It was going to take something a bit special to snatch the limelight from the weekend visit of President Michael D Higgins to Killarney, Co Kerry.

LIMERICK City Council’s 2011 environmental grants to local communities have been increased thanks to sponsorship by a charitable foundation.

Once home to a ruin, this coastal Kilkern site has been transformed, writes Tommy Barker.

THEIR policies are so similar, it’s often difficult to tell the parties apart. But in this case, it’s their foreheads that caused the confusion.

THE Celtic Tiger helped destroy the character of many old villages, but efforts are underway to preserve what’s left and again make villages attractive places in which to live.

CORK’S city manager has pledged to use the full weight of the law to tackle dereliction blighting one of the city’s most historic communities.

A CAMPAIGN has been launched in Killarney to remove ugly advertising signs not deemed to be in keeping with the area’s reputation as a top tourist destination.

A CAMPAIGN is under way to clean up derelict sites and buildings in tourist haven Killarney.

A FIANNA Fáil councillor who was last month returned for trial on summonses under the ethics in public office legislation was last night unanimously elected mayor of his home town.

WESTPORT yesterday bridged a five-year gap to take the title as Ireland’s tidiest town for 2006.

Towns and villages around the country were today urged to launch a crackdown on rubbish ahead of this year’s Tidy Towns competition.

TOWNS and villages across the south-east who excelled in this year’s Tidy Towns Competition have been hailed as a shining example to others.

ENNIS, Co Clare, has emerged as the winner of the 2005 Tidy Towns competition - just two weeks after it was branded one of the State’s dirtiest places in an environmental study.

Ennis in Co Clare has beaten off competition from almost 700 other locations nationwide to win this year's Tidy Towns competition.

MID-WEST entries are being given a head start in this year’s Tidy Towns competition. A special talk tonight has been organised to give committees from around the region some expert advice on how to clock up winning points.

Lismore in Co Waterford has won this year’s annual Tidy Towns competition. The town was chosen from a list of 700 entrants.

The Co Roscommon village of Keadue has won this year’s Tidy Towns competition.

IT used to be said — and with some justification — that the town of Killarney did not match the beauty of its exquisite surroundings.

IN congratulating Castletown, Co Laois, on becoming this year’s overall winner of the Tidy Towns Competition, it would be appropriate also to commend the hundreds of other communities who took part.

Castletown has been named Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2002.