The National Tidy Towns competition is set to return to normal this year, with work under way in about 200 towns and villages for the 2022 event set to take place over the coming months.
In 2020 the competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while in 2021 it was operated as remotely as possible and under strict social distancing rules .
The overall winner in 2021 was Ennis, Co Clare.
On Thursday, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys travelled to Ennis to meet Ian Allen, managing director of competition sponsors SuperValu, for the launch of this year's competition.
Ms Humphreys said that “seeing the competition back to its normal cycle is very welcome news and no doubt thousands of Tidy Towns volunteers across the country are thrilled to see the competition back in full swing”.
She said Tidy Towns was “a great way to get involved in community life” and her department was keen “to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland”.
Mr Allen said: “There is a great opportunity to continue the evolution of SuperValu Tidy Towns, enabling us to engage and empower people around the country to create sustainable communities, recognising the value of our biodiversity, and coming together to play our part in response to climate change.”
The closing date for receipt of entries for this year's competition is Friday, May 20th. Entry will only be accepted by email to the tidytowns@drcd.gov.ie address. Entry forms will be emailed to all registered groups or can be obtained from the Tidy Towns Unit in the Department of Rural and Community Development – contactable by phone on 01-7736912 – or by visiting www.tidytowns.ie.
