Ennis in Co Clare has won the national Tidy Towns competition, less than one month after it received one of the worst litter ratings in the State, writes Olivia Kelly
In its most recent survey, Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal), found that Ennis was one of Ireland's dirtiest towns, ranking 53rd out of 57 towns in terms of cleanliness.
The results of the survey, conducted by An Taisce on behalf of Ibal, stated that Ennis was a litter blackspot. The litter levels were assessed by An Taisce during the same period that Tidy Towns judges were visiting Ennis.
Mayor of Ennis Frank Neylon said yesterday the town's reputation had been vindicated by the Tidy Towns judges and Ibal had produced a particularly negative result by "counting the cigarette butts on the street" on a Monday morning after a busy weekend.
However, the chairman of Ibal, Dr Tom Cavanagh, said the results differed because unlike the Tidy Towns competition, the Ibal survey is focused entirely on the volume of litter. "The litter league should not be confused with the Tidy Towns competition, where litter accounts for only 14 per cent of total marks given."
The An Taisce survey was supported by photographic evidence of the litter problem in 10 separate sites around Ennis, he said.
An Taisce conducted their assessment of the town without warning, "whereas in the Tidy Towns, the people involved have a fair idea of when their town will be visited by the judges". Comparing the competitions was like "comparing apples and oranges, Dr Cavanagh added.