Cobh Tidy Towns scoops silver......

Cobh scooped the silver award in this year's Tidy Towns competition. This is one better than last year when Cobh picked up a bronze in the National competition. Well done to the Cobh Tidy Towns committee and their band of eager volunteers, and in particular, Hendrik Verwey and Jim O' Rourke. The work and dedication that has gone in to achieving this result has been exceptional....and not just this year; this work has been ongoing for many years now. The fruits of this labour are there for all to see. Cobh has been transformed over the last five years. Where once it may have been a litter blackspot Cobh is now a beautiful, colourful, clean and attractive town. This view has been endorsed by many of the regular visitors to the hotel who have witnessed this transformation over the last few years. In fact, many are amazed as to how beautiful the town now looks. This is not to say that it was not attractive in the first place but the changes have been very dramatic and evident. Well done to all!!!

Here are some of the view expressed by the adjudicators:

"Sell it as a prototype to every town in TidyTowns in the country. You have reinvented the wheel."

"The built environment of Cobh glistened in the summer sun. The buildings provided interest and stimulation to the many tourists wandering the streets and enthusing over the many delights. One is firstly impressed by the condition of the presentation of the buildings."

"The stone walls of Cobh are as integral to the built heritage of the town as the water to its maritime history. Your work in uncovering these walls deserves special credit and mention. The conservation of the walled heritage of Cobh justifies your existence."