Cavan is Ireland's cleanest town for the second year in a row, according to a litter survey by An Taisce on behalf of the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) alliance.
Monaghan was selected as the second-cleanest town and Fermoy achieved third place.
At an awards ceremony in the Conrad Hotel in Dublin today, Cavan County Council was presented with a plaque by Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Mr O'Keeffe, and IBAL Chairman Dr Tom Cavanagh.
Cavan also won the award - based on litter measurings throughout the year - in 2003.
The survey also said Ireland is getting cleaner, with 11 towns receiving awards for achieving "litter-free" status - the highest number since the League was started in 2002.
In contrast, four towns were classed as "litter blackspots", with Swords named as the dirtiest of the 30 towns surveyed.
In the IBAL survey, Cavan achieved a record 97 points out of 100 (80 is considered "clean to European norms").
An Taisce's report referred to the sites surveyed as "excellent, not only in terms of the lack of litter but also the way in which the general environment is maintained. It is this complete approach which sets Cavan apart from the other towns and cities surveyed."
Dr Cavanagh said: "Cavan's status as the cleanest town in the country is undisputed. It stands as a model for all other towns in the country."
Mr O'Keeffe noted that the top towns tend to score consistently well in the league. "The league has shown that where local authorities have effective litter-management strategies in place, consistent long-term results will ensue," he said.
The 30 cities and towns inspected averaged a cleanliness rating of 73 points in the latest survey, the highest average since measurings began and a 4 per cent improvement on the final round in 2003.
Litter levels have improved from 55 points since the league began in 2002 - a rise of 33 per cent, according to the survey.