Ennis has been named Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre in the 54th annual National Tidy Towns Competition.
The result was announced today by Mr. Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government at the 2012 National SuperValu TidyTowns Awards Ceremony at the Helix in Dublin. 856 entrants, a record for the competition, participated in this year’s competition.
Ennis was marked against strict adjudication criteria and beat off stiff competition from other large urban centres such as Kilkenny City. It’s the fourth time that Ennis has been designated Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre, having won the award in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Other competition winners included Abbeyshrule, Co Longford (Tidiest Village and overall winner), Clonakilty, Co Cork (Tidiest Small Town), and Westport, Co Mayo (Tidiest Large Town).
Meanwhile, Ennis has this year also retained the Clare County Award for the 14th successive year, while it has received its 12th Gold Medal in as many years. Furthermore, the town was named overall winner of the “Gum Litter Task Force National Award”, a category in which Newmarket-on-Fergus was also a finalist. Ennis also won the Mid-West Endeavour Award, for which the villages of Connolly, Ballynacally and Mountshannon were also named finalists.
There was further success for County Clare today when Ballynacally and Kilrush both received a Gold Medal. Mountshannon secured a Silver Medal while there were Bronze Medals for Kilkee and Tuamgraney.
Speaking after the awards ceremony, Mayor of Ennis Councillor Peter Considine said Ennis’ award successes could not have been accomplished without the support of community groups, schools, residents associations, businesses and State agencies, in partnership with Ennis Town Council.
"This competition provides members of the local community with the opportunity to showcase their pride in their respective towns and villages. The year-round work that has been put in by the TidyTowns Committee and wider community has reaped dividends. It is evident from Ennis’ outstanding success in this year's competition that the spirit of volunteerism and pride of place is very much alive in the County Capital,” added Mayor Considine.
According to Deputy Mayor of Clare Pascal Fitzgerald, who deputised for Mayor Pat Daly at today’s ceremony: “The standards in County Clare were extremely high again this year and I am delighted to see that our County Capital has received national recognition in numerous categories. I would like to congratulate all participants from Clare who have done their County proud. There was unprecedented interest in Tidy Towns this year, and I would urge everyone to participate in 2013.”
Aine Purcell, Chairperson of Ennis TidyTowns Committee, commented: “These award successes mark the culmination of months of hard work by local volunteers and members of the Ennis TidyTowns Committee to improve the appearance of the town and its environs. The volunteers toiled throughout the summer months in various public areas to create and maintain flowerbeds, keeps streets tidy, cut grass and pick up litter. Retaining the Gold Medal also is a massive achievement for everybody concerned in Ennis.”
Leonard Cleary, Ennis Town Clerk, noted that the TidyTowns awards are the result of a collaborative effort by the local community and the business sector in Ennis.
He continued: "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. This has been achieved through the combined efforts of residents and the business community, in conjunction with various regional and Government bodies, to enhance the town's appearance.”
The Tidy Towns competition is organised by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and sponsored by SuperValu. SuperValu, and its 180 plus storeowners around the country, have sponsored the National Tidy Towns competition since 1992. Judging of entries takes place in June, July and August each year.
The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is open to all areas, big or small, urban or rural, and each are entered under their respective population categories ranging from the smallest, Category A - Under 200, to the largest, Category H - 25,001 and over.
A special Nationwide programme about TidyTowns 2012, featuring interviews with representatives of winning towns, will be broadcast on RTE One at 7pm this evening (10th September).
Full details of all this year’s winners are available at www.tidytowns.ie.
The result was announced today by Mr. Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government at the 2012 National SuperValu TidyTowns Awards Ceremony at the Helix in Dublin. 856 entrants, a record for the competition, participated in this year’s competition.
Ennis was marked against strict adjudication criteria and beat off stiff competition from other large urban centres such as Kilkenny City. It’s the fourth time that Ennis has been designated Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre, having won the award in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Other competition winners included Abbeyshrule, Co Longford (Tidiest Village and overall winner), Clonakilty, Co Cork (Tidiest Small Town), and Westport, Co Mayo (Tidiest Large Town).
Meanwhile, Ennis has this year also retained the Clare County Award for the 14th successive year, while it has received its 12th Gold Medal in as many years. Furthermore, the town was named overall winner of the “Gum Litter Task Force National Award”, a category in which Newmarket-on-Fergus was also a finalist. Ennis also won the Mid-West Endeavour Award, for which the villages of Connolly, Ballynacally and Mountshannon were also named finalists.
There was further success for County Clare today when Ballynacally and Kilrush both received a Gold Medal. Mountshannon secured a Silver Medal while there were Bronze Medals for Kilkee and Tuamgraney.
Speaking after the awards ceremony, Mayor of Ennis Councillor Peter Considine said Ennis’ award successes could not have been accomplished without the support of community groups, schools, residents associations, businesses and State agencies, in partnership with Ennis Town Council.
"This competition provides members of the local community with the opportunity to showcase their pride in their respective towns and villages. The year-round work that has been put in by the TidyTowns Committee and wider community has reaped dividends. It is evident from Ennis’ outstanding success in this year's competition that the spirit of volunteerism and pride of place is very much alive in the County Capital,” added Mayor Considine.
According to Deputy Mayor of Clare Pascal Fitzgerald, who deputised for Mayor Pat Daly at today’s ceremony: “The standards in County Clare were extremely high again this year and I am delighted to see that our County Capital has received national recognition in numerous categories. I would like to congratulate all participants from Clare who have done their County proud. There was unprecedented interest in Tidy Towns this year, and I would urge everyone to participate in 2013.”
Aine Purcell, Chairperson of Ennis TidyTowns Committee, commented: “These award successes mark the culmination of months of hard work by local volunteers and members of the Ennis TidyTowns Committee to improve the appearance of the town and its environs. The volunteers toiled throughout the summer months in various public areas to create and maintain flowerbeds, keeps streets tidy, cut grass and pick up litter. Retaining the Gold Medal also is a massive achievement for everybody concerned in Ennis.”
Leonard Cleary, Ennis Town Clerk, noted that the TidyTowns awards are the result of a collaborative effort by the local community and the business sector in Ennis.
He continued: "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. This has been achieved through the combined efforts of residents and the business community, in conjunction with various regional and Government bodies, to enhance the town's appearance.”
The Tidy Towns competition is organised by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and sponsored by SuperValu. SuperValu, and its 180 plus storeowners around the country, have sponsored the National Tidy Towns competition since 1992. Judging of entries takes place in June, July and August each year.
The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is open to all areas, big or small, urban or rural, and each are entered under their respective population categories ranging from the smallest, Category A - Under 200, to the largest, Category H - 25,001 and over.
A special Nationwide programme about TidyTowns 2012, featuring interviews with representatives of winning towns, will be broadcast on RTE One at 7pm this evening (10th September).
Full details of all this year’s winners are available at www.tidytowns.ie.
