The results of the Ireland’s Best Kept Town 2023 competition were announced on Tuesday, June 20 during an award ceremony at Farmleigh House in Dublin.
Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim won two of the five awards, while Blackwater in Co Wexford, Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh, and Antrim in Co Antrim were also named winners.
The winner of Ireland’s Best Kept Town 2023 is Carrick-on-Shannon!
The Co Leitrim town was announced the overall winner of the all-island competition at an awards ceremony at Farmleigh House today.
More info here > https://t.co/ivsMiaYpun@BestKeptAwards pic.twitter.com/RFvSwA6WrI
— Department of Rural and Community Development (@DeptRCD) June 20, 2023
Ireland’s Best Kept Town is an all-island competition in which some of the best towns in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition compete against their counterparts in Northern Ireland’s Best Kept competition.
TD Heather Humphreys, Ireland's Minister for Rural and Community, said: “I want to congratulate all of the winners and nominees in the all-island Best Kept Town competition, and in particular Carrick-On-Shannon, Co Leitrim for winning the overall title along with the title of Best Kept Small Town and Blackwater, Co Wexford, as winners of the Best Kept Village category.
“I also want to pay tribute to Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh the winner of Ireland’s Best Kept Large Town, and Antrim, Co Antrim, the winner of the Best Kept Large Urban Centre category.”
Carrick-on-Shannon is the overall winner of Ireland’s Best Kept Town competition 2023 and also the winner of Best Kept Small Town category. The results were announced today.
— Leitrim County Council (@leitrimcoco) June 20, 2023
Read more https://t.co/isgZ2Daxnz.
Congratulations and well done to all involved! pic.twitter.com/5odYloBvRG
The Minister continued: “The all-island Best Kept Town Competition recognizes the great pride people have in their own communities, both in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is testament to how local volunteers take ownership of their local area and work to improve them, for both now and into the future.
"Being nominated for these awards represents an achievement in itself, and is recognition of the efforts made by volunteers and local communities in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and the Best Kept competition in Northern Ireland.”
Doreen Muskett, MBE, Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Amenity Council, the body that organizes the Best Kept Awards, said: “Throughout the pandemic, thousands of volunteers and gardening enthusiasts kept our, towns, villages and the country looking its best.
"These awards illustrate and emphasize how much voluntary work is undertaken to keep our Towns and Villages throughout Ireland beautiful and how the community works together to make where they live desirable.
"These awards create links between community involvement, our natural environment and our wellbeing, helping us to recognise the value of our biodiversity and coming together to play our part in making our own parts of the country places we are proud to call home”
Ireland's Department of Rural and Community Development and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council initiated the Ireland’s Best Kept Towns competition in 1995 to help raise the profile of both the SuperValu TidyTowns and Northern Ireland's "Best Kept" competitions, and therefore help to improve the standard of towns and villages across the island of Ireland.
All entrants were marked against strict adjudication criteria that included cleanliness, the outward appearance of buildings, the presentation of roads and public facilities, and the natural environment.
Ireland’s Best Kept Town 2023 nominees and winners
Village
- Blackwater, Co Wexford (winner)
- Ballyvaughan, Co Clare
- Donaghmore, Co Tyrone
Small Town
- Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim (winner)
- Athboy, Co Meath
- Randalstown, Co Antrim
- Royal Hillsborough, Co Down
Large Town
- Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh (winner)
- Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan
- Longford, Co Longford
Large Urban Centre
- Antrim, Co Antrim (winner)
- Derry/Londonderry, Co Derry
- Tralee, Co Kerry
- Limerick City, Co Limerick
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