Kilkenny City Retains Title as Ireland's Cleanest
Press Release
Monday, 6th January 2014
Kilkenny retains title as Ireland’s cleanest
- Concern that changes in structure of local government may impact on litter
Kilkenny is once again Ireland’s cleanest town. The announcement was made at the Finale of the 2013 Anti-Litter League by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) in the Conrad Hotel in Dublin. It marks the first time a town or city has retained the title since the IBAL programme began in 2002.
Kilkenny pipped Cavan – a previous winner and consistently one of our cleanest towns – and Tramore, who finished in 2nd and 3rd position respectively in the ranking of 42 towns and cities.
An Taisce, who conduct the surveys on behalf of IBAL, commented in their report: “A great result for Kilkenny – all ten sites got the top litter grade. Great care has been taken with the streetscape along High Street and surveyor noted a significant improvement at the parking by Dunnes Stores … All aspects of the train station were in very good condition, with the interior in pristine condition, and the Recycle Facility off Nuncio Road was in good order. The N11 approach from Dublin was an excellent route into Kilkenny, creating a very positive first impression of the town – this very high standard was maintained for all of the sites surveyed.”
Congratulating Kilkenny Borough Council, Dr Tom Cavanagh, Chairman of IBAL, said Kilkenny’s standing as a major tourist attraction in Ireland made it an appropriate winner of the IBAL initiative, which is geared to supporting tourism in Ireland. “As a busy city, with lots of visitors throughout the year, Kilkenny faces certain challenges in keeping clean all the time. Winning this award for the second year shows they have really found the right formula. Well done to all.”
“IBAL has consistently commented on Tramore’s wonderful beach being spoilt by litter and it’s great to see this has been turned around in the past 12 months.”
Addressing local authority representatives, Dr Cavanagh expressed concern at the possible impact of the impending abolition of town councils on litter in our towns. “What makes one town cleaner than another? Typically it is the commitment of the local council to ensuring the local streets are clean every day of the year. It becomes a source of pride to both the council and the townsfolk. That is at the heart of the success of the IBAL league. When responsibility is removed outside the confines of the town, there is a danger that this commitment lessens. The Government needs to ensure that the tremendous strides made in recent years are not jeopardised by the proposed changes in the structure of local authorities.”
ENDS
For further information contact Conor Horgan on 086 8217211 or 086 387 4217, cmjhorgan@gmail.com
or Ronan Cavanagh ronan@cavanaghcommunications.ie
Editors note:
Set up in 1996, Irish Business Against Litter is an alliance of companies sharing a belief that continued economic prosperity - notably in the areas of tourism, food and direct foreign investment - is contingent on a clean, litter-free environment.
As part of the IBAL Anti-Litter League, An Taisce monitors towns of population 6,000 and over, independently and in accordance with international grading standards. The programme is run in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
Visit www.ibal.ie for further information.
| 2013 IBAL ANTI LITTER LEAGUE SURVEY: FINAL RESULTS |
| Ranking | Town/City | Classification |
| 1 | Kilkenny | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 2 | Cavan | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 3 | Tramore | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 4 | Clonmel | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 5 | Waterford City | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 6 | Wexford | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 7 | Killarney | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 8 | Tullamore | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 9 | Tralee | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 10 | Longford | Cleaner than European Norms |
| T11 | Letterkenny | Cleaner than European Norms |
| T11 | Fermoy | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 13 | Sligo | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 14 | Roscommon | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 15 | Newbridge | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 16 | Bray | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 17 | Dun Laoghaire | Cleaner than European Norms |
| T18 | Swords | Cleaner than European Norms |
| T18 | Naas | Cleaner than European Norms |
| 20 | Shandon/Blackpool | Clean to European Norms |
| 21 | Leixlip | Clean to European Norms |
| 22 | Athlone | Clean to European Norms |
| 23 | Maynooth | Clean to European Norms |
| 24 | Dublin City | Clean to European Norms |
| 25 | Limerick | Clean to European Norms |
| 26 | Drogheda | Clean to European Norms |
| 27 | Ballina | Clean to European Norms |
| T28 | Carlow | Clean to European Norms |
| T28 | Galway City | Clean to European Norms |
| T28 | Dundalk | Clean to European Norms |
| 31 | Midleton | Clean to European Norms |
| 32 | Navan | Clean to European Norms |
| 33 | Ennis | Clean to European Norms |
| 34 | Monaghan | Clean to European Norms |
| 35 | Cork City | Clean to European Norms |
| 36 | Tallaght | Moderately littered |
| 37 | Dublin Airport Environs | Moderately littered |
| 38 | Mullingar | Moderately littered |
| 39 | Tipperary | Moderately littered |
| 40 | Portlaoise | Moderately littered |
| 41 | Castlebar | Littered |
| (no town in this category) | Seriously littered |
| 42 | Dublin Inner City (North) | Litter Blackspot |