24/10/2026
What brilliant news from Croke Park yesterday as Nenagh received a whopping extra 16 marks in the SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition 2026.
Get the full report from the adjudicator on :
https://tidytowns.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/u_reports/2026/tipperary-north/2026-Tipperary-North-Nenagh-726.pdf
Some key points to note:
* 16 extra marks was the highest additional marks in any centre in North Tipperary
* Our best categories were Residential Streets and & Housing Areas (44 marks out of 55) and Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes (48 marks out of 55)
* Categories where there is a clear need to focus and scope for significant improvement are Nature and Biodiversity in your Locality (37 marks out of 80) and Sustainability- Doing more with less (23 marks out of 80).
* Increased marks were achieved in all categories.
Some notable comments:
> Application and supporting documentation were very well presented
> Adjudicator commended the 3 year plan which was considered to be an excellent piece of work and could serve as a model for other groups
> Clear evidence of effective collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders including residents’ associations, artists, businesses and the Nenagh Town Team
> Involvement of 17 Residents’ Associations is particularly noteworthy
> Adjudicator visited this page and was pleased to see a wide range of information and activities being promoted there - agus iontach sásta an Ghaeilge a fheiceáil!
> Adjudicator was impressed by the range of play facilities, quality of planting, overall appearance of St. Paul’s Playground
> Use of murals throughout the town is noteworthy and quality is consistently high
> One aspect of Nenagh that particularly impressed was the variety of independent retail businesses - presentation of many of these premises was excellent and a number had participated in the paint scheme
> Adjudicator was impressed by the number of pedestrian crossings which made Nenagh feel very walkable and safe for pedestrians - appears to have been carefully planned
> The planting and overall design at John’s Lane Car Park are very good and the car park itself was presented to an excellent standard
> Engagement with students in maintenance activities is particularly positive
> The Nenagh Gaelscoil Project is an excellent example of educational engagement
> The adjudicator was pleased to see that St Mary’s Church is embracing biodiversity initiatives, and particularly admired the
wildflower area at the church entrance.
> The Wildlife Project, including swift surveys, bird boxes, and consideration of owl habitat provision, demonstrates a
growing understanding of local biodiversity
> The adjudicator was particularly taken by the poetry competition to promote biodiversity.
> The recycling of wood cuttings into mulch represents good practice and contributes positively to waste reduction
and soil improvement.
> Overall, for a town of its size, Nenagh was found to be exceptionally clean, with only a handful of isolated instances of
litter and minor packaging waste observed.
Concluding Remarks:
“Nenagh is a strong and well-structured entry, demonstrating a high level of organisation, community engagement,
and project delivery across all categories. As you can see from this report, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Nenagh, including an overnight stay while carrying out my adjudication. The town has much to offer, and the pride that exists within the community is clearly visible. Please keep up the excellent work. You are making significant progress, and I believe you should set your sights on achieving a Silver Medal within the next few years.”
So everyone take a bow - particularly Edwina Knight and her team for work on St. Paul’s Playground; Gaelscoil Aonach Urmhumhan for their planting project; TY students at St. Joseph's CBS Nenagh; all 17 Residents’ Associations; Victoria Nevin for the poetry competition on biodiversity; Seamus O’ Brien, Donnacha Ryan, Timmy O’ Donoghue and all the team for the work on the streets and approach roads; all the volunteers who take part in litter picks; businesses who look after their shopfronts; Nenagh Parish for the grounds at St. Mary’s of the Rosary; Martin for his work on the application and documentation with help from Gavin and everyone else who played their part.
Now let’s get together and plan for next year!
Nenagh Guardian Nenagh Heritage Centre Nenagh Arts Centre Nenagh Castle Cllr JP O Meara Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh Fiona Bonfield Cllr Pamela Quirke O'Meara Tipp FM Discover Lough Derg Tipperary Tourism Tipperary Arts Office Tipperary Artists Nenagh Municipal District Nenagh Tourist Office Nenagh Chamber Brendan Murphy - Commissioner For Oaths / Peace Commissioner John Quinn Brian O'Neill Abbey Court Hotel & Leisure Centre
