A cleaner Ireland - A climate of change

ONE of the great annual Irish events was highlighted again yesterday, though tens of thousands of volunteers have been working on it for a very long time.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley launched the 2009 National Tidy Towns Competition. There are very few if any civic organisations that engender such a spirit of community or such a positive pride of place.

For the first time in its 51-year history the competition will incorporate a special climate change award. The aim is to facilitate community groups to consider their carbon footprint to raise awareness of the relevance of climate change issues.