Congratulations are due to all those Tidy Town volunteers who have made travel in Ireland more agreeable and satisfying. Their imagination and dedication sent them out in all kinds of weather to inject energy and pride into their home places. Outright winners of the various categories and those towns and villages that received gold, silver or bronze medals have, understandably, received most attention. But the work of those other volunteers, whose efforts were not formally recognised through trophies, have contributed immeasurably to welcoming, cleaner and confident communities.
Making a good first impression is an essential aspect of the tourism business, as any hotel manager or restaurateur will confirm. After that comes quality of service, value for money and visitor enjoyment. The tidy towns competition, now 56 years in existence, was designed to reduce the incidence of fly-tipping and littering in a scruffy, run-down Ireland. It has outgrown that mandate. Now, the enhancement of historic structures and physical amenities is strongly encouraged as part of broad-ranging development and improvement projects. A litter-free environment remains a central element of the competition, but the importance of providing visual pleasure for visitors has grown in importance.
Flower baskets and groups of litter-pickers reflect confident communities that are challenging local authorities to become more active in providing services and in combating dereliction in urban areas. Such pressure to re-develop and enhance town centres and villages, as an alternative to the construction of peripheral shopping centres, represents a bottom-up approach to planning. More than half a century of activity by committed volunteers has provided us with pleasant, welcoming, litter-free streets. In view of our “dirty” past, once celebrated in song, it represents a magnificent achievement. Economic recovery now offers the possibility of properly planned urban renewal.