The volunteers behind the Tidy Town winning committee in Trim, Co Meath have said that “success breeds success” and they plan to invest the winnings in young people, to encourage them to take pride in their community.
Trim in Co Meath was named Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2022 by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.
It is the town’s fourth time winning the top prize since the competition began, the most recent being in 1984.
Trim’s victory also coincides with the start of the first edition of the Púca Festival, a four-day music, comedy and culture festival which celebrates the history of the town and its connection with Halloween.
This year’s SuperValu Tidy Towns awards saw 882 towns and villages compete for the top prize, the third-highest number of entries in its history. Over 30,000 volunteers and 1,000 tidy towns committees participated in organizing the nationwide initiative.
Chairperson of Trim Tidy Towns, Brian Heffernan, was emotional upon receiving the award, having been involved with the town’s committee since he helped to revive it in 1999. He praised the volunteers and community members that made the prize possible, saying “We’re in shock… but it’s been a long time coming”.
“Success breeds success… we started small and built it up over many years”, he said. “We have to spend the money wisely and invest in young people, hopefully they’ll be inspired to keep Trim great, and to appreciate the history of the town”.
Adjudicators praised Trim’s contributions this year for their landscaping, an ambitious ‘10,000 tree project’, and the local Sustainable Energy Committee, a major focus of this year’s program.
Runners-up for the award were made up of the winners of the tidiest village, tidiest small town and tidiest large urban centres categories; Rosscarbery, Co. Cork; Clonakilty, Co. Cork; and Ennis, Co. Clare, respectively. Trim was also the recipient of the tidiest large town award.
The award was presented by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, at the RDS in Dublin. Speaking at the event, Minister Humphreys described the initiative as “a competition which brings us together at home, but sets us apart on the world stage”.
“Volunteers are the backbone of our society”, she said. “The tireless work and effort that you are putting in each day will give untold benefits to the generations that come after us.”
Minister Humphreys also announced the introduction of a €1.4m grant for next year’s committees, saying “I know that when it comes to Tidy Towns, small grants make a big impact”.
SuperValu sponsored this year’s Tidy Towns awards for the 31st consecutive year, and announced they’d renewed their partnership until 2027. Managing director of SuperValu Ireland, Ian Allen, said “belief in the spirit of local communities” was at the heart of the company’s partnership.
Over a dozen other national and regional awards were given out during the ceremony, alongside dozens of bronze, silver and gold recognition medals for participating towns. The full list of winners can be viewed at tidytowns.ie.