WEST CORK scooped the islands award – and runner up – at the Tidy Towns competition in Dublin today.
The overall winner of the Tidy Towns Award was named as Ennis in Co Clare, with 355 points.
But Bere Island won the national Islands award, and Sherkin was named Highly Commended in the category.
Meanwhile, many other towns achieved very high marks including, Clonakilty (353) which picked up the West Cork award, followed closely by Rosscarbery (352), Bantry (347) and Ballydehob (343).
Timoleague achieved 340 points, as did Kinsale and Skibbereen, Macroom achieved 339, and Ahiohill won the ‘Endeavour’ award.
Bandon achieved 325 points.
The announcement was made at a scaled-back event held in the RDS today with a small number of representatives present from this year’s entries to the Competition.
The event was streamed live to thousands of TidyTowns volunteers around the country who were eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winners.
The SuperValu TidyTowns competition has been in existence since 1958 and Ennis was judged to be the best from a number of 847 entries to the competition this year.
Some of the other big winners on the day included:
- Geashill, Co Offaly awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Village.
- Abbeyleix, Co Laois awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town.
- Cobh, Cork South awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town.
- Ennis, Co Clare awarded Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.
West Cork last won the top award in 1999 (Clonakilty) and before that, it was Kinsale in 1986, and Dunmanway in 1982.
Full details of all this year’s winners are available at www.tidytowns.ie and at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/8fd363-tidy-towns-results/
