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KILLARNEY made a clean sweep today as it scooped a gold medal in this year’s national Tidy Towns competition.

The cathaoirleach of Killarney Municipal District, Councillor Brendan Cronin, praised all involved. “I wish to extend my congratulations to all concerned in Killarney being successful in winning gold in this year's Tidy Town competition,” said Cllr Cronin. “In particular I want to thank the Killarney Tidy Towns committee and all the volunteers who put in a tremendous effort and give so much of their time and commitment in keeping Killarney looking so beautiful. I also wish to recognise the work done by the council staff and management in Killarney which has again ensured that with broad cooperation and support Killarney town has secured gold medal status.”

In fact, it was a case of celebrations all round as overall the county notched five gold medals, the others going to Tralee, Listowel, Kenmare and Sneem. Kerry also had cause to celebrate the fact that Listowel was named Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town. Knightstown and Portmagee, meanwhile, received bronze honours.

The cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Michael O’Shea, said the wins for the Kerry towns and villages were testament to the outstanding efforts of volunteers across the county who keep their towns looking so well.

“This is wonderful news for Kerry and the various towns involved. I congratulate in a special way the five gold medal winners as well as Listowel which is Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town for the second year running, which is no mean achievement,” said Cllr O’Shea. “These are truly magnificent results for our county.”

Success in the Tidy Towns competition is not only an acknowledgement of the work that local committees do – it also proven to bring benefits from an economic and tourism point of view, he added.

“To each and every one of the 33 entrants from Kerry this year, the very warmest congratulations for your efforts,” said Cllr O’Shea.

Kerry’s director of services, John Breen, said Kerry County Council is delighted to work closely with Tidy Towns committees around the county on an ongoing basis. “Tidy Towns groups are the backbone of their local communities, representing all that is best about civic responsibility and love of community. Five gold medals for the county is an exceptional achievement. So too are the results for most of the Kerry entrants who have continued to see an increase in their points tally year-on-year,” he said.

The north Dublin coastal village of Skerries has won the SuperValu Tidy Towns competition for the first time.