KINSALE, Co Cork, has been declared Ireland's Best Kept Town in the first cross Border competition aimed at fostering civic pride. The runners up were Moira, Co Down, and Broughshane, Co Antrim.
The awards were announced at a joint ceremony in Belfast yesterday by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, and his Northern Ireland counterpart, Mr Malcolm Moss. Altogether, 15 towns competed for the title.
Both the Republic's Tidy Towns and the North's Best Kept Towns competitions date from the 1950s and have been instrumental in encouraging local communities, to improve the appearance of towns and villages throughout the island.
Mr Moss said he believed the prospect of holding the coveted title of "Ireland's Best Kept, Town" had served to heighten the efforts of the 15 competitors and brought an "exciting new edge" to the contest.
Co-ordinated by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council and the Department of the Environment in Dublin, with sponsorship from SuperValu supermarkets, it included the top 10 towns from the Republic and the top five from the North in their separate contests.
Marks were awarded out of 200 for the following presentation of buildings (40) appearance of approach roads (40) presentation of natural environment (40) tidiness (40) presentation of gardens (20) and comprehensiveness (20).
Other competing towns were Ardagh Carrickmacross, Glenties, Keadue, Malin, Skerries, Sneem, Stradbally and Terryglass in the Republic, and Enniskillen, Gracehill and Portstewart in the North.
Mr Moss told a gathering which included representatives of each of the competing towns he hoped the competition would promote "new and lasting friendships" among communities north and south of the Border.
Mr Howlin said the "elite group" of 15 towns, drawn from many hundreds of towns and villages, had set "the highest standards of excellence, a shining" example for so many others to follow in the years ahead".
Mr Seamus Scally, chief executive of SuperValu, said the competition would make "a valuable contribution to protecting our environment and enhancing the equality of life".
Kinsale, which has already won the European Tourism Award received a cheque for £5,000. Moira, which was placed second and Broughshane, which came third, received cheques for £3,000 and £2,900 respectively.
