Kilteely Tidy Towns Association has been crowned overall winner of the 2012 Limerick In Bloom competition. 42 other community groups throughout County Limerick were also honoured for their participation in the annual competition, now in its fifth year.
Along with being named overall winner, Kilteely Tidy Towns Association picked up first prize in its category while Adare Tidy Towns, Kilteely/Dromkeen Housing Association and Broadford Development Association were named winners of their respective categories.
Limerick County Council, in conjunction with sponsor JP McManus Foundation, hosted this year’s competition as a motivational mechanism for the many small local based groups throughout the county to enhance the visual impact of their settlements by means of flower, tree and shrub planting.
Adjudication took place during July and considered such factors as colour, size, variety, location and appropriateness of the various planting schemes along with the management of litter. The judging panel this year included Eamonn De Stafort, who is a member of the International Entente Florale Jury.
Competition categories are based on population size with a first, second and third prize in each category of Eur1000, Eur500 and Eur300 respectively. Category 4 caters for Housing Estates and Community areas, Category 3 is for towns and villages with a population in excess of 700, Category 2 represents towns and villages with a population of 301-700, and Category 1 features community groups in towns and villages with a population of under 300.
Category 4 was won this year by Kilteely/Dromkeen Housing Association with Glin Homes for the Elderly and Cappamore Estates Management being named in second and third place respectively. Adare Tidy Towns claimed the overall prize in Category 3. Patrickswell Tidy Towns finished second and Castleconnell Tidy Towns and Kilmallock Tidy Towns shared third position. Meanwhile, Broadford Development Association was named overall winner of Category 2 with Athea Tidy Towns Committee and Oola Tidy Towns being named in second and third place respectively. Category 1 was won byKilteelyTidyTownswho finished in first place ahead of Croagh Community Council and Croagh Village Renewal Group in second and Knockainey Tidy Towns in third.