Minister Dara Calleary Launches 2025 SuperValu TidyTowns Competition celebrating 67 years of environmental and community effort

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, alongside the Managing Director of SuperValu, Mr. Luke Hanlon, have today, March 24th, launched the 2025 SuperValu TidyTowns competition.

In place since 1958, the competition, administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and sponsored by SuperValu, continues to be one of the most recognised sustainable, environmental and community initiatives in the country.

Speaking at the launch of the competition in Ballincollig, Minister Calleary said; “I am delighted to be here in Ballincollig, Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2024, as we launch the 2025 SuperValu TidyTowns competition.   This year we celebrate 67 years of this wonderful competition, which continues to thrive year on year – its success benefits us all.”

There are almost 1,000 active TidyTowns groups, and last year saw over 900 entries to the SuperValu TidyTowns competition. This saw over 30,000 volunteers giving up over 1 million hours of their time, all year round, to come together to make our communities cleaner, brighter and more vibrant places.

Minister Calleary continued: “TidyTowns groups have been instrumental in supporting and enhancing the government’s objective to ensure towns are sustainable, resilient and thriving hubs of commercial and social activity. 

“I would encourage everyone to reach out to their local group and volunteer, you will be surprised at the benefits that can accrue to you and to your wider community.” 

“I would like to say a special thank you to our national sponsor, Supervalu, now in their 35th year of sponsoring the competition. SuperValu have been wonderful partners on this journey and I look forward to continuing this partnership in the coming years.

Speaking at the launch today, Luke Hanlon, Managing Director of SuperValu, said: “The launch of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition is an exciting time for committees and volunteers nationwide, as we look forward at what can be achieved to enhance our communities in the weeks and months ahead”.

“This year marks SuperValu’s 35th year as proud sponsor of this wonderful initiative, a testament to the tireless work of volunteers and the Department in driving its continued growth and success. The SuperValu TidyTowns competition has become synonymous with SuperValu itself, thanks to the reach of our independent retail network across the country and our deep-rooted commitment to supporting communities at a local level. 

As a community retailer, we take great pride being involved with SuperValu TidyTowns for another year and our Independent retailers play a vital role in supporting and engaging with this initiative.”

Minister Calleary concluded by thanking the TidyTowns volunteers throughout the country and wishing them well in the 2025 competition.  An tAire: “Ba mhaith liom gach rath a ghuí oraibh go léir i gcomórtas 2025. Táim ag súil le hiontrálacha álainn na mbailte agus na sráidbhailte a fheiceáil agus bualadh leat ag an searmanas bronnta níos déanaí sa bhliain.”

The closing date for receipt of entries for this year’s competition is Monday May 12th, 2025. Entry to the competition will only be accepted by email to the TidyTowns@drcd.gov.ie email address. Entry forms for the SuperValu TidyTowns competition are available here.

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Green Flag Community Award 2019

The Green Flag Community Award was introduced into Ireland in 2018, and will run again in 2019 with the support of the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The scheme is aimed at sites that are managed by volunteers, or by community groups or organisations made up of many volunteers.

Sites must be solely managed by the community group – this means that all decisions, including financial ones, regarding the site are made by the organisation responsible for its management and maintenance – although certain aspects of the site’s maintenance may be undertaken by other bodies, for example the local authority.

Any type of green space is eligible to enter, as long as the site is freely accessible. Applications will be considered from:

  • Tidy Towns Green Space Projects
  • Community Gardens
  • Parks, recreation grounds and open spaces
  • Village greens
  • Community-managed section of a larger site e.g. walled garden in a formal park
  • Churchyards
  • Woodlands
  • Pocket Parks
  • Allotments (as long as they are managed as a community garden)

The award of a Green Flag Community Award is based on a site assessment by trained judges, along with a supporting action plan that explains how the site is managed and looked after by the community group. Judges will visit the site at a pre-arranged date and time to meet volunteers and assess if the site is meeting the standard of the Green Flag Community Award.

Every green space will be judged on its own merit by independent judges. A Green Flag Community Award will be given to each green space project that reaches the Green Flag Award standard.

We will be starting the 2019 season with a network meeting/information day on Tuesday the 12th of February, which will be held at An Taisce Environmental Education Offices on Swift’s Alley, Dublin 8. This event will be open to all parties who are already involved, or who are interested in joining the Green Flag Award for Parks and Green Flag Community Award Scheme. If you have any questions or any feedback then please do come along to this open information exchange about the scheme.

For further information or to register to attend the network meeting / information day on Tuesday the 12th of February please contact Robert Moss at rmoss@eeu.antaisce.org

For more information see the http://www.greenflagaward.org/ website.

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National Ploughing Championships 2018

The TidyTowns Unit will be in attendance at this year’s National Ploughing Championship in Screggan Tullamore. Why not call in and see us at Stand 279 – Block 3 – Row 13 in the Department of Rural and Community Development’s marquee. We would love to see you and join in the excitement as we build up to the announcement of this year’s Tidiest Village, Small and Large Towns and Large Urban Centre and the overall winner of the Supervalu Tidiest Town for 2018. The results will be announced Monday September 24th at the Helix by Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring TD and Martin Kelleher Managing Director of Supervalu.

 

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Abbeyleix win President’s Prize in Entente Florale

While performing brilliantly in the European Entente Florale competition by winning a Silver medal, Abbeyleix also won the President’s Prize for the best biodiversity project for the Abbeyleix Bog Project, a fascinating project.  See more at http://www.abbeyleixbog.ie/

 

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Glaslough win Gold in Europe

 

 

Gold medal win for Glaslough

in the prestigious European Entente Florale Competition

 

 

The Minister for the Rural and Community Development, Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., has congratulated the town of Glaslough, Co Monaghan, which won a Gold Medal Award last week at the European Entente Florale Competition.

 

The international Entente Florale competition aims to promote a greener and more pleasant environment in European towns and villages. The results of the European Entente Florale competition were announced at a special awards ceremony in Podčetrtek, Slovenia, on Friday 15th September.

 

Welcoming the award to Glaslough, Minister Ring said:

 

“Glaslough should be immensely proud of its achievement.  Irish entrants to the Entente Florale competition always perform very well on the European stage.  This stems from the great community spirit and involvement we have in Ireland’s Tidy Towns competition which has been running for nearly 60 years.  The award to Glaslough is a testament to the work carried out by the TidyTowns committee and by Monaghan Co. Council.”

 

The Minister continued:

 

“Our towns and village are at the heart of rural Ireland.  As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I recognise the importance of rejuvenating towns and villages in rural areas.  Initiatives such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the CLÁR programme, which are funded by my Department, are designed to support economic and infrastructural improvements to rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work.  I have already allocated €7 million in funding under the CLÁR programme this year and I will shortly be announcing successful projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme”

 

 

ENDS

 

 

 

Notes for Editors

 

Entente Florale, with its special emphasis on the improvement of the quality of life for urban and rural communities in an environmentally sensitive way, echoes the philosophy in Ireland’s own SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition. Nine European countries participated in the competition, with Ireland once again performing very well against their European counterparts.

 

The entrants to the Entente Florale Competition are generally chosen from among the top performers in the relevant categories in national competitions. The competition is judged on all aspects of the towns and villages under inspection, from the quality of road surfaces to the colour schemes of houses and from the planting of open spaces to the standard of public amenities.

 

 

For more information on Entente Florale visit http://www.entente-florale.eu/

 

 

 

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Abbeyleix win Silver in Entente Florale

 

Silver medal win for Abbyleix in the prestigious European Entente Florale Competition

 

 

The Minister for the Rural and Community Development, Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., has congratulated the town of Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, which won a Silver Medal Award last week at the European Entente Florale Competition.

 

The international Entente Florale competition aims to promote a greener and more pleasant environment in European towns and villages. The results of the European Entente Florale competition were announced at a special awards ceremony in Podčetrtek, Slovenia, on Friday 15th September.

 

Welcoming the award to Abbeyleix, Minister Ring said:

 

“Abbeyleix should be immensely proud of its achievement.  Irish entrants to the Entente Florale competition always perform very well on the European stage.  This stems from the great community spirit and involvement we have in Ireland’s Tidy Towns competition which has been running for nearly 60 years.  The award to Abbeyleix is a testament to the work carried out by the TidyTowns committee and by Laois Co. Council.”

 

The Minister continued:

 

“Our towns and village are at the heart of rural Ireland.  As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I recognise the importance of rejuvenating towns and villages in rural areas.  Initiatives such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the CLÁR programme, which are funded by my Department, are designed to support economic and infrastructural improvements to rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work.  I have already allocated €7 million in funding under the CLÁR programme this year and I will shortly be announcing successful projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme”

 

 

ENDS

 

 

 

Notes for Editors

 

Entente Florale, with its special emphasis on the improvement of the quality of life for urban and rural communities in an environmentally sensitive way, echoes the philosophy in Ireland’s own SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition. Nine European countries participated in the competition, with Ireland once again performing very well against their European counterparts.

 

The entrants to the Entente Florale Competition are generally chosen from among the top performers in the relevant categories in national competitions. The competition is judged on all aspects of the towns and villages under inspection, from the quality of road surfaces to the colour schemes of houses and from the planting of open spaces to the standard of public amenities.

 

 

For more information on Entente Florale visit http://www.entente-florale.eu/

 

 

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Irish Water Value Water Award

The aim of the Irish Water Value Water Award is to raise awareness of the importance of mindful water consumption in communities and encourage participation of members of the community to reduce consumption per household and per neighbourhood by promoting behaviours that conserve water, e.g. using water butts instead of hosepipes to garden common areas, car washing schemes that use less water.

It will reconnect communities with their water and where it comes from and reward communities by recognising positive impacts of TidyTowns activities on the sustainable supply of water to their community and environment.

Click ‘Download Document‘ to see this year’s entry form.

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