Tidy Towns - We’re all winners with sense of pride

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.

The competition has undoubtedly proven to be one of the most successful voluntary movements in the history of the State. It uniquely achieves its ambition every year of helping to improve the appearance of the country through encouraging local endeavour.

Since it was inaugurated in the 50s, the competition has grown from a simple and small initiative into a major force for local pride and co-operation in communities all over this country.