Tullahought collected their first Silver Medal in the competition when Paddy Egan was presented with the much coveted award. The village also won the commended award for County Kilkenny which was presented to Mary Egan, joining them on the night were fellow committee members Kathleen Duggan and Dick Walsh.
Windgap who made fantastic gains in just their second year in the competition in recent years won the Endeavour award for the County and Noreen Hayes and Kate Maloney were on hand to collect the award. Representing County Kilkenny in his official capacity on the night was another Windgap man Cllr. Matt Doran, Chairman of Kilkenny County Council.
The SuperValu TidyTowns winners were presented with their awards by Mr. Michael Ring, Minister for Regional Economic Development, and Niall O’Callaghan, SuperValu Community and Sponsorship Manager, proud sponsors of the competition. Also joining the Minister on stage was Hilary Creedon of Fáilte Ireland.
Speaking at the awards ceremony Minister Ring said: “It is fantastic to have the opportunity this evening to meet TidyTowns groups across this region. These awards are just a small reward for the efforts of so many volunteers who take pride in their home town and work tirelessly to make it a better place now and for future generations.
Following a successful year in the competition for the Parish the committees of both villages look forward to building on their success in 2017. Report supplied by Dick Walsh.