Once again, Adare has been named Limerick’s tidiest town. The charming West Limerick village – home to the 2027 Ryder Cup global golf tournament – increased its vote on last year to retain the county title.
Adare (369 points) finished ahead of Galbally (363), with Ardpatrick (362) in third. Adare and Galbally are both previous national winners, an accolade that was achieved this year by Abbeyleix, County Laois.
On Adare, the adjudicators commented: “Adare has had an involvement in Tidy Towns since 1964 and you were the overall winner in 1976. An involvement of nearly 60 years. You have not rested on your laurels since, that is for sure.
“It is remarkable to read of the myriad groups that support Adare TT (Tidy Towns) and that they ultimately make Adare a place to be proud of. Everyone from business, sport, and schools, to mention a few, seems to have an involvement in your project. This is a community at its best.”
The report added: “You have even branded Adare and in a very professional manner. Personally, this adjudicator would love to have seen the Irish version of Adare as part of the branding!”
Village congestion was also noted: “In Adare, you have the problem of more than 17,000 vehicles passing through the town each day. This causes pollution and can damage the health of your population.
“It is good to see that you are working with Limerick City and County Council to build a bypass of Adare to deal with the problem. Not alone will a bypass deal with the pollution issue, it will also make Adare a better place to live, work and play in.”
It also recommended some cycle lanes as part of the bypass project.
Askeaton-Ballysteen Natural Heritage, and Tidy Towns groups in both Castleconnell and Glenroe also won prizes.
Based on population size, category wins were bestowed upon Ardpatrick, Galbally, Adare, Castleconnell and Newcastle West.