Kilrush prepares for Entente Florale competition

Clare County Council and the Kilrush TidyTowns Committee have announced the establishment of a Steering Group to guide Kilrush's participation in the 2015 International Entente Florale competition.

The West Clare town has been selected to represent Ireland in the 'Town' category of the European-wide horticultural and environmental competition, which promotes the greening of towns and villages; development that is environmentally and ecologically sensitive; and education and communication initiatives which promote environmental awareness.

Key to Kilrush's nomination was its winning of the Tidiest Small Town category of the National TidyTowns Competition in 2014.

The membership of the Kilrush Entente Florale Steering Group, which held its first meeting in December, includes local authority staff with expertise in landscaping, planning and tourism representatives from local groups such as the Tidy Towns Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Kilrush and District Historical Society and Kilrush Amenity Trust.

The Group is scheduled to meet with officials from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government during January to finalise the town's submission ahead of the competition's judging stage in July.

"The membership of the Steering Group comprises individuals who have worked tirelessly and selflessly down through the years to improve the appearance of Kilrush," commented John Corry, Administrative Officer, West Municipal District, Clare County Council.

"Their contribution over the coming months will strengthen the town's Entente Florale nomination, and will no doubt further enhance the status of Kilrush as a growing and prosperous town and as an attractive visitor destination," he added.

Mr. Corry noted that a number of working groups will be set up during the coming weeks to assist the Steering Group.

"While the role of the Steering Group is to coordinate the preparation of the competition submission, each working group will focus on individual elements of the submission such as Environment and Landscaping, Planning, Residents, Media, and Business and Community. Each subcommittee will be chaired by a Steering Group representative.

"We look forward to working with the entire community over the next few months so that Kilrush can make a major impact in such an important competition and enhance the town's chances of international success," he concluded.

Clare's last success in the Entente Florale competition came 14 years ago in 2002 when Ennis was named a Gold Medal Winner in the 'City' category, while the County Capital also won a Silver Medal in 1997.

The 2015 Entente Floral Prize giving ceremony will be held in September 2015. For more visit www.entente-florale.eu.
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