BALLINCOLLIG IN CO Cork has been awarded the title of Ireland’s Tidiest Town in 2024.

This year 904 towns across the country battled it out for the title, which has been running since 1958.

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys presented the award to Ballincollig at a ceremony in Croke Park.

Humphreys offered her “warmest congratulations to Ballincollig and all of its Tidy Towns volunteers for being crowned Ireland’s tidiest town for 2024″.  

“This is a truly great achievement and a special moment of immense pride for Ballincollig and indeed the wider county of Cork,” she said.

“Having first entered the competition in the 1960s, Ballincollig today continues to showcase all that is good about innovation, sustainability, community spirit and volunteerism.  This is at the core of what the competition is all about.”

Speaking generally about those who took part in the Tidy Towns competition, Humphreys praised their contributions. 

“What you do for your communities is admirable and commendable,” she said to the competition’s finalists. 

She heaped praise on the volunteers who took part in the competition for their contributions throughout the year. 

“I want to recognise the vital role of volunteers across the country who are working so hard all year round to ensure our communities are vibrant, sustainable places to live, work and visit,” she said. 

“All all this is done with a sense of pride, a sense of vision and community.

“You are truly an inspiration, and the embodiment of everything that is good in our communities.”

Humphreys thanked the panel of judges for their work throughout the year.

“It’s not an easy job,” she said. “And it’s not one that I’ll be looking for.” 

Other winners today included Ballinahown, Co. Westmeath, which was named Ireland’s Tidiest Village; Blackrock, Co. Louth, Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town; and Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town.

The TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development. It has been sponsored by SuperValu since 1991.