Westport takes title for third time in eight years

THE WINNERS:WESTPORT HAS again emerged victorious in the annual Tidy Towns competition, having been named last night Ireland's Tidiest Town for the third time this decade.

The Co Mayo town, which also took the title in 2001 and 2006, garnered a total of 303 points out of a possible 400 to secure the overall award. In doing so it pipped Birdhill, Co Tipperary, which won the title Ireland's Tidiest Village, by just one point.

Other category winners were Kenmare, Co Kerry, which was named Ireland's Tidiest Small Town, and Ennis, Co Clare, which won the title of Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre. In addition to the overall title, Westport also won its own category to be named Ireland's Tidiest Large Town.

The awards, which marked the 50th anniversary of the Tidy Towns competition, were presented last night by Minister for the Environment John Gormley at a gala dinner in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.

The Westport Tidy Towns committee received a trophy and a cheque for €15,000 for its overall win, as well as a cheque for €5,000 and a second trophy for its category win. Other national category winners each received a trophy and a cheque for €5,000. Westport also received €2,000 for winning the west regional award.

A special trophy was presented to Glenties, Co Donegal, for its outstanding contribution to the competition over 50 years. Glenties won the original competition in 1958 and has been the overall winner five times.

Among the notable award winners was Killarney, Co Kerry, which had been hotly tipped for a category win. Instead, it received a Gold Medal award of €1,000 in recognition of its achievement in securing 300 points - an increase on its position last year but not as large an increase as the winner's.

Aughrim, Co Wicklow, was also awarded a gold medal, having improved its position on last year by one point to achieve 300 points.

Ballymun in north Dublin won a landscape award sponsored by the Tree Council of Ireland, as well as two awards for its furniture recycling centre, sponsored by WEEE Ireland.

Carlow town was the overall winner in the anti-gum litter awards scheme, taking a total prize of €2,000, while €1,000 each went to category winners Castlebridge, Co Wexford; Sandycove, Co Dublin, and Emly, Co Tipperary. However, the organisers could find "no suitable applicants" in the large urban centre category.

Chairman of the Gum Litter taskforce Paul Kelly said it was the second year that gum litter awards had been included in the Tidy Towns competition and the standard of entry had been truly impressive. "Particularly notable is the high level of innovation shown by each of the winning groups," he said.

Mr Gormley, who was assisted in presenting prizes by Donal Horgan, managing director of competition sponsor Supervalu, praised Westport as a "consistent performer in the Tidy Towns for many years". He added he was "delighted that they have taken the title in this historic 50th anniversary year".

Mr Horgan said the competition was about building community spirit.

"It is about team work, it is about a sense of pride and respect in what is around us, an awareness of how precious our natural environment is and it is about realising what we can do when we work together for the common good," he said.