Local volunteers clean up at Tidy Towns awards
Volunteers from local groups were among the guests at the Supervalu Tidy Towns Competition 2025 Midlands and East Regional Awards Ceremony on Monday April 13, at a prize-giving ceremony in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, and Edel Clancy, Corporate Affairs director at SuperValu, (who celebrated their 36th year of partnership and sponsorship of the competition) presented the awards.
Minister Carroll MacNeill congratulated all the winners, and referred to the popularity and long history of competition, which this year celebrates 68 years of environmental and community initiatives.
She said: “The excellent work undertaken by our Tidy Towns groups makes our towns and villages better places in which to live, work, visit and invest. It’s a privilege to acknowledge this work and to present the 2025 awards to Tidy Towns volunteers from the nine counties in the Midlands and East region.”
Pointing out that 30,000 individuals have volunteered with Tidy Towns groups, “demonstrating civic pride and selflessness while making meaningful and effective contributions to their communities for the benefit of all, she added: “We thank them all.”
Ms Clancy, behalf of SuperValu, congratulated everyone involved in this year’s Tidy Towns. “The dedication shown by volunteers year-round is inspiring, and the scale of that commitment continues to grow – more than one million volunteer hours contributed nationally in 2025 alone.
“As a proud partner of Tidy Towns for 36 years, it’s hugely rewarding to see the collective climate action being taken on the ground and I’d like to thank all of today’s winners and committees for the consistent, hands-on work that keeps our local communities clean, cared for and thriving”.
A record 929 entries were received for the competition in 2025. The competition has been running since 1958 and is administered by the Dept of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. The competition has been sponsored by SuperValu since 1991.
Local awards
Sustainable Development Goals Award, sponsored by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Ballinahown Community Development Group, overall runner-up.
Tyrrellspass, Gold Medal and Commended.
Milltownpass, Endeavour Award (for those who achieved the greatest percentage improvement on their 2024 score).
Mullingar, Silver Medal.
Athlone, Gold Medal and Highly Commended.
Ballinahown, Gold Medal and County Award.