This article is from page 4 of the 2007-09-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
KILRUSH is Ireland’s tidiest small town with a population of 2,501 to 5,000 people. The west Clare capital was awarded the gold medal in the National Tidy Towns competition having received the highest marks in the Category D section.
Members of the hard-working Tidy Towns committee were celebrating, having secured the coveted gold af- ter two years of winning silver. For the committee and the town council it was a huge ambition achieved.
According to Murt Collins, Chair-
person of the Kilrush Tidy Towns Committee, “Key to our progress in the Tidy Towns scheme has been the partnership approach that we adopted some years ago. There is a broad range of groups and organi- sations now involved in promoting and enhancing the appearance of the town including the local Tidy Towns committee, FAS schemes, outdoor and clerical staff from Kilrush Town Council, the local business sector and the community of Kilrush.” Kilrush Town Clerk, Fiona Mooney said taking part in the Tidy Towns competition has impacted positively
on the appearance of the town.
“In recent years, Kilrush has been scoring consistently high in the areas of overall developmental approach, the built environment, landscap- ing, wildlife and natural amenities, litter control, tidiness, residential areas and general impression. This improved appearance has been ob- served and commented upon by the many thousands of visitors to the town each year. This can only have positive consequences for the town’s image and future growth,” she said.
“Winning a gold medal is a mas- sive achievement for everybody
involved,” Councillor Tom Clyne, Mayor of Kilrush added.
“T would like to particularly ac- knowledge the Kilrush Tidy Towns committee which has worked tire- lessly and selflessly to improve the ap- pearance of Kilrush. The volunteers have toiled throughout the summer in various public areas to create and maintain flowerbeds, keeps streets tidy, cut grass and pick up litter.”
Kilrush scored 290 points, an in- crease of eight points on last year when it secured silver for the second year in a row. It received bronze in 2003 and 2004.