Ballincollig Tidy Towns win is dedicated to volunteer stalwart Tony

BALLINCOLLIG had a big win at this year’s SuperValu TidyTowns, and was awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre, with a prize of €5,000.

Ballincollig also achieved its 11th gold medal and won the County Award for Cork South.

Ballincollig Tidy Towns (BTT) chairperson Tom Butler told The Echo that the win was bittersweet for the volunteers, and was dedicated to BTT stalwart Tony Whelan, who passed away last November.

“Tony was a fantastic friend of mine, and he was someone I would have been in touch with every day. Tony left a huge void in our organisation, and it is only right and proper that we dedicate this award to Tony,” Mr Butler said.

“For us, what’s been important has been the work that’s gone on 52 weeks of the year has been seen.

“This award is for the whole community, and the effect that it has on everything, whether it’s on businesses, whether it’s on the price of houses in the area, or whether it’s just the pride in the area, that effect is just huge.”

Mr Butler added that the entire community had received a boost from its participation in the SuperValu TidyTowns.

“It’s phenomenal, there’s huge pride in it, and that’s a mark too of Ballincollig’s great success as a town over the years.

“If you look at our drone footage of Ballincollig, you can see the amount of green areas and trees planted, there’s been a huge amount of foresight on the part of the council and the engineers and ourselves down through the years,” Mr Butler said. “And, as we say, now we are planting trees for our children and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren.”

Abbeyleix in Co. Laois was named Ireland’s Tidiest Town as well as Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town. Geashill, Co. Offaly was awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Village and Killarney, Co. Kerry was awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town.