Cavan Town and Swanlinbar earn Tidy Towns accolades

In the first full-scale Awards Ceremony since the onset of the Pandemic, Cavan Town clinched the Gold medal and county title, while Swanlinbar, which only entered the competition in recent years was honoured with an ‘Endeavour Award’.

Earning 10 more points (346/500) than they did in 2021, Tidy Town judges lauded the efforts of Cavan Town volunteers and the wider community, business and state services for the work carried out in keeping the county town clean and tidy.

“Painting of bollards, ESB boxes and murals were very attractive. The residential and business infrastructure, paths, signs and interpretative panels were very good. The Community Garden at Fairgreen demonstrated the community, green space and landscaping and sustainability criteria of the Tidy Towns awards. Though only two years into the strategic plan 2020 – 2024 and with the challenges caused by COVID 19 the Tidy Towns Committee has already achieved many of the objectives of this plan,” said judges of Cavan Town, which is the county’s only Category F (Population 10,001 to 15,000) entrant.

Recommendations were that retailers Dublin Road N3 approach could follow the example of others by planting trees at the roadside, and littering and some graffiti appear to be an “ongoing challenge” in Con Smith Park.

The judge, who visited the town back in June added that the Peace Garden, “a hidden gem” at St Phelim’s Court “could do with attention”.

It was said of Swanlinbar meanwhile, also inspected in June, that with the work done on the “built environment” to date, “development of landscape work and the developing wildlife area by the river Claddagh” that the local Tidy Towns committee had “achieved a lot since it joined the competition in 2018”.

The West Cavan village (Category A- population under 200) increased its points allocation by 10 to 253, with the only recommendations being in relation to more “judicious pruning” of bramble and the cleaning of bollards.

The Endeavour Award was presented for the “biggest single improvement” on last year’s ranking.

Collette McGovern of Swanlinbar Tidy Towns said that the village committee was absolutely “thrilled” to have received the awards.

“We don't win very much so we were thrilled to get this recognition,” she chuckled.

Collette says the bedrock of the committee’s success this year was the amount of organisation and coordination done “behind the scenes”.

“It all paid off in the end,” she says. “Its great and we delighted to get this, to have that work be acknowledged.”

Swanlinbar started a number of projects around enhancing biodiversity in the village in 2022, and hope to build on that going forward, with a wildflower garden planned next to the local playground, and flowerbeds on disused ground at Furnaceland.

With the success Collette hopes it might even encourage a few more volunteers to get involved.

“We just potter around and do our wee bit, but we could always do with more help.”

Along with Cavan Town and Swanlinbar, Redhills (Cat A- 332 points) came in second in the county, followed by Loch Gowna (Cat A- 322 points) in third.

All the awardees won cash prizes totalling a combined €3,500 for their efforts.

Monaghan

In neighbouring Co Monaghan, Glaslough emerged victorious, earning both the Gold Medal and County title. Carrickmacross received a Gold medal and second placing, while Monaghan Town took third place and received a silver medal too.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Cavan-Monaghan TD Heather Humphreys, had the honour of announcing the winners in the 2022 Supervalu Tidy Towns Competition, in which Trim in Co Meath was announced as the overall winner.

Rosscarbery in Co Cork was named as Ireland's Tidiest Village, and Clonakilty as Ireland's Tidiest Small Town. Ennis, Co Clare was named Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

Cahir, Co Tipperary was named as the overall winner of the Young Persons in TidyTowns Award, and also the overall winner of the SuperValu AsIAm Inclusive Communities Award.

This year’s competition received the third highest number of entries in its almost 65 year history, with submissions from 882 towns and villages across the country, and 80 of these first-time or returning entrants.

Inspiring

Minister Humphreys said the time and effort that volunteers put into making their towns and villages a better place in which to live, adding that their commitment and dedication was “inspiring”.

““Each and every one of the towns and villages that entered the competition this year can be rightly proud.

“I want to particularly congratulate the Tidy Towns committees in Cavan Town, Redhills, Loch Gowna and Swanlinbar for picking up special awards.”

Minister Humphreys also announced that the current sponsorship arrangement with Supervalu will be extended until 2027, and the allocation of €1.4 million in grants for committees nationwide to help them prepare for next year’s competition.

In Cavan, these include: €3,000 to Cavan Town; €2,000 each to Ballyjamesduff (284 points in 2022), Bailieborough, Virginia (300), Mullagh (282), Belturbet (298), Cootehill (270); and €1,000 each to Mount Nugent (240), Swanlinbar, Kilnaleck (296), Shercock (221), Ballinagh (262), Killeshandra (321), Butlersbridge, Arvagh (287), Maghera (294), Lavey (250), Dowra (221), Blacklion (266), Redhills, Loch Gowna, and Bawnboy (259).