GLASLOUGH IN CO Monaghan has been named Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2019.

There was a record number of 918 entrants in this year’s competition.

Glaslough also claimed the award of Ireland’s Tidiest Village.

Blackrock in Co Louth received the award for Tidiest Small Town. Westport in Co Mayo received the award of Tidiest Large Town. Ennis in Co Clare was declared Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

The awards have been running since 1958. This year’s theme was ‘caring for our environment’. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at The Helix in Dublin today.

Glaslough was also named Tidiest Village in 2018 and previously won the top award in 1978.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Michael Ring, Minister for Rural and Community Development, congratulated Glaslough and the other winners.

“This is the second time that Glaslough has been awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Town, which is a remarkable achievement and shows that the commitment and enthusiasm of the TidyTowns committees continues to remain strong,” Ring said.

The minister today confirmed that €1.4 million has been allocated to support the work of individual TidyTowns committees around the country.

“All of the towns and villages involved in the competition across the country should benefit from this investment. Wherever you have active TidyTowns committees, it gives the town a real sense of pride and engagement, and creates a great atmosphere for both residents and visitors alike,” Ring said.

Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, which has sponsored the awards since 1992, congratulated all the winners for their “outstanding effort to make their communities better places to live and work in”.