A year ago it was Ireland’s tidiest village but this year Birdhill occupies an even higher perch after winning the overall national title of the country’s tidiest town.

WITH a €185,000 asking price for two matching old stone cottages, buyers mightn’t need to be money launderers looking for a place to plank hot cash near Birr.

THE picturesque Co Laois village of Castletown has been declared Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2002.