Killarney’s bid to win the coveted overall award in this year’s national Tidy Towns Competition is officially underway.

The 2024 Killarney Looking Good Competition was launched this week and hopes are high that, with a little extra effort by all involved, the town could have great cause to celebrate towards the end of the year.
Killarney was named Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town in 2023 but, interestingly, it finished just a single point behind overall winner Abbeyleix in County Laois.
Killarney also scooped the regional award for the south west, the county award for Kerry and a gold medal for excellence last year. It improved its performance on 2022 by a whopping 14 points, rising from 361 to 375.
The competition adjudicators were rich in their praise for Killarney which they described as a beautiful town with much to offer residents and visitors in terms of visual and recreational amenity, nature activities and heritage.
The Tidy Towns Committee, chaired by former long-serving councillor and keen environmentalist Michael Gleeson, includes senior local authority staff members, community activists, business leaders and dedicated Tidy Towns volunteers.
Over three decades after it was first initiated, to help enhance the visual image of the town, the Killarney Looking Good Competition returned with a vengeance last year – after a pandemic enforced absence ­– with a new committee, new categories, new sponsors and ambitious targets.
The project was first launched in 1991 and it grew in stature each year, culminating in some style when Killarney won the prestigious overall award in the 2011 Tidy Towns Competition.
Now 13 years later, Killarney is hoping that it will be a lucky 13 and that this could once again be the town’s glory year.
The Looking Good Competition will see awards presented in over 20 different categories and high achievers in the business and residential communities will be honoured at a gala prizegiving ceremony at the close of the tourist season.
The honours list will include the Yvonne Quill Award in memory of the late great businesswoman who was the driving force behind the Killarney Tidy Towns campaign for several years and the Fr Michael Murphy Award in memory of the popular priest who played a huge part in Killarney, Kenmare and Sneem winning the overall national award in 2011, 2000 and 1987 respectively.
In the business community, there will be awards for the best large and small commercial premises, best newly painted premises, best signage and the best retail award with prizes also for the most impressive hotel, public house, restaurant, café, guesthouse and best public building as well as the most improved premises.
In the residential categories awards will go to the best large and small estates, best private residence, best roadside garden, best floral display and best friendly planting award.
Other categories include a green hospitality award, a corporate special responsibility award, a restoration award, best school and a special biodiversity award.
The Killarney Looking Good Competition is organised by Killarney Municipal District Council and Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce with MD O’Shea & Sons the overall sponsors of the competition and O’Mahony Media Ltd the media sponsor.
The competition will run throughout the tourist season and businesses and residential areas will be monitored on an ongoing basis.