Naas in County Kildare has been named Ireland’s Best Kept Town, coming out on top in a competition that drew entries from all corners of the island.
The town triumphed over strong contenders including Carrigaline in County Cork, Buncrana in County Donegal, and Derry.
The announcement was made at a special ceremony held in Farmleigh House in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
Now celebrating its 30th year, the Ireland’s Best Kept Town competition recognises excellence in town presentation and cleanliness. The judges evaluate a wide range of factors, including the upkeep of public facilities, the condition of buildings and roads, and the quality of local biodiversity.
Each year, the competition brings together the top performers from the SuperValu TidyTowns initiative in the Republic and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council’s Best Kept competition.
In addition to the overall title, Naas also won the award for Best Large Urban Centre, underlining its consistent commitment to public space enhancement and community involvement.
The accolades didn’t stop there for Naas. In a further boost to its reputation, the town was recently named the cleanest in Ireland by the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) association.