KENMARE, CO Kerry was yesterday celebrating its achievement in winning Ireland's Best Kept Town competition.
The results of the all-island competition, which is jointly organised by the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council, were announced at an awards ceremony in Belfast Castle on Monday.
It is the second time the Kerry town has won the competition. It also scooped the award eight years ago before many of the new housing schemes surrounding Kenmare had been built, and later that summer it went on to win the national Tidy Towns competition.
Entrants in this Best Kept Towns competition were marked under criteria that included cleanliness, the outward appearance of buildings, the presentation of roads and public facilities, and the natural environment.
Towns that have reached the highest standards in the Tidy Towns contest in the Republic of Ireland and Best Kept Awards in Northern Ireland were invited to compete.
Yesterday the Kenmare committee said that the new housing developments had integrated well in the town.
River planting and other attractive feature works along the Finnihy river, where much new housing has gone up, were felt to have contributed to Kenmare's win.
"Everyone puts in a great effort," said committee spokeswoman Eleanor Connor-Scarteen.
The county council, Fás, individual property owners and the committee all contributed, she said.
Kenmare also won the Best Kept Large Town category in the this year's competition.
Lucan, Co Dublin won the Best Kept Large Urban Centre category; Knockbridge, Co Louth won Best Kept Village Category; and Adare, Co Limerick won the Best Kept Small Town category.