STRIKING GOLD: Eileen O'Donoghue (KCC), and members of the Killarney Looking Good committee, Yvonne Quill, Stephen Sheehan, Mayor of Killarney Cllr Michael Gleeson, Padruig O'Sullivan, Kathleen Foley, celebrating retaining their gold medal at this year's Tidy Towns awards. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Sean Moriarty

The 500 volunteers who help keep Killarney tidy were praised by Tidy Towns judges this week following the announcement on Monday that the town had retained its gold medal status.

Killarney scored 342 marks at the 2019 annual SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony in the Helix, Dublin - eight up on last year, but 136 marks off the maximum of 470. Killarney scored best in the litter and tidiness category, with 61 points out of a maximum of 90.

“We were very impressed with Killarney, the many fine buildings, including hotels, offices and shops were a delight and everywhere is looking so well,” said the judging panel. “We admired the improvement works completed at the car/bus park at Rock Road, the refurbishment of public conveniences at High Street and the ploughing sculpture.”

Judges make decisions across eight categories including Tidiness and Litter Control; Public Places, Green Spaces and Landscaping.

“The slogan ‘Killarney Looking Good’ is very apt and we congratulate you on your success in the campaign against litter,” said the judge’s report. “The strategies of regular and seasonal litter clean-ups is working well; it is great to see the combined efforts of Council employees and volunteers working together and achieving so much. It is interesting to see the statistics for bags of litter and numbers of volunteers who have worked on this campaign over the years.”

High Standards

Eileen O’Donoghue, Killarney Municipal District Council Officer, congratulated all those involved in achieving such high standards.

“There is a great sense of community in Killarney seen in the voluntary effort put in, week in week out. It is thanks to the co-operation and the coming together of so many different groups, the volunteers, the Chamber of Commerce and the local authority that the town has seen an increase in eight points,” she said.

Killarney Looking Good Chairperson Yvonne Quill also thanked volunteers.

“We would like to thank everyone in Team Killarney, the volunteers who go out Monday and Wednesday nights for the organised clean-ups and those that go out on an ongoing basis in their own time,” she said.

Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Niall Kelleher, attended the awards ceremony in the Helix Dublin on Monday.

"Credit is due to the Killarney Looking Good Committee, Council staff and volunteers in Killarney. It's a great achievement to increase points in all categories in this year's competition, it's a testament to the hard work and proved it pays off.”