• Abbeyleix in Co. Laois named Ireland’s Tidiest Town and Overall winner of Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town; Tipperary TidyTowns in Co. Tipperary wins Young Person’s Award
• Minister announces €1.5 million in grant aid for circa. 900 TidyTowns groups nationwide
• Minister Humphreys also announces winners of surprise Town Centre First Special Award sponsored by DRCD

Minister Humphreys also presented a new award today to Cappoquin, Boyle and Ballyshannon TidyTowns groups, recognising their tremendous efforts to address vacancy and dereliction in line with the Government’s Town Centre First policy.

“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.”

“As always, the standard of competition was extremely high this year in all categories, with 887 entries received overall.

“I want to pay tribute to all the winners today across all the various categories.

“In particular, I want to recognise the vital role of TidyTowns volunteers across the country who are working so hard all year round to ensure our communities are vibrant, sustainable places to live, work and visit. You are truly an inspiration, and the embodiment of everything that is good in our communities.”

• 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.
• Ballincollig, Co. Cork awarded Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

“SuperValu has been a loyal supporter and sponsor of the competition for over 30 years and continues to champion sustainability through their supportive network of retailers countrywide. Their team has worked very closely with my Department to make sure that this competition continues to be a success.”

“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.

“SuperValu TidyTowns has succeeded in not only making our towns and villages more attractive but more sustainable too, and this is evident in the increased focus on initiatives that have a powerful impact on biodiversity such as the development of pollinator friendly corridors and, rewilding outdoor areas. I would like to thank the TidyTowns Committees and volunteers for the relentless efforts, real action and huge contribution they make to our towns, villages and communities around the country. SuperValu is very proud to sponsor this SuperValu TidyTowns competition and of the fantastic support our retailers provide in helping make our local areas better places in which to live and work.”

Minister Humphreys also announced a special allocation of €1.5 million in funding to support the work of TidyTowns groups in their continued efforts to make their towns and villages better places to live, work and visit. Since 2017, the Department has provided €9.5 million in funding to support the important sustainability and other activities of these groups.

“The focus on sustainability and biodiversity are particularly impressive and important for all of us. The funding from my Department will help Groups continue with their inspirational efforts to transform their communities and the local environment.”

Notes

• Special allocation of €1.5 million in funding – Circa. 900 TidyTowns Groups will benefit from the funding of €1.5 million. All groups who entered the competition in 2022 or 2023 will be eligible to apply for a grant of between €1,000 and €4,000. Pobal, who will be administering the grant on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development, will make contact will all eligible groups in due course. The list of all the Tidy Towns groups to receive the funding is available here .
• Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2022-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas. The policy’s objectives will be achieved through the delivery of more than 150 commitments to be implemented across a range of government departments and agencies. Economic, social and environmental sustainability is at the heart of Our Rural Future.
• The Town Centre First Policy contains 33 unique actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business. Town Regeneration Officers in all relevant Local Authority areas are being funded by DRCD to drive forward Town Centre First on a local level.
• Further details on all programmes administered by the Department can

be found at gov.ie/DRCD