Keeping Kilkenny beautiful: Council honours 13 community organisations

COMMUNITY organisations across Kilkenny county have been honoured for their dedication and hard work in bringing prosperity to their towns and villages.

Earlier this week Kilkenny County Council Cathoirleach, Cllr Eamon Aylward, hosted a special reception to “acknowledge, congratulate and thank these groups for their dedication and hard work within their respective communities”.

Thirteen communities from across Kilkenny represented their county at a number of international and national competitions in 2018. These include the Entente Florale – Europe’s tidy towns competition – the Bank of Ireland National Enterprising Town Awards, the IPB Pride of Place Awards and SuperValu Tidy Towns.

Inistioge was one of just two locations in Ireland nominated by the Department of Rural & Community Development for the 2018 Entente Florale Awards and the village’s incredible efforts were rewarded with a Gold Medal.

The Bank of Ireland National Enterprising Town Awards competition aims to promote enterprise by bringing business and community groups together to showcase the spirit of enterprise in their local town.  Last year it hosted more than 80 entrants from across the country, with four from Kilkenny: Kilkenny City in the Larger Town Category and Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh and Piltown in the Smaller Town Category.  The final awards night took place in the Lyrath Hotel in late November when Kilkenny City was named winner of the Regional Large Town in Leinster, while Castlecomer was the Runner Up Small Town in Leinster.

Sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Pride of Place competition in association with Co-operation Ireland acknowledges the invaluable work undertaken by communities and groups across the island of Ireland. The competition focus is about people coming together to shape, change and improve daily lives in their communities.  Four communities represented Kilkenny at these awards, including the Open Circle Arts Project, Thomastown Community Network, Kells Regional Economic Enterprise and Slieverue Community Resource Centre Limited. Open Circle received a Special National Award, Thomastown were runners up in the Town Population 2,000-5,000 Category, with Kells awarded Runners Up in the Community Tourism Initiative.

The SuperValu Tidy Towns Scheme recognises the hard work and dedication of volunteers who work tirelessly to improve their towns, villages and community life.  Kilkenny had 18 applicants with all groups recording an increase in points from the previous year.  Four groups were in receipt of National Awards. Kilkenny Tidy Towns/Keep Kilkenny Beautiful were Gold Medal Winners, County Winners and Regional Winners in the South East while also recipients of a Water & Community Award for the South East,

Tullaghought Tidy Towns achieved Silver medal in their category while the village was also awarded the ‘Let’s Get Buzzing Pollinator Award for the South East for their pollinator project.  In addition Paddy & Mary Egan, two stalwarts of the community in Tullaghought for many years were highly commended in the Community Heros Category.

Inistioge Tidy Towns were awarded a silver medal in their category, while Windgap Tidy Towns were awarded an Endeavour Award in the Special Awards Category.

At local level, Kilkenny County Council Tidy Estates Competition aims to encourage residents to take an active role in improving the physical appearance of their estate.  Winners for the 2018 competition under the Large, Medium & Small Estate Categories are as follows:

Large Estates:

1^st Woodview, Freshford ; 2^nd  Chapelfield, Urlingford ; 3^rd Bellfield Estate, Ferrybank

Medium Estates

1^st St Marys Ave Urlingford; 2^nd Brandon Park, Graiguenamanagh; 3^rd Assumption Place, Urlingford

Small Estates

1^st Fr Raftice Place, Moneenroe; 2^nd Ard Aoibheann, Inistioge; 3^rd       Hillcrest, Piltown

Cllr Aylward commended “the great work being carried out by all community groups throughout county Kilkenny”, adding it was great to see these efforts being recognised and rewarded at a national level.