Kilkenny County Council held the Community Awards Night in the Parade Tower in Kilkenny Castle on Thursday 30th April 2026. Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Mary Hilda Cavanagh welcomed all the groups who attended the Community Awards ceremony that is held in recognition and to acknowledge the dedication and work of the community groups carried out in towns and villages throughout County Kilkenny.
The Cathaoirleach commented “Kilkenny has always demonstrated a special community spirit that lives in every town, every village, and every neighbourhood. Tonight, is not simply an awards ceremony; it is a tribute to the people who breathe life, colour, care, and pride into the places we call home.”
On the night there were awards for three different categories, including the Pride of Place nominations from Kilkenny for the national competition in 2025, Tidy Towns groups who were recognised for their achievements and finally the prize giving for the winners of the Tidy Estates Competition.
The IPB Pride of Place, is an all-island competition both North & South that rewards people and groups who come together to make positive changes within their communities and improve the daily lives of those citizens.
Kilkenny County Council nominated three communities for these awards for this national competition. The groups representing Kilkenny for the 2025 competition were community groups from Windgap, Gowran and Piltown.
All nominees were celebrated at the Kilkenny Community Awards ceremony and received an award in recognition of their achievements and their participation in the national competition.
The Tidy Towns group also received a special acknowledgement and recognition award for their dedication, achievements and success in the national competition 2025.
Inistioge Tidy Towns were recognised for their achievement in achieving a Gold Medal and 1st Place in the County Awards Category. This achievement reflects the extensive efforts and wealth of experience brought forth by the committee and dedicated local volunteers.
Keep Kilkenny Beautiful finished just 5 marks shy of the national champion in the 2025 competition, retaining its gold medal award and securing 2nd place in the County Awards. KKB were honoured as one of only two national recipients of the Greenways and Active Travel Awards for their innovative and sustainable initiatives.
Tullahought Tidy Towns celebrated a major milestone by achieving their first ever Gold Medal in the Tidy Towns Competition, a remarkable accomplishment that reflects decades of commitment.
Owning Tidy Towns also received recognition for their achievements in 2025. The group were recognised with the Endeavour Award at the national competition. This award is presented to the community that shows the greatest improvement in marks overall.
Kilkenny County Council Tidy Estates Competition aims to encourage residents to take an active role in improving the physical appearance of their housing estates. The overall winners in the Large Estates category were Glenvale Ballyragget, and in 2nd place were Bellfield Estate, Ferrybank and Woodview Estate, Freshford received 3rd place in the competition.
In the Medium Estates category, the winners were The Belfry Estate, Thomastown, with Mill Road, Inistioge following in 2nd place and in 3rd place Assumption Place, Urlingford.
In the Small Estates category, the winners were Fr. Raftice Place, Moneenroe, and in 2nd place were Old School Crescent, Moneenroe and in 3rd place were Shamrock Grove Estate, Kilmacow.
Anne Marie Shortall, Senior Executive Officer, Community Department commented, “The Community Awards is a very special night in the community calendar in recognising the achievements, dedication and hard work of community volunteers throughout the County”.
