Letterkenny named Ireland’s Tidiest Town

They may not have come top of the table, but the residents of Raharney wound up with plenty to cheer about when the results of this year’s SuperValu Tidy Towns competition were released, on Monday.

Other winners of the competition included: Clonegal, Co Carlow, was named tidiest village, Listowel, Co Kerry was named tidiest small town, Westport, Co.

Glenties and Raphoe also reveived awards in their respective catagories.

This is the first time Letterkenny has won the overall prize, despite entering the competition for 56 years.

The announcements were greeted by huge celebration at the awards ceremony at The Helix in Dublin.

The competition also introduced two new awards this year, the Community Diversity Award and the Youth Award.

The awards were presented by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly and Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, the competition’s main sponsor.

“We really didn’t expect it”, Ann McGowan said.

“The incredible dedication shown by the volunteers involved is truly admirable and continues to amaze us year after year”.

The Co Donegal town, which has been in the competition from the very start, beat challenges from 861 other towns and villages across the country to become the third town in Donegal to win the overall award since the event began in 1958.

“It is recognition of a town that embraces all aspects of the SuperValu tidy towns competition, builds strong community links and has grown each year in the competition”. How a community lives together, strives to involve all of its members and makes the most of their abilities and interests is integral to the ethos of TidyTowns.

It was a step-up from the original National Spring Clean Campaign, which ran between 1953 and 1957. The Tidy Towns is Ireland’s best known environmental initiative.