26 June 2000
ENNISKILLEN WINS IRELAND'S BEST KEPT LARGE TOWN AWARD
Enniskillen is this year's winner of Ireland's Best Kept Large Town Award.
The announcement was made today at the Ireland's Best Kept Town 2000 ceremony, sponsored by SuperValu, in Hillsborough Castle. Minister for the Environment in Northern Ireland, Mr Sam Foster and his counterpart in the Republic Mr Noel Dempsey TD, officiated at the event.
The overall winner of Ireland's Best Kept Area is Kenmare, Co Kerry, which also won the Best Kept Medium Town Award. Terryglass, Co Tipperary was chosen as Best Kept Village.
In presenting the award to the winners at Hillsborough, Environment Minister, Mr Sam Foster, said: "As an Enniskillen man I am particularly proud of the town's achievement. I must emphasise though that I had no say in this decision! I would though like to congratulate all the winners.
"In these days when we are attracting more and more people to Ireland, both North and South, it is important that visitors get a good overall impression of our towns. We already have a countryside that is second to none, but we need to ensure that our urban areas match this.
"I am though concerned about how careless people can sometimes be in littering our streets. If we care for our environment everyone is a winner. If we abuse it everyone suffers.
"We simply must keep campaigning to get the message across - 'do not litter'. Where necessary the law will be enforced so that it becomes unacceptable to treat our public places without respect."
Paying tribute to the Northern Ireland Amenity Council for its part in organising the best kept competition, the Minister said: "Any initiative which contributes to making our towns more attractive both for those who live there and visitors, is most welcome. Even those towns that don't win gain some benefit from this Competition. Win or lose, our towns will look better, people will be more aware of their local environment, and community spirit will be encouraged."
Minister Dempsey said: "If we have learned anything in the five years that this competition has been in existence, it is the value of contact and dialogue. Ireland's Best Kept Towns has made its own special contribution to the opening of channels of communication between communities North and South."
Minister Dempsey added: "While we may have a considerable distance to travel in ensuring the success of the peace process, we are moving forward with vision and purpose into a better, more optimistic, more prosperous era. An era which I believe will see increased levels of cooperation between communities North and South as we set about tackling the formidable challenges which lie ahead."
Speaking on behalf of the competition sponsors, SuperValu, Eoin McGettigan, Chief Executive said: "SuperValu is delighted to support Ireland's Best Kept Towns. This competition is further evidence that people are becoming more aware of the role they can have in directing the future development and prosperity of their area. They're becoming more involved in planning and environmental management, taking charge of local development. Our independent SuperValu retailers live and work in communities across Ireland and therefore make both a practical and financial contribution to community development, through this and other sponsorship activity."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Ireland Best Kept Awards are organised by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council and by the Republic of Ireland's Department of Environment and Local Government.
- The awards were made at noon 26 June 2000 and are sponsored by SuperValu.
- Presentations were as follows:
Terryglass - Ireland's Best Kept Village. Presented by Mr Eoin McGettigan, Chief Executive, SuperValu.
Kenmare - Ireland's Best Kept Small Town. Presented by Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Republic of Ireland.
Enniskillen - Best Kept Large Town. Presented by Mr Sam Foster MLA, Minister for the Environment.
Kenmare - Overall winner presented by Mr Sam Foster.
- For further information please contact Philip Maguire, DOE Press Office, Tel 028 9054 0013.
- For further information on SuperValu please contact Maria McCann/Maeve Laverty, Tel 028 9066 7707.
- Photographs to newspapers will issue this afternoon. Further details can be obtained from Maeve Laverty, 028 9066 7707.