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What is Tidy Towns?
The Tidy Towns competition is a national competition organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The competition involves participating towns being rated on all aspects of their local environment. It has been running since 1958 and each year attracts more than 700 communities who compete for a cash award and the title of Ireland's Tidiest Town. For more information on the Tidy Towns Competition, check the website www.tidytowns.ie.
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Who can enter the Tidy Towns competition?
Entry into the Tidy Towns competition is voluntary and the competition is open to every village, town and city area in the State. In Galway city, individual neighbourhoods can enter, such as Salthill, Knocknacarra, Renmore, Castlegar etc. aswell as the city centre area. You must enter according to your population category. Information on this is available on www.tidytowns.ie.
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Are there any Tidy Towns groups in Galway city?
Yes. There is a Tidy Towns group in Galway city centre. If you would like to join this group, contact environment@galwaycity.ie for more information or see the Galway Tidy Towns Facebook Group.
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How can I start a Tidy Towns group in my area?
A Tidy Towns committee is a voluntary committee, usually consisting of residents, business representatives, schools and other groups from the area. If you wish to start a Tidy Towns group in your area, the best place to start is the local residents association. You could also advertise in local shops and churches or submit an article to a local paper or newsletter asking for volunteers. It is also a good idea to hold an information night or meeting explaining what is involved in Tidy Towns.
If you would like further advice on setting up a committee, you can contact the Tidy Towns Unit of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government on (071) 9107802/ tidytowns@environ.ie .
How can I enter?
- The Tidy Towns competition is launched each year in March/April. Application forms will be available at that time from the Tidy Towns Unit of Department of Rural and Community Development:
- TidyTowns Unit, Government offices, Ballina, Co Mayo. Telephone: 076 100 6912 / 076 100 6836 E-mail: tidytowns@drcd.gov.ie TidyTowns Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialTidyTowns
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How is the competition marked?
Participants are assessed under ten criteria with a total of 400 marks as follows:
- Overall development approach (50 marks)
- The built environment, (50 marks)
- Landscaping (50 marks)
- Wildlife and natural amenities (50 marks)
- Litter control (50 marks)
- Tidiness (30 marks)
- Waste minimisation (20 marks)
- Residential areas (40 marks)
- Roads, streets and back areas (50 marks)
- General impression (10 marks)
These criteria are deliberately broad and incorporate everything from the historical and cultural uniqueness of the location to the conservation of natural amenities and wildlife areas. Participants can identify sub-areas for judges to look at but judges assess the full area of the town or village. Where boundaries are not clear (for example in urban areas) judges generally assess a one-kilometre area in all directions from the centre.
Judging takes place in June, July and August each year and the results are announced at the National Awards Ceremony in September.
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