Glaslough the venue for launch of 2021 competition
The North Monaghan village of Glaslough was the appropriate venue chosen by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD on Friday morning for the announcement that the SuperValu national Tidy Towns competition would make a comeback in 2021. Glaslough fulfilled a long-cherished dream by winning the national competition for the second time in 2019. Covid-19 restrictions preventing the holding of the contest last year, the first time in over 60 years that the iconic event had not been staged. Minister Humphreys said on Friday that special arrangements were being implemented to ensure the competition’s return. While the 2021 event would adhere to the established format, a specific emphasis was being placed on electronic entry and remote adjudication of entries.
The Minister emphasised that Tidy Towns groups should continue to adhere to public health guidelines, stating that they had complied with them “remarkably well” since the onset of the pandemic. “The health and safety of volunteers continues to be paramount,” she stated. The Minister said that over 800 Tidy Towns groups across the country were to receive grants of up to €1,000 from a support fund she had established last December. The Cavan/Monaghan Dáil Deputy told Friday’s launch that she was introducing a new award category aimed at groups that had continued to serve and look after their communities….
