Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, has been named as Ireland’s tidiest town for 2023.
Over 600 TidyTowns volunteers were present at the recent SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony, at Croke Park, in Dublin.
This year, 887 towns were competing for the prestigious awards, demonstrating the ‘continuing huge national interest in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition’, which has been running since 1958.
Announcing Abbeyleix as the overall winner, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, said, ”I offer my warmest congratulations to Abbeyleix and all of its TidyTowns volunteers for being crowned Ireland’s tidiest town for 2023.
“This is a truly great achievement and a special moment of immense pride for Abbeyleix and, indeed, the wider county of Laois.
“Having first entered the competition in 1960, Abbeyleix today continues to showcase all that is good about innovation, sustainability, community spirit and volunteerism. This is at the core of what the competition is all about.”
‘Testament To Hard Work’
Ian Allen, managing director of SuperValu, commented, ”On behalf of SuperValu, I would like to congratulate Abbeyleix on becoming Ireland’s tidiest town.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the committee and team of volunteers involved in the town.
“Since the inception of SuperValu’s valued partnership with TidyTowns, the competition has grown significantly and meaningfully.
“There are now over 1,000 active committees backed by a powerful movement of almost 30,000 volunteers, all of whom are highly committed to enhancing their towns and villages all around the country.
“As a community retailer, it is a source of great pride for us at SuperValu to be involved in such an incredible initiative. For more than three decades, our teams and dedicated local SuperValu retailers have worked hand in hand with the Department of Rural and Community Development to develop and grow the SuperValu TidyTowns competition.
“The competition has become a powerful and uniting force, bringing together people from communities all over the country, working towards a common cause and, critically, caring for our environment.”
Big Winners
Other notable SuperValu TidyTowns 2023 winners include:
- Geashill, Co. Offaly, awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Village;
- Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town;
- Killarney, Co. Kerry, awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town; and
- Ballincollig, Co. Cork, awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre.
