HOW DO you stop people from littering? Take away every bin in the village. It’s a high-risk strategy, but it paid off for Abbeyshrule, which was named the tidiest town in the State yesterday.
Tidy Towns committee chairman Philip Butler said people were using the bins for household rubbish to avoid bin charges.
Removing the bins was “a hard thing to do” but it worked.
“When they see a place clean, they will dare not throw litter,” he said.
“They bring their litter with them. When they see a place clean, they respect it.”
No matter how hard you look, you won’t spot a cigarette butt or a scrap of litter in the village.
At first glance it seems the place is so flower-friendly that plants will sprout out of any stationary object.
It’s easy to see why Abbeyshrule – midway between Longford, Mullingar and Athlone – took the top prize.
It has a natural advantage in its picturesque setting, snugly located between the Royal Canal and the river Inny, but a lot of hard work obviously goes into keeping it immaculate.
The lack of litter may have something to do with the fact that the two village shops are long closed – as is the post office and the Garda barracks.
The internet and mobile phone reception is poor there – according to locals you have to stand in the middle of the street to send a text – but there are no overhead wires either, and tall wrought-iron lamps have replaced the much less attractive telegraph poles.
Locals will tell you that you can’t get into Abbeyshrule without crossing water, which gives a good indication of how pretty it is with its tended river bank, wild life sanctuary and community garden, complete with goats and hens.
Jimmy Mitchell, a stalwart of the Tidy Towns effort, said the no-bin strategy was aimed at educating people to bring their rubbish home, and so they do.
Asked what action he would take if he saw anyone having the temerity to drop a scrap of paper on the ground, he shrugged and said: “I’d pick it up.”
So while litter louts aren’t put in the stocks in Abbeyshrule, it would take a brave soul to drop a sweet-paper on those pristine streets, where even the vacant buildings are freshly painted with murals and old reproduction photographs fill the windows.
“The place didn’t get lost in the Celtic Tiger,” stressed local teacher Irene McGoey.
Even Abbeyshrule’s newly built housing estate, Corncrake Meadow, is an eco-friendly development (and only a few units are empty), she said.
Sustainability is a buzzword in Abbeyshrule, which boasts a population of about 200.
Now that they have the Tidy Towns award in the bag, they are hoping to win the Entente Florale: 14 locals will travel to Venlo in the Netherlands on Friday for the awards ceremony.
Entering the competition has had an unexpected side effect on the villagers.
“It takes down the cholesterol,” Philip Butler said.
“We find in the month of September we’re all as fit as fiddles from brushing and sweeping and walking,” he said.
“It’s work – and that’s what we all need at the present time to keep our minds off the recession.”
There are just two pubs in Abbeyshrule, “and both places will be buzzing for a few days now”, he predicted.
Gold Medal Awards
Category A
Abbeyshrule, Co Longford 312
Birdhill, Co Tipperary 310
Moynalty, Co Meath 310
Coolagown, Co Cork 309
Castlecoote, Co Roscommon 307
Rathbarry, Co Cork 307
Category B
Emly, Co Tipperary 310
Tallanstown, Co Louth 309
Clonegal, Co Carlow 308
Dromod, Co Leitrim 308
Ballynacally, Co Clare 307
Category C
Lismore, Co Waterford 308
Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow 307
Aughrim, Co Wicklow 307
Glenties, Co Donegal 304
Adare, Co Limerick 304
Straffan, Co Kildare 302
Category D
Clonakilty, Co Cork 309
Listowel, Co Kerry 307
Kenmare, Co Kerry 306
Kilrush, Co Clare 304
Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim 303
Kinsale, Co Cork 303
Bantry, Co Cork 302
Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan 302
Category E
Westport, Co Mayo 311
Skerries, Co Dublin 306
Category F
Killarney, Co Kerry 310
Category G
Ennis, Co Clare 311
Letterkenny, Co Donegal 310
Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny 309
Clonmel, Co Tipperary 299
Ballincollig, Co Cork 298
Tralee, Co Kerry 294
Carlow, Co Carlow 293
Malahide, Co Dublin 293
Category H
Dundalk, Co Louth 301
Drogheda, Co Louth 302
Silver Medal Awards
Category A
Eyeries, Co Cork 306
Keadue, Co Roscommon 306
Rathbarry, Co Cork 307
Newtowncashel, Co Longford 305
Castlecoote, Co Roscommon 307
Mountshannon, Co Clare 305
Category B
Glaslough, Co Monaghan 306
Ardmore, Co Waterford 305
Malin, Co Donegal 303
Knockbridge, Co Louth 303
Stradbally, Co Waterford 303
Rosscarbery, Co Cork 302
Sneem, Co Kerry
Category C
Raphoe, Co Donegal 297
Abbeyleix, Co Laois 297
Béal an Mhuirthead, Co Mayo 297
Category D
Kill, Co Kildare 297
Category E
Dungarvan, Co Waterford 295
Dalkey, Co Dublin 293
Buncrana, Co Donegal 292
Category F
Trim, Co Meath 294
Tullamore, Co Offaly 293
Cobh, Co Cork 292
Category G
Portlaoise, Co Laois 289
Naas, Co Kildare 286
Category H
Waterford City, Co Waterford 288
Bronze Medal Awards
Category A
Ballinahown, Co Westmeath 301
Knightstown, Co Kerry 300
Tullahought, Co Kilkenny 298
Ballacolla, Co Laois 298
Ardpatrick, Co Limerick 298
Portmagee, Co Kerry 297
Category B
Castletown, Co Laois 301
Murrisk, Co Mayo 301
Carraig Airt, Co Donegal 300
Inistioge, Co Kilkenny 300
Milltown, Co Galway 299
Abbey, Co Galway 298
Geashill, Co Offaly 298
Kilsheelan, Co Tipperary 298
Tuamgraney, Co Clare 297
Clonbullogue, Co Offaly 297
Category C
Kilkee, Co Clare 296
Rathangan, Co Kildare 293
Cloontuskert, Co Roscommon 293
Ballina, Co Tipperary 293
Category D
Millstreet, Co Cork 295
Macroom, Co Cork 295
Ardee, Co Louth 295
Blackrock, Co Louth 294
Category E
Youghal, Co Cork 285
Cavan, Co Cavan 284
Newcastle West, Co Limerick 284
Category F Shankill, Co Dublin 290
Castlebar, Co Mayo 287
Category G
Newbridge, Co Kildare 280
Carrigaline, Co Cork 279
Leixlip, Co Kildare 272
Wexford, Co Wexford 272
*This article was amended on September 11th, 2012 to correct errors with some of the results.
