Tidy Towns Heritage Awards

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The Buncrana Heritage Trail won the national Heritage Award sponsored

by The Heritage Council in 2014 as part of the ‘Tidy Towns’ competition.

The County Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Council is encouraging Tidy Towns groups across County Donegal to apply for the ‘Tidy Towns’ Heritage Awards as part of this year’s competition.  There are two heritage awards this year: the Heritage Award (sponsored by The Heritage Council) and the Pollinator Award (sponsored by Local Authority Heritage Offices and Biodiversity Offices).  The closing date for the receipt of applications is Friday, May 20, 2016.

“The Heritage Council has sponsored the ‘Tidy Towns’ Heritage Award since 1999” said Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer.  “It seeks to promote a greater awareness of the value of our heritage to our quality of life and to sustainable development.  The Heritage Award recognises initiatives in relation to the identification, conservation and promotion of heritage that involve the community and motivate people.  There is one national winner in this category that receives a €1,000 prize.  Winners of the award in recent years have included Buncrana Heritage Trail in 2014 and Buncrana Lighthouse Restoration Project in 2012.”

This year, a new ‘Pollinator Award’ sponsored by Local Authority Heritage Offices & Biodiversity Offices is being introduced into the ‘Tidy Towns’ competition.  The award builds on recommendations in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (2015-2020) which recognises the importance of Irish bees in the pollination of our plants, trees and vegetables.  “There has been a decline in bees in recent years because the areas where they can nest and the amount of food that our countryside provides for them have been reduced” explained Mr. Gallagher.  “The award aims to encourage Tidy Towns groups to implement pollinator-friendly actions in towns and villages such as leaving wildflowers to grow along roadsides, field margins and using more pollinator-friendly plantings in parks and gardens”.  There will be a national winner and four regional award winners in two categories: (i) village or small town and (ii) large town or urban centre.  Each regional winner will receive a €1,000 prize and the national winner in each category will receive an additional €1,000 prize. 

Further details of the heritage awards are available on the Tidy Towns website at www.tidytowns.ie and on The Heritage Council website at www.heritagecouncil.ie

 Irish bees are in decline but play a crucial role in the pollination

of our plants, trees and vegetables.