The Tidy Towns was launched by Bord Failte, the Irish Tourist Board (now Failte Ireland) in 1958 as part of the “Tostal”, a nationwide festival celebrating all things Irish. 1953-1957 Tidy Towns rapidly developed its own identity and has gone on to become Irelands most well known and popular local environmental initiative.

The primary focus of Tidy Towns was to encourage communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit. Following the restructuring of Bord Failte in 1995, the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government assumed responsibility for Tidy Towns and now organises the initiative with the support of national sponsors Supervalu and a number of other agencies. Its success continues and while it has moved with the times, it still retains the same core principle of its founders- “make your place a better place”.

From April to end of November each year, a dedicated group of volunteers meet usually on Wednesdays and Thursdays depending on work needed to be done. They start at 7.00 p.m. and usually finish at around 9.30 p.m. Their work involves dead-heading flowers, weeding rose-beds and shrub-beds, picking up litter, washing dustbins throughout the town and generally keeping town’s main area in top shape.

They receive excellent support from Kinsale Town Council, Kinsale Harbour Commissioners and Cork County Council with major works such as renewal of paving, street lighting, seating, etc.

The Committe also gets great support from the Chamber of Tourism, Vintners Association, local hotels, restaurants and general businesses in the Kinsale.

Fundraising is used for

• Selected projects, i.e. Bird Sanctuary & stone signs at The Marsh area, near Compass Quay
• Wildlife sign at Scilly bog.
• Scilly wild flower garden near Spaniard pub.
• Planters for trees & flowers

All these projects were recently carried out and add to the overall amenities of Kinsale and environs.