. A special Nationwide programme about TidyTowns 2017, featuring interviews with representatives of winning towns, will be broadcast on RTE One at 7.00 p.m. this evening (25 September).
Full details of all this year’s winners are available at www.tidytowns.ie.
Content Last Updated/Reviewed: 25/09/17
