WATCH: First 'in-person' Tidy Towns event in Limerick for three years is a big success

LIMERICK City and County Council has hosted its first in-person Tidy Towns event in nearly three years. 

Tidy Towns groups from across the city and county gathered at Woodlands House Hotel in Adare for the annual seminar - the first since 2019 because of the pandemic. 

Speakers on the night included representatives from Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town, Abbeyleix, Laois  and Blackrock, County Louth along with Senior Tidy Towns Adjudicator Anne O’Leary who is a former town planner with four decades of involvement in Tidy Towns.

Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Tom Ruddle spoke at the event and said he was delighted that the groups could gather again. 

I’m at the Woodlands in Adare this evening for the first in person @LmkTidyTown event in nearly three years @Limerick_Leader pic.twitter.com/wAx7uI5kXS

— Frances Watkins (@FrancesW96) February 16, 2022

Sinead McDonnell, Environment Awareness Officer for Limerick City and County Council said it was great for the groups to meet their fellow committee members again.

She said: "One group has already said to me that even though they managed to get some projects done, they missed the social aspect of Tidy Towns and networking with people. 

"We have been doing online networking and that is fine, it works to a degree and it can be very useful but you can't replace face to face meetings for any kind of education," she told the Limerick Leader.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Daniel Butler, said: "Communities have shown such resilience and strength throughout the restrictions, that now is their time to shine.

"Throughout lockdown Tidy Towns volunteers continued to work hard in the communities and they must be commended for this.

"Now it’s great for Limerick’s Tidy Towns groups to be able to network at an in-person event. Tidy Towns volunteers continue to make an enormous contribution to civic life in Limerick and the seminar is just one way that the Council can support them with their volunteer work."