Cobh wins Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town Award and SuperValu COVID-19 Community Award

• Minister Heather Humphreys praises role played by Cobh TidyTowns volunteers during unprecedented period
• Cobh TidyTowns awarded €5,000 per category win
• Minister announces €1.5 Million in grant aid for over 1,000 TidyTowns groups nationwide.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has awarded the town of Cobh the Tidiest Large Town Award and the SuperValu COVID-19 Community Award, a double win for the Cork South town at the SuperValu TidyTowns Awards 2021.

In the adjudication results, Cobh TidyTowns were commended for their high quality and innovative projects that have been undertaken despite the challenges of the pandemic.

The announcement was made at a scaled-back event held in the RDS on Friday 12 November with a small number of representatives present from this year’s entries to the Competition.

The event was streamed live to thousands of TidyTowns volunteers around the country who were eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winners. The announcement was greeted with much celebration and excitement as committee members watched today’s ceremony from Cobh. Two committee members from Cobh TidyTowns attended the ceremony to accept the award.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Minister Humphreys said:

“I want to congratulate Cobh and all of the other deserving prize-winners announced today. It has not been easy for TidyTowns groups during what has been an unprecedented period.

“Like all sections of society, the pandemic has prohibited us from participating in the things we enjoy within our own communities.

“I want to commend the hundreds of groups and thousands of volunteers who, in the face of adversity, put their community first and continued to make their areas better places to live and work and to visit, all the while, adhering to social distancing and public health guidelines.

“For that, on my own behalf and that of the Government, I want to say Thank You.”

Minister Humphreys also announced a special allocation of €1.5 million in funding to support the work of individual TidyTowns Committees around the country to assist them in their continued efforts to enhance their towns and villages.

This is the fifth consecutive year that funding has been provided to support these Committees and brings the total allocated since 2017 to €6.7 Million.

The Minister said:

“The sense of belonging and pride of place that is achieved by being part of a TidyTowns group creates a wonderful welcoming atmosphere for both residents and visitors alike.

“Given the challenges faced by TidyTowns groups during the pandemic and the way in which they moved to an online entry process, I am delighted to be able to announce that I have secured funding of €1.5 million to directly support the TidyTowns committees who, through their efforts, bring out the best in their towns and villages.

“In total, 1,022 TidyTowns groups across the country will be eligible to benefit from this investment.”

The Minister also thanked SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor, adding:

“Today, I want to congratulate SuperValu who celebrate their 30^th anniversary of partnership with TidyTowns and sponsorship of the competition. The competition continues to attract new entrants and new awards and it is getting stronger every year.

SuperValu continue to show fantastic support for the competition through their financial sponsorship, their commitment to improving and growing the competition and through the dedicated support at a local level provided to TidyTowns groups by their network of local retailers.” 

Mr. Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu commented after the awards:

“On behalf of SuperValu I would like to congratulate Cobh for being named Tidiest Large Town and for much-deserved win of the Supervalu COVID-19 Community Award for 2021. It is an excellent achievement and is testament to the incredible work and dedication by the committee, particularly during a tumultuous year.

SuperValu were delighted to sponsor the COVID-19 Community Award this year. This is a new award for 2021 which recognises the strength and spirit of the committee that best kept their community connected, engaged and most important of all, how they kept focussed and positive throughout the pandemic.

All of the outstanding efforts and achievements of the category winners, and indeed all of our committees across the country, deserve significant praise and recognition. 2021 was another landmark year for SuperValu TidyTowns. We now have a record 1,022 groups engaging in the competition, with a record 847 entries this year. I’d particularly like to mention the new committees and encourage their participation into the future. The level and quality of the projects that you all delivered across all categories is astounding.

At its heart, the SuperValu TidyTowns competition is the public expression of the work countless individuals undertake to build community spirit and make their local area a better place in which to live and work. The incredible committee members, in collaboration with our network of independent retailers, share our desire to build thriving, sustainable communities.

Mr. Allen went on to say,

“As long-term supporters of TidyTowns, we at SuperValu have seen first-hand the competition grow and evolve over time. This year, perhaps more than ever, we have seen an increasing number of wonderful initiatives that focus on biodiversity, conservation and other important issues that are critical to creating sustainable communities. This is something I welcome and encourage.”

The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and sponsored by SuperValu who have sponsored the competition since 1991.

Full details of all this year’s winners are available at www.tidytowns.ie and at www.supervalu.ie