Four Westmeath Tidy Towns win awards
Westmeath's efforts to improve and maintain the beauty and heritage of the county were rewarded last week as four Westmeath Tidy Towns committees won awards at this year’s Tidy Towns Awards.
The announcement, which took place in Croke Park last Friday, October 24, saw Mullingar Tidy Towns win a Silver Medal, Tyrrellspass Tidy Towns claim a Gold Medal in a separate category along with Ballinahown, while Miltownpass secured a Tidy Towns Endeavour Award.
The atmosphere in Croke Park on Friday was exciting as over 900 contestants gathered for this year’s SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition. This was a record turnout that reflects the growing number of towns and villages across Ireland engaging in community and environmental initiatives.
Carrick On Shannon was crowned Ireland’s Tidiest Town in front of 600 Tidy Towns volunteers from all over Ireland at Croke Park.
This year was a milestone for the Tidy Towns Awards, as 929 towns competed, making it the highest number of entities ever. Among the proud participants was Mullingar Tidy Towns, and they were thrilled to receive the Silver Award in its category.
Speaking after the award Chairman of Mullingar Tidy Towns committee Cll Bill Collentine paid tribute to the members: “We are delighted with the progress Mullingar tidy towns have made over the last number of years. We have a dedicated team that works very hard to keep the town looking its best. This award is a testament to all the volunteers that put in countless hours of work,” Cllr Collentine said.
Those sentiments were echoed by Rosie McCormack, TUS supervisor with Westmeath Community Development: “The honour marks a significant achievement for the town and a well-deserved reward for the hard work and dedication of countless local groups, volunteers, Community employment and TUS workers.”
The judges’ report commended Mullingar for its continuous improvement, innovative projects, and commitment to sustainability. Efforts in biodiversity, tree and flower planting, litter picking, and collaboration with other community organisations were all highlighted as key strengths.
Cllr Collentine said: “This success would not have been possible without the support of Westmeath County Council, Westmeath Community Development, Mullingar Employment Action Group, Transition Year students, disability services, local water authorities, Waterways Ireland, businesses, retailers, and many other community groups and volunteers.
“Their teamwork and commitment have made Mullingar cleaner, greener, and more beautiful. Also to the various organisations that have given donations, without your generosity we could not continue with the great work done by Mullingar Tidy Town.”
Looking ahead, Mullingar Tidy Towns hopes to build on this success and strive for Gold in the coming years. The committee is calling for new volunteers to join their efforts in maintaining and enhancing the town’s beauty for future generations.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished. This award belongs to the entire community and together we’ll keep making Mullingar shine,” Cllr Collentine concluded.
The Gaeltacht Award went to Carraig Airt Tidy Towns in County Donegal, and the Young Persons in Tidy Towns award went to Corofin Tidy Towns in County Clare.
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary spoke at the event: “The standard of competition was exceptionally high this year in all categories, with a record 929 entries received overall from the almost 1,000 active groups nationwide. I want to congratulate all the winners today across all the various categories.”
This year has been a success for Westmeath’s groups in particular, with this being an encouraging sight for many of the active groups across the country, their hard work and dedication throughout the year does not go unnoticed.”