What does it take to win the Tidy Towns Competition? This was the question every one was asking as they waited for the results in St Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, yesterday.
But in a strict need-to-know operation neither the organisers, the Department of the Environment or sponsors Supervalu were giving away any clues which might identify the winners.
As the awards ceremony got under way, everything, including the press releases which contained the details of winning entrants, were kept under wraps.
Not even weekly provincial papers, whose editions come out by the middle or end of the week, were being told for fear of results finding their way back to St Patrick's Hall.
Only after midday, when the organisers were sure that the news broadcasts had already gone out, were the details released.
Minister of State Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher was telling the participants he would have "to open the envelope" before he could announce the winner.
Even the compare, broadcaster John Bowman, admitted to not knowing the results in advance.
But at last the cheers went up and the press could scramble for clues as to what makes a winning committee.
"Fewer meetings, more work," said the chairman of the Castletown committee, Mr Sean Flemming. Also mentioned were litter patrols, regular clean-ups and the encouragement of local parish priest Father Edward Rathigan.
The team in Ennis also paid tribute to the encouragement of local priest Father John Molloy, who is a committee member.
Father Molloy, who was in Dublin yesterday, insisted his presence brought no divine advantage.
In Lismore, Co Waterford, the maxim of few meetings and much hard work was also to the fore.
Again the work appeared to consist of regular litter patrols and encouraging others in the town to feel a sense of pride-of-place.
A lot of civic-minded, retired people who help because they have time on their hands was offered as one answer.
"We just make sure we have a lot of fun too," said another member of the committee.
