About Us

Ennis Tidy Towns Committee was established over 30 years ago in an effort to galvanise the community to work together to ensure Ennis was not only a great place to live but to work in and visit also. Over the years the committee grew and forged alliances with the local town council, schools and community groups building a momentum that is in evidence today by the achievements of the local organisation.

The purpose of this website is to continue to communicate the Ennis Tidy Towns message – Everyone can contribute to their local environment. We hope to increase the awareness of the Tidy Town initiatives by using this website to alert members of the community about our activities and also hope to grow our membership further. We can all make a difference.


Help us achieve our Community Goals



Attractive Town

Get involved & help Ennis to be Ireland's most attractive town.

Local Involvement

Encourage active participation & involvement of groups & organisations.

Environmental Awareness

Promote environmental awareness, civic spirit & pride in the community.

Innovative & Effective

Create innovative & effective projects & initiatives with a view to addressing local challenges.

Value for Money

Ensure value for money through maximisation of resources & through effective & efficient delivery of services.

National & International Links

Create national & international links with other towns of similar size interested in environmental initiatives.

Committee

There are 19 members on the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee as follows:

Antionette Barry
Claire Bhamjee
Clare Colleran Molloy
Mary Coote-Ryan
Josephine Cotter-Coughlan
JJ Counihan
Brid Dilleen
Bridie Frawley
Patricia Frawley
Anne Hanrahan
Mary Howard
Garry Lannigan
Mary McAllister
Cormac McCarthy
Teresa McGrath
Gerry Murphy
Margaret Neylon
Ann Tiernan
Patrick Walsh

Volunteers

The Ennis Tidy Towns committee is always looking for volunteers to help Ennis to become Ireland’s most attractive town. We have planned community activities and would like to encourage everyone to participate.

Volunteering will give you the opportunity to get out and about and feel get-involvedinvolved in the community, to make new friends and to have a say in how Ennis should look.

To get involved, simply contact us using the details in the Contact Us page.

Partners

Ennis Tidy Towns would not be possible without the involvement and support of our many partners. These invaluable relationships contribute to the development of Ennis in many ways – culturally, aesthetically and economically. We are indebted to them.

sm-ennis-town-councilOur committee has developed a strong partnership with the Ennis Town Council. Their support takes many forms. Practical support is always available throughout the year from gardening, administrative to street cleaning work. Co-operation and support is always forthcoming in terms of action issues brought to the town councils attention, for example – sites which need to be deemed derelict or the provision of additional cleaning services. In monetary terms, the Tidy Towns Committee receives very generous monetary support from the Ennis Town Council which goes a long way to support our various activities.
sm-clare-cocoThe partnership with Clare County Council opens up many avenues of contacts with the various sections of the County Council. Particularly with the Cultural Services for example Library, Arts and Museum. An example of this partnership is the work being done by Artist in Residence, Eleanor Feely in St. Josephs Geriatric hospital where she has developed a special garden involving the participation of patients, staff and the local community. She also gives her assistance to the committee when required. It should also be pointed out that the Town Council also makes an annual contribution to the Ennis Sculpture Initiative. To date this initiative has resulted in twenty pieces of public art throughout Ennis.
sm-ennis-chamberEnnis Chamber of Commerce provide meeting facilities, secretarial and administration services and is the main contact point for the Ennis Tidy Towns initiative.

Ennis Chamber operates a SOLAS CE project which provides vital support services to the Tidy Towns initiative and employs a number of people in community based projects to enhance the town. The Chamber also encofas-logourages their business members to support the various Ennis Tidy Towns initiatives. The local business community contribute generously to our annual fundraising appeal every year which gives us the scope to develop additional projects and increase awareness.

sm-communityLocal community groups, Residential Associations and organisations cooperate and contribute substantially to the success of the town through the organisation and running of ‘clean-up’ mornings throughout the year.The level of civic pride and support prevalent in the town is an immeasurable but essential ingredient for success. Without the support of the community, the level of development achieved would not have been possible. We hope that this community spirit will continue to be built on every year.
sm-schoolsThe important role that schools play in raising awareness of environmental issues is recognised by the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee. Four Ennis Schools and one secondary school have achieved at least one ” Green Flag ” as part of the Green Schools programme. The aim of Green-Schools is to increase students’ and participant awareness of environmental issues through classroom studies and to transfer this knowledge into positive environmental action in the school and also in the wider community. Schools that have successfully completed all the elements of the programme are awarded the ‘Green-Flag’. This award has now become a well-recognised Eco-Label. The award has to be renewed every two years. Ennis Town Council organise an annual Best Kept School Competition.

Sponsors

Like any voluntary organisation we are greatly dependant on our sponsors contributions. While we receive financial support from Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council we still require additional funds to allow us develop and maintain additional projects.

Ennis Tidy Towns would like to thank all those who have contributed financially through the years. This funding has provided us with the opportunity to develop a number of projects most notably our magnificent Sculpture Trail. It is evident that this initiative has greatly enhanced our town for all to enjoy and we look forward with your help to bring additional sculptures in the near future.

Funds received are channeled into the following projects:

  • Sculpture Trail
  • Drumcliff Graveyard
  • Gum Litter Project
  • Teen Litter Busters Project
  • Additional Flower Planters
  • Litter Awareness Projects
  • School Projects
  • Participation Competitions
  • Clean Up initiatives
  • Promotional material

If you would like to contribute please contact us on 065 684 2988 or e-mail info@ennistidytowns.com.
We all benefit from a clean and well presented town.

 


Achievements & History



Ennis Tidy Towns has over the years received a number of accolades from the National Tidy Towns Competition. Our success over the years led to our involvement in the Entente Florale competition which propelled our town onto the international stage.

This recognition ignited a new motivation and interest in the Ennis Tidy Towns initiative. Much credit is due to the founding members of the committee who worked tirelessly to bring us to where we are today.

Many thanks to all involved throughout the years.

Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Gold Medal
Joint 1st National Gum Litter Task
Force Award
All-Ireland Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Regional Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Gold Medal
County Award
All Ireland Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Regional Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Gold Medal & County Award Winners
National and Regional Gum Litter Task Force Awards
Nomination for Tourism Award
Mid West Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Gold Medal – County Award
Mid West Tidiest Large Urban Centre
Gold Medal – County Award
Mid West Smart Travel Award
All Ireland Large Urban Centre
Gold Medal
County Award
Regional Gum Litter Taskforce Award
Regional Notice Nature Biodiversity Award
Gold Medal
Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre
County Award
Gaeilge National Award
Regional Award Recycling Initiative
Best Bring Bank Category winner
Gold Medal Award
County Award
Category G and H Building a Bilingual Society Award
Mid-West Notice Nature Biodiversity Award
Gold Medal Award
Ireland’s Tidiest Urban Centre
County Award
All Ireland National Tidy Town Award
Gold Medal
Regional Award
County Award
Gold Medal
Regional Large Town Award
County Award
Gold Medal
Regional Large Town Award
County Award
1st Large Town Pride of Place Award
Gold Medal Entente Florale
Gold Medal Tidy Towns
1st Large Town Category
County Award
Gold Medal
1st large Town Category
County Award
Silver Medal
Regional Green Town Award
County Award
1st Large Town Category
Joint County Award
2nd in Large Town Category
40th Anniversary Special Award
Silver Medal Entente Florale

Our Yearly Progress

2008 marked a huge mile stone anniversary for Tidy Towns – its 50th Anniversary. This was an amazing achievement – 50 years capturing the imagination of people and their communities throughout the country. Ennis has a proud history of success in the National Tidy Towns Competition and the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee has been in operation for over 30 years. In recent years, the town has achieved success at County, Regional and National level.

President Mary Mc Aleese unveiling national Tidy Towns Award with Chairman of the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee 2005 Donal GriffinEnnis was awarded Gold Medals in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The pinnacle of the town’s success was in 2005 when Ennis was designated Ireland’s Tidiest Town.

Ennis could not have achieved this success had it not been for the commitment and hard work of all the voluntary, community and residential groups. Tidy towns is much more than just a competition. It allows people work together to make the most of their local environment and encourages community development. Many friendships have been formed as a result and people have a greater appreciation of what it takes to maintain their locality to the highest standards.

The beauty of the Tidy Towns initiative is that everyone can get involved and it is up to you how much time you want to spend helping out. It can be just the simple act of tidying up around your house, maybe painting a wall or doing a little weeding. If you wanted to get more involved you could organize a neighbourhood clean up weekend. This is also a great way to get to know your neigbours!

We all benefit from a clean and well kept town. So why not work together to make that happen and in particular try to get young people involved as it will give them a greater appreciation of their town and help instill some civic pride. We look forward to seeing you all in action over the coming months.

To find out more about the National Tidy Towns initiative visit www.tidytowns.ie