Clare town 'outgrows' rivals in international competition
A CLARE town has won gold in the 2023 Communities in Bloom (CiB) awards in Canada over the weekend.
Ennis has achieved international success at the awards ceremony held at Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
The Clare town, which was Ireland’s nominated entry to the annual competition, picked up Five Blooms and the title of overall winner in the International Challenge Medium category.
The awards success follows a visit to Ennis in July by CiB judges who evaluated the town under the criteria of community appearance, environmental action, heritage conservation, tree management, landscape, and plant and floral displays.
Welcoming the news, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Joe Cooney, said that the success of Ennis on an international platform is a “boost to the whole of Clare”.
“Ennis has a lengthy and proud track record of successful participation in national and international competitions, and the recognition given by the CiB judges is further evidence of the high quality of the planting and maintenance of public spaces across the town,” Cllr Cooney said.
Ennis also received a special mention in the Pollinator Friendly Gardens category of the competition.
Other countries that nominated entrants to this year’s competition included Canada, USA, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia.
Labelling Ennis as a “wonderful Irish town” upon visiting in the summer, two of the judges agreed that the ‘charm’ of the town is a key factor as to why it struck gold.
In a statement, judges Berta Briggs and Dr Andrea Bocsi said: “From the charm of the town centre, to floral beds stretching into every neighbourhood, Ennis is a wonderful Irish town.
“It has the reputation of being the most sustainable town in Ireland and has the most biodiversity. Part of this is the many beautiful flowerbeds on roundabouts, in parks and on street corners. These are examples which make Ennis a model for managing climate change.”
During their Irish visit, judges also heard about The Old Ground Hotel’s environmental action plan, large-scale projects like the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme, pollinator friendly planting initiatives and future plans for O’Connell Street, Cathedral Place and Barrack Square.
Communities participating in the competition were evaluated using a “bloom” rating, determined by the total score of the evaluation: 1 Bloom: 0-55%, 2 Blooms: 56-63%, 3 Blooms: 64-72%, 4 Blooms: 73-81%, 5 Blooms: 82%. There are four levels of 5 Blooms exclusive to the National and International Edition: 5 Blooms: 82-83.9%, Bronze: 84-86.9%, Silver: 87-89.9% Gold: 90% and over.