A total of 26 category winners, seven highly commended awards, two special awards and the overall prize were presented at the 2023 Killarney Looking Good competition prize ceremony at which Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Brendan Cronin, officiated in the Killarney Plaza Hotel.
Pictures: Marie Carroll O’Sullivan
But the biggest winner of all was Killarney given the enormous effort made by so many businesses, residents’ associations, individuals and community groups to present the town at its best this year.
And it reaped handsome dividends as not only did the great work that was done catch the eye of the Looking Good adjudicators but it also earned the place known as Beauty’s Home the lofty title of Ireland’s tidiest large town in the national Tidy Towns awards.
There were three people in Croke Park to accept the latter award – with husband and wife team Kathleen and Cormac Foley joined by Billy Daly of sponsors SuperValu – but there was close on 150 in attendance at the Looking Good awards night at which the Tidy Towns trophy was on display.
Being named Ireland’s tidiest large town was a remarkable achievement for the country’s premier tourist town, particularly given the enormous footfall during the summer months when the adjudication process takes place when the population multiplies four-fold at least.
It was Killarney’s greatest achievement since winning the coveted overall Tidy Towns award in 2011 – with the late Yvonne Quill and Fr Michael Murphy at the helm – and it was noted that this year, the town was just a single point adrift of top prize winners Abbeyleix.
A huge effort is to be made next year in a bid to win back the overall award for Killarney and, with everybody playing their part, there is no reason in the world why that can’t be achieved.
Killarney is looking good – next year it will be looking great.
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