This article is from page 5 of the 2006-09-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 5 JPG
KILRUSH held its own in this year’s National Tidy Town’s competition as it retained the silver medal in Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town category.
The hard-working Tidy Towns committee received the prestigious award from the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Batt O’Keeffe TD, at a ceremony in Dublin Castle.
The west Clare capital scored 282 points this year, an increase of six on last year, to beat off competition from all over Ireland and claim the accolade.
Kilrush was also highly commended in the ‘County Award’ section.
The award marks the culmination of months of hard work by local volunteers and members of the Kilrush Tidy Town’s Committee to improve the appearance of Kilrush.
The Committee received the silver medal for the first time ever last year, having achieved a bronze medal in 2003 and again in 2004.
“Retaining the silver medal is a massive achievement for everybody involved,” said Kilrush Tidy Towns Committee Chairman, Murt Collins.
“Key to our progress in the Tidy Towns scheme has been the partnership approach that we adopted some years ago.
“There is a broad range of groups and organisations now involved in promoting and enhancing the appearance of the town, including the local Tidy Towns Committee, FAS schemes, outdoor and clerical staff from Kilrush Town Council, the local business sector, and the community of Kilrush.”
Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Stephen O’Gorman said it was a great tribute to the local community for all the work they had done to improve the appearance of the town.
“The volunteers have toiled throughout the summer in various public areas to create and maintain flowerbeds, keeps streets tidy, cut grass and pick up litter.
“This award further enhances the status of Kilrush as a growing and prosperous town,” he said.
Kilrush Town Clerk Fiona Mooney believes taking part in the Tidy Towns competition has impacted positively on the appearance of the town.
“In recent years, Kilrush has been scoring consistently high in the areas of Overall Developmental Approach, The Built Environment, Landscaping, Wildlife and Natural Amenities, Litter Control, Tidiness, Residential Areas and General Impression.
“This improved appearance has been observed and commented upon by the many thousands of visitors to the town each summer.
“This can only have positive consequences for the town’s image and future growth.”
President of Kilrush Chamber of Commerce, Jack Kelly said, “This accolade will further enhance the town’s status as a growing business and tourist destination.”
Meanwhile, a village that is no stranger to success in the Tidy Town’s Competition – Mountshannon – was celebrating its bronze medal in the Tidiest Village category.
Newmarket-on-Fergus was also in party mode, having won the SuperValu Endeavour award.
The village received the award as it recorded the largest improvement in the county, increasing its points by 8.37 per cent.