Mayo town unhappy with ‘just a bronze’ Tidy Towns accolade

Despite an increase of 12 points this year on the 2022 marks, the National Tidy Towns results for Ballina do not accurately reflect the level of work carried out.

That's the view of a number of local councillors, who debated the results at the October monthly meeting of Ballina Municipal District.

This year, Ballina won a bronze medal and received 354 points in the National Tidy Towns competition, an increase of 12 from the 342 points accrued last year.

There was disappointment that Ballina hadn't gone up to the next level, said Carmel Murphy, administration officer.

“But we have to plough on and work harder next year to get to that level,” she added, acknowledging the huge amount of work carried out by Ballina Tidy Towns, under the chairmanship of Jim Friel, other groups such as Ballina Community Clean Up as well as individual volunteers, not forgetting her colleague, Breege Gordon, for the effort she puts into the application each year.

Councillor Mark Duffy expressed slight disappointment with the overall result as it may not be as reflective of what can be seen.

He added, however, that they didn't need to rely on medals to reflect what they see on the ground.

“The town is in good nick,” he said, “and long may that continue.”

Councillor Annie May Reape said the town had never looked so well and she didn't think the Tidy Towns figures were adding up.

“We should have at least won silver, if not gold,” she stated.

“There's something wrong somewhere with the adjudication.”

In congratulating the Tidy Towns committee for the result, Councillor Jarlath Munnelly said there might be disappointment with the result but the huge effort and energy put into the application should be noted.

Councillor John O'Hara said there had never been more work done by Ballina Tidy Towns and other volunteers as well as county council staff – much of it surrounding the visit of US President Joe Biden earlier in the year – and the results did not reflect that.

Complimenting Mr. Friel and the Ballina Tidy Towns committee on the results, Councillor Seamus Weir, cathaoirleach of Ballina MD, said the town should perhaps have been awarded some extra points for all the effort put into the Ballina 2023 celebrations.

Outside of the Ballina results, which he said were 'heartening and disheartening' at the same time, Councillor Michael Loftus said he investigated why Killala, Crossmolina, Foxford and Knockmore didn't enter the National Tidy Towns competition and had been told it was very hard to get volunteers in rural areas to do the work that needs to be done and that the application form itself is very difficult to fill it.

That being the case, he wondered if it were possible for the council to give these areas the help needed to proceed with applications.

Ms. Murphy pointed out that as well as the bronze medal, the Ripple Project, Ballina, won a prize in the Tidy Towns competition.