Buncrana wins Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town, missing out on overall title by just one point

Buncrana has been crowned Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town for 2026 after coming agonisingly close to claiming the overall national title for the first time at the SuperValu TidyTowns awards in Dublin.

The Inishowen town scored an outstanding 412 points, just one point behind overall winners Ballynahown, Co Westmeath, which secured the coveted national title with 413 points.

The remarkable achievement was announced at Croke Park on Friday morning, October 23, with Minister Dara Calleary revealing the overall winner at a ceremony hosted by Marty Morrissey.

Buncrana was one of just four national category winners selected from almost 1,000 entrants in this year’s competition, earning a trophy and a €5,000 cheque for its Tidiest Large Town success.

The town also claimed the North West and West regional title, a Waters and Communities Award and a further €500 prize, adding to an extraordinary list of achievements for its dedicated volunteers.

Congratulating everyone involved, Buncrana-based county councillor Jack Murray said the recognition was a fitting tribute to the “selfless dedication, hard work and commitment” of the volunteers who give so generously of their time to improve the town.

“Their efforts are a wonderful example of community spirit and the enormous pride people have in Buncrana,” he said.

Cllr Murray said elected representatives had an onus to support the volunteers in every way possible and ensure they received the backing they deserved.

He also praised local businesses for the pride they take in keeping their premises looking pristine, along with Donegal County Council staff for their ongoing assistance.

“This is recognition the whole town can be proud of, but the greatest credit belongs to the dedicated Tidy Towns volunteers,” he added.

Representatives of the Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative travelled to Dublin for the results ceremony, where they took to the stage to collect their trophy and prize money.

The latest success is the culmination of years of sustained effort, with Buncrana having knocked on the door of national recognition for more than a decade.

The town secured a Gold Medal for the 11th consecutive year and retained the Donegal county prize for the fifth year running.

While the overall title narrowly eluded Buncrana, its performance places it among the country's leading TidyTowns communities and represents a major achievement for Inishowen.

There was further cause for celebration across Donegal, with Carrigart, Glenties, Letterkenny, Moville and Raphoe also securing Gold Medals.

Glenties has a distinguished history in the competition, having won the overall national title five times, most recently in 1995. Letterkenny also knows what it takes to reach the summit, having claimed the overall title in 2015.

Letterkenny scored 411 points this year, one point behind Buncrana, highlighting the strength of Donegal’s showing at the top end of the national results.

Moville retained its Gold Medal from last year, while Carrigart and Raphoe also featured among Donegal’s Gold Medal winners.

Malin, a two-time overall national champion in 1970 and 1991, received a Silver Medal this year, as did Donegal Town.

Carrigart also won the special Gradam na Gaeltachta award, worth €1,500, while Creeslough received an Endeavour Award.

Established in 1958, the annual SuperValu TidyTowns competition encourages communities throughout Ireland to enhance the appearance, environmental quality and sustainability of their local areas.

Meanwhile, a special edition of RTÉ’s Nationwide, featuring the TidyTowns ‘Red Letter Day’, is scheduled to be broadcast this evening at 7pm.