Local Authority Pollinator Award

The Local Authority Pollinator Award aims to encourage TidyTowns groups to implement pollinator-friendly actions in their towns and villages as part of the Irish TidyTowns competition. It supports the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and is coordinated and sponsored by the Heritage Offices and Biodiversity Offices of Local Authorities across Ireland, in partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Centre http://www.biodiversityireland.ie.

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Green Flag Community Award 2019

The Green Flag Community Award was introduced into Ireland in 2018, and will run again in 2019 with the support of the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The scheme is aimed at sites that are managed by volunteers, or by community groups or organisations made up of many volunteers.

Sites must be solely managed by the community group – this means that all decisions, including financial ones, regarding the site are made by the organisation responsible for its management and maintenance – although certain aspects of the site’s maintenance may be undertaken by other bodies, for example the local authority.

Any type of green space is eligible to enter, as long as the site is freely accessible. Applications will be considered from:

  • Tidy Towns Green Space Projects
  • Community Gardens
  • Parks, recreation grounds and open spaces
  • Village greens
  • Community-managed section of a larger site e.g. walled garden in a formal park
  • Churchyards
  • Woodlands
  • Pocket Parks
  • Allotments (as long as they are managed as a community garden)

The award of a Green Flag Community Award is based on a site assessment by trained judges, along with a supporting action plan that explains how the site is managed and looked after by the community group. Judges will visit the site at a pre-arranged date and time to meet volunteers and assess if the site is meeting the standard of the Green Flag Community Award.

Every green space will be judged on its own merit by independent judges. A Green Flag Community Award will be given to each green space project that reaches the Green Flag Award standard.

We will be starting the 2019 season with a network meeting/information day on Tuesday the 12th of February, which will be held at An Taisce Environmental Education Offices on Swift’s Alley, Dublin 8. This event will be open to all parties who are already involved, or who are interested in joining the Green Flag Award for Parks and Green Flag Community Award Scheme. If you have any questions or any feedback then please do come along to this open information exchange about the scheme.

For further information or to register to attend the network meeting / information day on Tuesday the 12th of February please contact Robert Moss at rmoss@eeu.antaisce.org

For more information see the http://www.greenflagaward.org/ website.

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LISTOWEL IS IRELAND’S TIDIEST TOWN FOR 2018

€1.4 million announced for Tidy Towns Committees around country to mark 60th anniversary of event

Listowel, Co. Kerry was today (24thSeptember) named as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2018.  In this, the 60thAnniversary year of the TidyTowns competition, Listowel was best of a record number of 883 entries from towns and villages throughout the country in the SuperValu National TidyTowns competition.  The announcement was greeted with great jubilation at today’s awards ceremony at The Helix in Dublin.

On hand to present the prizes was Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., Minister for Rural and Community Development and Mr. Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor for the 27thyear.  The Helix was packed with representatives of TidyTowns groups from all over the country, eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winners.

Listowel, Co. Kerry also claimed the award of Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town. Other winners included Glaslough, Co. Monaghanreceiving the award for Ireland’s Tidiest Village. Westport, Co. Mayo, received the award of Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town, while Ballincollig, Co. Cork was declared asIreland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Minister Ring said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Listowel who are very deserving winners.  Listowel is one of a small number of centres who have consistently entered the competition since its launch in 1958 and in the intervening years have worked steadfastly on improving their position in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition.  Today, all that dedication and effort has paid off. 

I also want to congratulate all of the other prize-winners announced today. The work of all those involved in the TidyTowns effort results in the attractive and welcoming towns and villages we see all over the country.  The voluntary work that people put in to their communities brings great pride, a great sense of achievement and great camaraderie to those communities. That is why this competition has flourished for 60 years.” 

Minister Ring also announced a special allocation of €1.4 million to support the work of individual Tidy Towns Committees around the country in order to mark the 60thanniversary of the event.

The Minister said: “On the occasion of the 60thanniversary of the competition, I am making available €1.4 million from the Government in order to directly support the Tidy Towns groups that bring out the best in our towns and villages. I have no doubt that towns and villages across the country will benefit hugely from this investment. Wherever you have active Tidy Towns committees, it gives the place a real boost and creates the environment for tourism.”

The Minister also thanked SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor. He said: “I want to pay tribute to SuperValu, who are now in their 27thyear as sponsor and have worked with us to grow the competition. It is getting stronger every year with increased participation, an increased number of awards and a notable increase in the efforts of the communities involved.

Supervalu have shown fantastic support for the competition, not only through their financial sponsorship but also through the support provided to local TidyTowns groups by their network of local retailers.” 

Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu said:“I would like to congratulate Listowel for being named Ireland’s Tidiest Town 2018. The commitment, dedication and passion of the Listowel SuperValu TidyTowns committee is remarkable, and I would also like to commend the support that they received from Listowel SuperValu to win the overall award.

I would also like to congratulate the category winners who received awards this year as we mark the 60thanniversary of the competition – your limitless energy and hard work really shone through.

2018 was a landmark year for SuperValu TidyTowns, with close to 900 committees entering and 12 new committees getting involved for the first time this year. I would like to thank all of these new SuperValu TidyTowns committees for getting involved during the 60thyear of the competition.

It goes to show that SuperValu TidyTowns is a unique initiative, there is no other competition like it in the rest of Europe, thanks to the commitment of volunteers, committees and SuperValu retailers.

The competition has had a huge benefit across Ireland for the past 60 years, and this year was no exception, with SuperValu TidyTowns committees building greenways, eradicating plastic straw use and delivering heritage projects, while bringing people from all ages and backgrounds together to build thriving, sustainable communities.

SuperValu is committed to building thriving, sustainable communities across the country and SuperValu TidyTowns is one of the best ways for us to achieve this.  We are delighted to have been involved in the TidyTowns competition for the past 27 years and look forward to continuing to work with communities in the coming years. “

The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and sponsored by SuperValu who have sponsored the competition since 1992.

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National Ploughing Championships 2018

The TidyTowns Unit will be in attendance at this year’s National Ploughing Championship in Screggan Tullamore. Why not call in and see us at Stand 279 – Block 3 – Row 13 in the Department of Rural and Community Development’s marquee. We would love to see you and join in the excitement as we build up to the announcement of this year’s Tidiest Village, Small and Large Towns and Large Urban Centre and the overall winner of the Supervalu Tidiest Town for 2018. The results will be announced Monday September 24th at the Helix by Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring TD and Martin Kelleher Managing Director of Supervalu.

 

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BIRDHILL TIDIEST TOWN FOR 2017

 

Birdhill, Co Tipperary is Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2017. Birdhill was today (25th September) named best of a record 870 towns and villages throughout the country that entered this year’s SuperValu National TidyTowns competition. The announcement was greeted with great celebration at today’s awards ceremony at The Helix in Dublin.

 

On hand to present the prizes was Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., Minister for Rural and Community Development and Mr. Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor for the 26th year. The Helix was packed with representatives of TidyTowns groups from all over the country, eagerly anticipating the announcement of the winners.

Birdhill Co. Tipperary also claimed the award of Ireland’s Tidiest Village. Other winners included Clonakilty, Co Cork which received the award for Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town. Westport, Co Mayo, received the award of Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town, while Ennis Co Clare was again declared Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Minister Ring said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Birdhill; a really worthy winner. Three other Tipperary villages have won this award, but it is the first time for Birdhill. The village has consistently entered the competition since 1991 and in the intervening years have steadily concentrated on all aspects of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and today, all that effort has paid off.

TidyTowns is an excellent example of community volunteering and building strong links which enables citizens to have a say in how their community develops. The competition epitomises what my Department was created to do – to focus on developing vibrant and sustainable communities, in both urban and rural areas. My congratulations today go to Birdhill and all of the other deserving prize-winners announced today. The enthusiasm of all those involved in the TidyTowns effort results in the attractive, well cared-for towns and villages we see throughout the country.”  

The Minister continued: “TidyTowns is one of the most recognisable environmental initiatives in Ireland, but it also encompasses a way of life here in Ireland, where we show respect for our neighbours and for nature. It is clear that working together and getting things done increases peoples’ pride in where they live and helps to build vibrant communities. That is why I am delighted to see this competition continues to attract great interest after almost 60 years.”

The Minister also thanked SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor. He said: “I was delighted to announce last December that SuperValu were successful in their bid to sponsor TidyTowns to 2021. I want to thank SuperValu for the fantastic support they have shown over the last 26 years, not only through their financial sponsorship, but also through the support provided to TidyTowns groups by their network of local retailers. SuperValu has been integral to sustaining and developing the competition, and I know that they will continue to support the Department as the competition celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2018.”

Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu said:

“In this, our 26th year as title sponsor of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition, we are incredibly proud of our long-standing involvement with this important community initiative. We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to build on our successful partnership through a renewed five-year sponsorship agreement that will ensure we continue to strengthen the profile of the competition as Ireland’s leading community initiative.

“SuperValu TidyTowns is a unique initiative that highlights the power of local as communities come together to improve their towns and villages across the country. The committee volunteers are the true heroes of a competition that will celebrate a remarkable 60 years next year.

“As Ireland’s leading retailer, with locally-owned stores in every county across Ireland, SuperValu retailers are an integral part of their local communities. Through the SuperValu TidyTowns competition, our retailers bring the SuperValu ethos of building vibrant local communities to life every day. The competition is one of many initiatives that allows them to give back to their communities and to support local.

“I am delighted to congratulate the 2017 SuperValu TidyTowns competition winners and to recognise the hard work and dedication of all the TidyTowns committees across Ireland. In particular, I would like to congratulate participants for their creativity and commitment to ‘upcycling’ initiatives as part of this year’s competition. SuperValu is focused on fostering sustainable communities and the addition of the ‘Upcycling Challenge’ to the competition is a great step in that direction – intended to highlight the opportunity for TidyTowns committees to lead the way in enhancing the sustainability of local towns and villages. This will benefit the communities we serve and in turn will have a long-term positive impact on the planet.”

Interest in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition has been consistently high in recent times with a record 870 entries this year.

The TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and sponsored by SuperValu who have sponsored the competition since 1992.

Full details of all this year’s winners are available at www.tidytowns.ie and at www.supervalu.ie

ENDS

Media queries:

Contact:

Daniel Rowan

Special Adviser to Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development

087 6177320

Or

Edelman – (01) 678 9333

Richard Brophy / 083 300 2828

Deirdre Connolly / 085 2449804

musgrave@edelman.com

 

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Abbeyleix win President’s Prize in Entente Florale

While performing brilliantly in the European Entente Florale competition by winning a Silver medal, Abbeyleix also won the President’s Prize for the best biodiversity project for the Abbeyleix Bog Project, a fascinating project.  See more at http://www.abbeyleixbog.ie/

 

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Glaslough win Gold in Europe

 

 

Gold medal win for Glaslough

in the prestigious European Entente Florale Competition

 

 

The Minister for the Rural and Community Development, Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., has congratulated the town of Glaslough, Co Monaghan, which won a Gold Medal Award last week at the European Entente Florale Competition.

 

The international Entente Florale competition aims to promote a greener and more pleasant environment in European towns and villages. The results of the European Entente Florale competition were announced at a special awards ceremony in Podčetrtek, Slovenia, on Friday 15th September.

 

Welcoming the award to Glaslough, Minister Ring said:

 

“Glaslough should be immensely proud of its achievement.  Irish entrants to the Entente Florale competition always perform very well on the European stage.  This stems from the great community spirit and involvement we have in Ireland’s Tidy Towns competition which has been running for nearly 60 years.  The award to Glaslough is a testament to the work carried out by the TidyTowns committee and by Monaghan Co. Council.”

 

The Minister continued:

 

“Our towns and village are at the heart of rural Ireland.  As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I recognise the importance of rejuvenating towns and villages in rural areas.  Initiatives such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the CLÁR programme, which are funded by my Department, are designed to support economic and infrastructural improvements to rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work.  I have already allocated €7 million in funding under the CLÁR programme this year and I will shortly be announcing successful projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme”

 

 

ENDS

 

 

 

Notes for Editors

 

Entente Florale, with its special emphasis on the improvement of the quality of life for urban and rural communities in an environmentally sensitive way, echoes the philosophy in Ireland’s own SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition. Nine European countries participated in the competition, with Ireland once again performing very well against their European counterparts.

 

The entrants to the Entente Florale Competition are generally chosen from among the top performers in the relevant categories in national competitions. The competition is judged on all aspects of the towns and villages under inspection, from the quality of road surfaces to the colour schemes of houses and from the planting of open spaces to the standard of public amenities.

 

 

For more information on Entente Florale visit http://www.entente-florale.eu/

 

 

 

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Abbeyleix win Silver in Entente Florale

 

Silver medal win for Abbyleix in the prestigious European Entente Florale Competition

 

 

The Minister for the Rural and Community Development, Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., has congratulated the town of Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, which won a Silver Medal Award last week at the European Entente Florale Competition.

 

The international Entente Florale competition aims to promote a greener and more pleasant environment in European towns and villages. The results of the European Entente Florale competition were announced at a special awards ceremony in Podčetrtek, Slovenia, on Friday 15th September.

 

Welcoming the award to Abbeyleix, Minister Ring said:

 

“Abbeyleix should be immensely proud of its achievement.  Irish entrants to the Entente Florale competition always perform very well on the European stage.  This stems from the great community spirit and involvement we have in Ireland’s Tidy Towns competition which has been running for nearly 60 years.  The award to Abbeyleix is a testament to the work carried out by the TidyTowns committee and by Laois Co. Council.”

 

The Minister continued:

 

“Our towns and village are at the heart of rural Ireland.  As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I recognise the importance of rejuvenating towns and villages in rural areas.  Initiatives such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the CLÁR programme, which are funded by my Department, are designed to support economic and infrastructural improvements to rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work.  I have already allocated €7 million in funding under the CLÁR programme this year and I will shortly be announcing successful projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme”

 

 

ENDS

 

 

 

Notes for Editors

 

Entente Florale, with its special emphasis on the improvement of the quality of life for urban and rural communities in an environmentally sensitive way, echoes the philosophy in Ireland’s own SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition. Nine European countries participated in the competition, with Ireland once again performing very well against their European counterparts.

 

The entrants to the Entente Florale Competition are generally chosen from among the top performers in the relevant categories in national competitions. The competition is judged on all aspects of the towns and villages under inspection, from the quality of road surfaces to the colour schemes of houses and from the planting of open spaces to the standard of public amenities.

 

 

For more information on Entente Florale visit http://www.entente-florale.eu/

 

 

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The SuperValu Upcycling Challenge

Read more
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Irish Water Value Water Award

The aim of the Irish Water Value Water Award is to raise awareness of the importance of mindful water consumption in communities and encourage participation of members of the community to reduce consumption per household and per neighbourhood by promoting behaviours that conserve water, e.g. using water butts instead of hosepipes to garden common areas, car washing schemes that use less water.

It will reconnect communities with their water and where it comes from and reward communities by recognising positive impacts of TidyTowns activities on the sustainable supply of water to their community and environment.

Click ‘Download Document‘ to see this year’s entry form.

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Special Award: Our Community Climate Action Award

Sponsored by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The ‘Our Community Climate Action Award’ aims to aims to raise awareness and promote positive behaviour change in local communities. Each Tidy Towns Committee is invited to submit one key initiative which highlights their community’s commitment to making a lasting and positive contribution to the climate challenge.

Prize fund: €5,000

3 prizes €2250 for two TidyTowns Committees, one from a large town/urban centre and one from a village/small town. Recognising the key role of the younger generation in the climate challenge, an award of €500 is also available this year for a Young TidyTowns committee on the same theme.

The closing date is Thursday, 25th May 2017

If you have any questions about an application, please contact Orla or Daniel on (01) 6782636 prior to applying and they will be happy to help.

Click ‘Download Document’ to see this year’s entry form.

Photo Source: Pixabay

Download Document:
2017 Community Climate Action Award Entry Form

 

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