Galway city centre won its second-ever silver medal at the SuperValu Tidy Towns awards ceremony held in Croke Park last week.
Judges at the competition scored the urban centre of the regional capital 349 points out of a total of 550. This was a marginal increase on the 2022 score of 337.
In a judges’ report seen by the Galway Advertiser, particular praise was heaped on the wide range of individuals who participated in the 2023 application, including City Council parks teams, businesses, schools, residents’ groups and sports clubs. This is Galway’s second silver medal win in 12 years, with a €700 prize.
“Delighted!” was the one-word statement from Galway City Tidy Towns Committee chair, Labour’s Councillor Níall McNelis.
In terms of streetscape, painted electricity boxes, bollards in good condition, clean bridges over the Corrib and brightly painted shopfronts with Irish language signage all garnered judges’ praise. Graffiti and empty shops brought this score down.
Green spaces and landscaping in the city centre won high praise, with particular emphasis on many Galway businesses maintaining bright planters outside. The Huntsman Inn and Millenium Children’s Park opposite the Cathedral won specific mentions.
In terms of biodiversity, the judges listed a wide range of natural life protected and coexisting in the urban area. Initiatives by city centre schools, University of Galway, and the nesting project on Lough Atalia won plaudits.
Points for litter and tidiness increased marginally from 54 to 55 for the city centre, with judges noting that Galway has an unusually high daily footfall, especially during busy periods for tourism. Rusty railings near the Fire Station in the Claddagh, and tatty bus stops lost the city tidiness points.
Inhabitants of the city centre won high praise, with judges noting all homes were well-presented, and commended various residents’ groups for maintaining their neighbourhoods and playgrounds. The sustainability category, with a large emphasis on transport, was a lower scoring element for Galway city centre, with a two-point improvement to 29 from last year’s score of 27 out of 55.
Meanwhile, Milltown was named the cleanest town in County Galway, followed by Abbey and Spiddal.
Milltown also won a Gold Medal and €900 prize. Abbey Tidy Towns, along with Galway city centre, each took €700 home for their silver medals.
