A sign in Ballinahown. Google Maps
Tidy Towns
The winner was announced this afternoon.
LAST UPDATE | 3 mins ago
BALLINAHOWN IN CO Westmeath has been named Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2026, taking the overall prize ahead of a record 936 entries.
The village, which has a population of just 160, also won Ireland’s Tidiest Village at today’s SuperValu Tidy Towns awards ceremony at Croke Park.
More than 600 volunteers attended the event, where Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary announced the winners.
Ballinahown has entered the competition for 40 years and previously won the Tidiest Village title in 2024.
“This is a wonderful achievement and a special moment of immense pride for Ballinahown and indeed the wider county of Westmeath,” Calleary said.
“Having consistently entered the competition over the last 40 years and winning the title of Ireland’s Tidiest Village in 2024, Ballinahown have finally achieved their goal of winning the competition outright.”
He said the village’s success showcased “resilience, innovation, sustainability, community spirit and volunteerism”.
“This is even more impressive given the fantastic results the village has achieved over the last 3 years with a population of just 160 people. This dedication is at the core of what the competition is all about.”
The other main category winners were:
- Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town: Abbeyleix, Co Laois
- Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town: Buncrana, Co Donegal
- Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre: Tralee, Co Kerry
Carraig Airt in Co Donegal also received the Gaeltacht Award, while Dromiskin in Co Louth won the Young Persons in Tidy Towns award, presented by Minister of State Jerry Buttimer.
The competition has been running since 1958, with this year’s entry total the highest in its history.
More than 31,000 volunteers across the 936 participating committees contributed over one million hours to their communities this year.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated