Ballina strikes gold again at Tidy Towns awards
The national Tidy Towns awards were held in Croke Park today.
Ballina Tidy Towns have been awarded a gold medal for the second year in a row.
The group posted their result on social media and hailed it as a proud day for the north Mayo town.
"Today, we celebrate a truly outstanding achievement as Ballina Tidy Towns has been awarded Gold for the second year running in the 2026 National Tidy Towns Awards."
"This recognition is a testament to the dedication, vision and unwavering commitment of so many people who work tirelessly to make Ballina a cleaner, greener and more welcoming place for everyone. We could not be prouder of what has been achieved."
They dedicated the award to the late Jim Friel, one of Ballina Tidy Towns most stalwart members over the years who passed away in May 2024.
"As we celebrate this wonderful honour, we remember a man whose love for Ballina and dedication to community spirit helped light the way for so many others. This Gold Award is dedicated to the memory of the late Jim Friel, whose legacy of service, kindness and commitment to Ballina continues to inspire us all."
"Today, Ballina shines a little brighter. Congratulations to everyone involved. This is a proud day for our town, and one that will be remembered for years to come."
There were stellar results for Mayo towns at the awards ceremony in Croke Park today with Belmullet, Castlebar, Mulranny and Westport Tidy Towns also collecting Gold. Belmullet also collected the winners prize for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Regional Small Town and was Highly Commended in the Gaeltacht awards.
There was also a Silver medal for Cong and a Bronze for Balla, which also picked up several awards including a Greenways Special award, a Climate Action Small Town winner award, the winner of the Dementia Inclusive Community Town award, the Young Persons in Tidy Towns award and was named an SDG overall runner up.
Newport was the Dark Sky Ireland overall winner and Bullsmouth won the Endeavour award.
