Awards 2018
Our next local awards will be launched in May 2019
Watch this space for details
Watch this space for details
2018 Monaghan Tidy Towns Annual Awards Winners
Appreciation night for volunteers
Monaghan Tidy Towns thirteenth Annual Awards in the Westenra Hotel last week saw presentations to a wide range of businesses and individuals from across the town, all of whom have been making an important contribution to the TidyTowns effort. Monaghan Tidy Towns’ Emer Brennan said, “The committee has great appreciation for all those nominated for this year’s awards. Everyone has really made an important effort to help the town look its best again this year. Monaghan Town scores very highly under the “Built Environment” and “Streetscape” categories in the National Tidy Towns adjudication every year and visiting adjudicators frequently point to the high standard of presentation of businesses and shops across the town. We are very grateful to everyone who has done their bit to keep the town looking good. These awards have been one of the foundation stones for our continued improvement in our Tidy Towns scores over the past ten years.”
“For over ten years now our awards have been part-sponsored by Monaghan County Council which has been so supportive of the Tidy Towns effort. This year we are delighted to thank a major sponsor in Flemings Department Store without whom this event could not have taken place. We will also be continuing our practice of recognising those who make a special effort in volunteering to help out the Tidy Towns cause in Monaghan and thanking all of our volunteers in local residents committees and other groups.
The 2018 awards winners were
Best Estate:
The winning estate for the second year running was Woodlands which was highly praised by both TidyTowns judges and IBAL adjudicators recently. Woodlands won out over Drumbear Wood, Oakridge and Kilnacloy where standards were also very high.
Congratulations to Drumbear Wood which took the Best Estate Entrance over previous winners The Corran this year.
Best Shop Front is always a tough choice. This year the judges were impressed by the warm colours and display of Hughes Flowers which they said “lit up” Dublin Street. An Poc Fada took the Best Pub category with judges stating that the colour choices and the stunning Blues Festival mural were outstanding.
Best Business Front involves a wide range of buildings and businesses and is always a difficult one to select. This year saw Mc Guigan Architects selected for their “inspired, crisp, modern treatment of an end of terrace former domestic building, complete with tidy hedging and lavender planting”. They topped a very competitive category along with Francie Mc Quaid Tyres, a completely different type of business, “excellently and professionally presented with fabulous flowers and very tidy welcoming presentation” according to the judges.
Best Hotel/Tourism was taken by the Westenra Hotel, remarked upon for its contribution to the centre of the town and its outstanding floral display to the front. Ashleigh House in Dublin St. took the best B&B category with similar praise for looking eternally fresh with stunning window boxes.
The Best Restaurant Award returned to Dinkins in Church Square; subtle and appropriate colour choices, cleanliness, window displays and flowers “brought the complete package” on the judges score card. The Hive, in Glaslough Street took the Best Floral Display with the County Museum selected as the best Public Building with judges remarking on the crisp blue metal railings and floral boxes.
For Window Display the judges chose Flowers & Things, Glaslough Street where imaginative displays all year round won out over close competition from Angel Blossoms, Rocks’ and Dinkins.
The competition and standard has risen in the Service Station category with Sam’s Bridge under pressure but still winning out over Mc Nallys, Martins Fuels and the much improved Circle K.
Alleyways saw a new winner with Rushes salon on Dublin Street making a great effort with lovely window boxes, a clean crisp front and great attention to detail.
Best Garden spoils were shared between Costin’s pretty cottage garden of 6 Belgium Park and Johnny & Majella Keenan’s colourful and well-designed front garden, 17 St Macartans Tce.
Best Newcomer overall was judged to be Angel Blossoms of Dawson Street, the judges remarked that the shop brought beautiful colour, style and creativity to the streetscape.
Tidy Towns Community Heroes
The Tidy Towns Committee took time to appreciate a number of Tidy Towns Heroes for their considerable contribution to the town’s ongoing progress. The committee is particularly proud of Alice Creagh and Gerry Murdock who won joint Volunteers of the Year for 2018 in September. Monaghan Men’s Shed and Monaghan Allotments , particularly Michael O Hare, have been an enormous support particularly through their work for our first Biodiversity Town Day in August. National Learning Network painted a superb mural in the Diamond car park and, like Rehab, are a great help with litter. Justine Erskine has continued to support Tidy Towns by looking after the Greenway. Solas is another local community group which has been invaluable to Tidy Towns and Joe Connolly and Noel Mc Carron are true “Litter Vigilantes” working away day in, day out on keeping the town clean and tidy. Yvonne Mallon was thanked for her enthusiasm and work in revitalising Junior Tidy Towns in Cluain Lorcain and there was appreciation for the groundstaff of both St Davnets Campus and Monaghan Hospital. The committee also recorded its appreciation of Monaghan MD groundstaff after a year in which standards were raised in the IBAL litter league (the town rose 13 places to 9th nationally) and judges in both the Best Kept Towns and Tidy Towns adjudications remarked that the town was “virtually litter free”. Finally Denis Flannery, horticulturalist, was thanked for his contribution to the town after almost ten years. Denis has moved to new post in Fingal County Council and will be a great miss. Tidy Towns; Emer Brennan rounded up the evening by thanking everyone for attending and asking the councillors present to ensure that Denis would be replaced as soon as possible.
The Community Heroes were:
“For over ten years now our awards have been part-sponsored by Monaghan County Council which has been so supportive of the Tidy Towns effort. This year we are delighted to thank a major sponsor in Flemings Department Store without whom this event could not have taken place. We will also be continuing our practice of recognising those who make a special effort in volunteering to help out the Tidy Towns cause in Monaghan and thanking all of our volunteers in local residents committees and other groups.
The 2018 awards winners were
Best Estate:
The winning estate for the second year running was Woodlands which was highly praised by both TidyTowns judges and IBAL adjudicators recently. Woodlands won out over Drumbear Wood, Oakridge and Kilnacloy where standards were also very high.
Congratulations to Drumbear Wood which took the Best Estate Entrance over previous winners The Corran this year.
Best Shop Front is always a tough choice. This year the judges were impressed by the warm colours and display of Hughes Flowers which they said “lit up” Dublin Street. An Poc Fada took the Best Pub category with judges stating that the colour choices and the stunning Blues Festival mural were outstanding.
Best Business Front involves a wide range of buildings and businesses and is always a difficult one to select. This year saw Mc Guigan Architects selected for their “inspired, crisp, modern treatment of an end of terrace former domestic building, complete with tidy hedging and lavender planting”. They topped a very competitive category along with Francie Mc Quaid Tyres, a completely different type of business, “excellently and professionally presented with fabulous flowers and very tidy welcoming presentation” according to the judges.
Best Hotel/Tourism was taken by the Westenra Hotel, remarked upon for its contribution to the centre of the town and its outstanding floral display to the front. Ashleigh House in Dublin St. took the best B&B category with similar praise for looking eternally fresh with stunning window boxes.
The Best Restaurant Award returned to Dinkins in Church Square; subtle and appropriate colour choices, cleanliness, window displays and flowers “brought the complete package” on the judges score card. The Hive, in Glaslough Street took the Best Floral Display with the County Museum selected as the best Public Building with judges remarking on the crisp blue metal railings and floral boxes.
For Window Display the judges chose Flowers & Things, Glaslough Street where imaginative displays all year round won out over close competition from Angel Blossoms, Rocks’ and Dinkins.
The competition and standard has risen in the Service Station category with Sam’s Bridge under pressure but still winning out over Mc Nallys, Martins Fuels and the much improved Circle K.
Alleyways saw a new winner with Rushes salon on Dublin Street making a great effort with lovely window boxes, a clean crisp front and great attention to detail.
Best Garden spoils were shared between Costin’s pretty cottage garden of 6 Belgium Park and Johnny & Majella Keenan’s colourful and well-designed front garden, 17 St Macartans Tce.
Best Newcomer overall was judged to be Angel Blossoms of Dawson Street, the judges remarked that the shop brought beautiful colour, style and creativity to the streetscape.
Tidy Towns Community Heroes
The Tidy Towns Committee took time to appreciate a number of Tidy Towns Heroes for their considerable contribution to the town’s ongoing progress. The committee is particularly proud of Alice Creagh and Gerry Murdock who won joint Volunteers of the Year for 2018 in September. Monaghan Men’s Shed and Monaghan Allotments , particularly Michael O Hare, have been an enormous support particularly through their work for our first Biodiversity Town Day in August. National Learning Network painted a superb mural in the Diamond car park and, like Rehab, are a great help with litter. Justine Erskine has continued to support Tidy Towns by looking after the Greenway. Solas is another local community group which has been invaluable to Tidy Towns and Joe Connolly and Noel Mc Carron are true “Litter Vigilantes” working away day in, day out on keeping the town clean and tidy. Yvonne Mallon was thanked for her enthusiasm and work in revitalising Junior Tidy Towns in Cluain Lorcain and there was appreciation for the groundstaff of both St Davnets Campus and Monaghan Hospital. The committee also recorded its appreciation of Monaghan MD groundstaff after a year in which standards were raised in the IBAL litter league (the town rose 13 places to 9th nationally) and judges in both the Best Kept Towns and Tidy Towns adjudications remarked that the town was “virtually litter free”. Finally Denis Flannery, horticulturalist, was thanked for his contribution to the town after almost ten years. Denis has moved to new post in Fingal County Council and will be a great miss. Tidy Towns; Emer Brennan rounded up the evening by thanking everyone for attending and asking the councillors present to ensure that Denis would be replaced as soon as possible.
The Community Heroes were:
- Monaghan Men’s Shed
- National Learning Network
- Rehab
- Justin Erskine
- Joe Connolly, Drumbear
- Micheal O Hare, Monaghan Allotments
- Alice Creagh
- Gerry Murdock
- Noel Mc Carron, Cortolvin
- St Davnet’s Groundstaff
- Monaghan Hospital Groundstaff
- Monaghan Municipal Districy Council Groundstaff
- Yvonne Mallon
- Solas
- Denis Flannery