Trim wins Tidy Towns Award for Meath
Abbeyleix, Co Laois, has been announced as Ireland's Tidiest Town for 2023 by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, taking over the national tidy towns title from current holders Trim.
Meath was well represented at the Supervalu Tidy Towns awards ceremony at Croke Park in Dublin today with two Meath towns picking up medals for the first time. Both Dunshaughlin and Enfield received bronze medals adding to the county tally which already includes gold medal holders Trim and Moynalty and silver medal holder Athboy.
Bettystown was also highly commended for a Waters and Community Award, while Gormanston won an Endeavour Award.
In Meath, the top three for the county awards were Trim, Moynalty and Athboy, reflecting last year's result.
This year, 887 towns were competing for the prestigious awards demonstrating the continuing huge national interest in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition which has been running since 1958.
Abbeyleix, Co Laois was named as Ireland’s Tidiest Town as well as Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town.
Minister Humphreys also presented a new award today to Cappoquin, Boyle and Ballyshannon TidyTowns groups, recognising their tremendous efforts to address vacancy and dereliction in line with the Government’s Town Centre First policy.
Announcing Abbeyleix as the overall winner, Minister Humphreys said:
“I offer my warmest congratulations to Abbeyleix and all of its TidyTowns volunteers for being crowned Ireland’s tidiest town for 2023. This is a truly great achievement and a special moment of immense pride for Abbeyleix and indeed the wider county of Laois.
"Having first entered the competition in 1960, Abbeyleix today continues to showcase all that is good about innovation, sustainability, community spirit and volunteerism. This is at the core of what the competition is all about.”
The Minister continued:
“As always, the standard of competition was extremely high this year in all categories, with 887 entries received overall. I want to pay tribute to all the winners today across all the various categories.
“In particular, I want to recognise the vital role of TidyTowns volunteers across the country who are working so hard all year round to ensure our communities are vibrant, sustainable places to live, work and visit. You are truly an inspiration, and the embodiment of everything that is good in our communities.”
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.
· Killarney, Co Kerry awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town.
· Ballincollig, Co Cork awarded Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.
In Meath, last year's National Tidy Towns Winner Trim, again won the county prize for Meath, while Moynalty was announced in second place. Both already hold gold medals.
Third place in Meath went to Athboy. As well as retaining its silver medal, the town was highly commended in the Young Persons in Tidy Towns category which comes with a €1,000 prize and also received the Midland and East region Small Town Award in the Local Authority Pollinator Award, which also carries at €1,000 prize.
Bettystown was highly commended in the Waters and Community Award in the Midlands and East region, to receive a €500 prize.
Gormanston was the winner of this year's Endeavour Award of €500.
See below for the full results for Meath: