• €1.4 million announced in grant aid for over 930 SuperValu TidyTowns groups nationwide

• Rosscarbery in Co Cork named Ireland’s Tidiest Village; Cahir in Co  Tipperary wins Young Person’s Award

• Minister Humphreys hails third highest number of entries ever as full awards ceremony returns to RDS

• Minister also confirms new sponsorship deal with SuperValu until 2027

 

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, today (28th October) announced Trim, Co. Meath as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2022.

Over 750 TidyTowns volunteers were present at the SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony at the RDS in Dublin – with thousands more watching online.

It was the first full-scale Awards Ceremony since the onset of the Pandemic.

This year’s competition received the third highest number of entries in its almost 65-year history.

Rosscarbery, Co Cork was named as Ireland’s Tidiest Village.

And Cahir, Co. Tipperary was named as the overall winner of the Young Persons in TidyTowns Award and also the overall winner of the SuperValu AsIAm Inclusive Communities Award.

Announcing Trim as the overall winners, Minister Humphreys said:

“I want to sincerely congratulate Trim and all of its TidyTowns volunteers for being crowned Ireland’s tidiest town for 2022.

“This is a moment of great pride for Trim and indeed the wider county of Meath. Having first entered the competition in 1959, Trim today continues to showcase all that is good about community and volunteerism.

“I have no doubt that the TidyTowns Group in Trim will receive a warm and deserving homecoming as they celebrate this wonderful occasion.

“The level of competition was extremely high this year with the third highest number of entries ever recorded. 

“I want to pay tribute to all the winners today but, above all, I want to say a huge thank you to the thousands of TidyTowns volunteers across the country.

“The time and effort that you put in to making your town or village a better place says so much about your commitment and dedication to your community.

“Your hard work and enthusiasm is nothing short of inspiring.”

The SuperValu TidyTowns competition has been in existence since 1958 and Trim (Baile Átha Troim, Co Mí) was judged to be the best from a number of 882 entries to the competition this year.

On hand to announce the results of the 2022 competition with Minister Humphreys was Mr. Ian Allen, Managing Director of SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor for over 30 years.

Some of the other big winners on the day included:

• Rosscarbery, Co. Cork (Ros Ó gCairbe, Co Corcaigh) awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Village.
• Clonakilty, Co Cork (Cloch Na Coillte, Co Corcaigh) awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town.
• Trim, Co Meath (Baile Átha Troim, Co Mí) awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town.
• Ennis, Co Clare (Inis, Co Clár) awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

 

The Minister also thanked SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor, adding:

“Today, I want to congratulate SuperValu who have been loyal supporters and sponsors of the competition for over 30 years.

“SuperValu continues to support the competition through their sponsorship and through their supportive network of local retailers who are embedded in these areas and share the ethos of the competition by empowering and supporting sustainable communities.

“Following a competitive process to secure a funding partner for the competition, it gives me great pleasure to announce today that negotiations have commenced with SuperValu as the preferred bidder to partner with the Department of Rural and Community Development to administer the competition out to 2027.

“I also want to pay tribute to the team in my Department who have worked tirelessly to ensure this year’s competition was a success.”

Mr. Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu commented after the awards:

“On behalf of SuperValu, I would like to congratulate Trim for being named Ireland’s tidiest town for 2022, fifty years since the town first won the competition in 1972. It’s a wonderful achievement and a testament to the hard-work and commitment of the committee and team of volunteers involved. It’s also important to acknowledge the extraordinary achievement and efforts of the category winners. This year marked another milestone year for the SuperValu TidyTowns competition, with a record 1,000 groups engaging in the competition, and an incredible 882 entries. Congratulations to all the incredible committee members, who, in collaboration with our network of independent retailers, share our desire to build thriving, sustainable communities.” 

Mr. Allen went on to say,

“We are delighted that SuperValu will be continuing our sponsorship of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition for the next five years and are very grateful to the Department of Rural and Community Development for the opportunity in this regard. Over the last three decades, our respective teams and local independent retailers have worked hand in hand to develop and grow SuperValu TidyTowns to what it is today; a uniting force, gathering people from all parts of the community to work together to make our towns and villages great places to live, work and visit. We are proud that the competition has gone from strength to strength over the past 30 years of partnership, with an increased focus amongst entries for 2022 on innovative sustainability, biodiversity and conservation projects that will enhance our communities for years to come.”

Minister Humphreys also announced a special allocation of €1.4 million in funding to support the work of individual TidyTowns Groups around the country to assist them in their continued efforts to enhance their towns and villages. This is the sixth consecutive year that funding has been provided to support these Groups and brings the total allocated since 2017 to €8.1 million.

The Minister said:

“The creation of a sense of place that our groups achieve through their efforts makes our towns and villages the wonderful places they are to live in, to work in and indeed to visit.

“The initiatives taken by volunteers in areas of Climate Action, Sustainability and Inclusivity are most encouraging and as such I am very pleased to be able to announce this funding today to support them in bringing about even greater change into the future.

“In total, 935 TidyTowns groups across the country will be eligible to benefit from this investment.”

The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and sponsored by SuperValu who have sponsored the competition since 1991.

 

ENDS

Contact:

The Department of Rural and Community Development Press Office

01-773 6843 / 087-173 4633

Press.office@drcd.gov.ie

We are looking for all you photographers out here, perhaps you are a dab hand at the photography or maybe you like to take the odd picture on your smart-phone.

We are opening up the 2021 TidyTowns Photography Competition and are looking for you to submit photographs to us, which capture the ethos of TidyTowns or perhaps a project that your group have brought to fruition.

This year again we will have a special category for our junior entrants up to 18 years of age, this category will attract a 1^st prize of €150 and a 2^nd prize of €75.

The main competition will have a

• 1^st prize of €250
• 2^nd prize of €150
• 3^rd prize of €75.
• Total prize fund €700.

 

• Photographs should be emailed to tidytowns@drcd.gov.ie stating which TidyTowns group you are from or if you are entering the junior element.
• Photographs should not contain close up images of other people unless you have received their permission to take and submit the photograph to this competition.
• The TidyTowns Unit will judge all entries and prizes will be awarded as above.
• The TidyTowns Unit may use photographs submitted for social media or publications going forward.
• The closing date for entries is Friday 29^th October 2021.
• Results will be announced on Social Media and in the December Newsletter.

 

Best of Luck everyone.

The TidyTowns Unit were recently invited by Limerick City and County Council to participate in a series of webinars they were hosting to assist TidyTowns groups in preparing for the 2021 competition, the webinar presented by John Carney from the TidyTowns Unit is titled “SuperValu TidyTowns Competition 2021 Entry Process”.  Thank you to Limerick City and County Council and in particular, their Environmental Awareness Officer, Sinead Mc Donnell who have kindly shared a recording of the entire webinar with us together with the entire questions and answers section.

Watch Webinar

In line with instructions issued by the Government of Ireland around the delay phase of the Coronavirus, it has been decided to defer the launch of the 2020 SuperValu TidyTowns competition which was originally scheduled for March 26th. We would encourage all TidyTowns groups to be vigilant and to adhere to guidelines and advice issued by the HSE and in particular around social distancing.

We will keep groups updated on developments following March 29th. We want to thank all groups and volunteers for their dedication and commitment and ask for your cooperation and understating as we work our way through these challenging times.

For Further Information the following resources may be of assistance.

The HSE website is the main source of information: It has the most up-to-date information on the Coronavirus, and it is updated daily.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC Website) has a helpful ‘Frequently Asked Question’ (FAQ) section, and it is also updated daily.

The current HSE advise is that practicing good hygiene is the best way to protect yourself from the Coronavirus:
Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand rub if hand washing facilities are not available
If you are coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Throw the used tissue away into a closed bin, and wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your flexed (bent) elbow.

The HSE has also produced a short video on hand hygiene and the Coronavirus.