Ennis Municipal District and Ennis Tidy Towns have welcomed the selection of Ennis, Co. Clare, as the Irish representative for the international ‘Communities in Bloom’ 2023 competition, in the ‘International Challenge’ category.
Crowned Ireland’s Tidiest Town in 2021 and Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre in 2022, Ennis will join winners from Britain in Bloom, America in Bloom, Japan in Bloom, Comuni Fioriti from Italy, and other countries competing with each other based on population categories.
The Communities in Bloom (CiB) vision is “to inspire all communities to enhance the quality of life and our environment through people and plants in order to create community pride”.
This competition is judged on the efforts and achievements of the whole community, including Ennis Tidy Towns, Ennis Municipal District, businesses and institutions, citizens and community groups. The evaluation is based on six criteria: community appearance; environmental action; heritage conservation; tree management; plant and floral displays; and landscape.
Ennis Municipal District and Ennis Tidy Towns are committed to learning from this evaluation and feedback, for the benefit of all citizens in the municipality. There is also a huge opportunity for all to reap the economic, social and environmental benefits which arise from involvement in a prestigious competition such as ‘Communities in Bloom’.
Welcoming the news, Cllr Clare Colleran-Molloy, Mayor of Ennis Municipal District, said, “The competition and our nomination is a tremendous reflection of Ennis and its communities. The evaluation criteria cover multiple facets of our town and community which we are happy to showcase. Representing Ireland on an international stage affords us a huge opportunity to promote Ennis.”
Carmel Kirby, Director of Economic Development and Ennis Municipal District, added, “Clare County Council’s vision statement puts great emphasis on sustainable communities. We strongly support community groups and the work they do to protect and enhance our environment, thus making Ennis a great place to live. Ennis Municipal District, along with community groups, is determined to showcase all that Ennis has to offer under the specific criteria.”
Cormac McCarthy, Chairperson of Ennis Tidy Towns, added, “We are delighted to be part of the Communities in Bloom team, bringing our expertise in biodiversity, sustainability, climate action, and community engagement to ensure the strongest possible entry.”
We look forward to welcoming the judges to Ennis in July and showcasing our town, our heritage, and our communities in action.