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Members of the Coolagown Development Group with Presenter Mary Kennedy at the Presentation of Tidy Towns Awards at the Helix, Dublin on Monday. Pictured are, from left to right: Maurice Costello, John Feeney, Florence Waters, Ena Costello and Brian Lowney, Chairman.

Coolagown has emerged the best in county Cork in the national Tidy Towns competition 2013. The village managed to increase its score by five points to 314, putting it just two points behind national winner Moynalty. The result means Coolagown is ranked the second cleanest village in Ireland, third overall in the country and the outright winners in Co Cork.

Members of their hard-working and dedicated development group were jubilant after returning on Monday evening from the awards in The Helix in Dublin with their sixth gold medal in a row. "It's fantastic to win gold. We wanted to move up a level and we've succeeded in doing that," the group's John Feeney told The Avondhu.

Coolagown was shortlisted for top village and featured in a video presentation screened at the awards in Dublin on Monday which was  viewed by over 800 attendees.

"We're at this since 1991. It started out as a community effort but it's gone far beyond that now, with Cork County Council, FÁS and Avondhu Blackwater Partnership all involved," John explained. He extended the group's sincere thanks to those agencies for their help and support, thanking Brendan O'Gorman, area engineer with Cork County Council, Valerie Murphy, CEO of Avondhu Blackwater Partnership and FAS supervisor Assumpta Mangan for their input. He also commended Kilmagner NS for their huge effort.

Calls were coming in from all over the place on Monday evening, congratulating John and his team on their success. "Competition is very keen. There's a lot of rivalry but it's friendly rivalry, like in hurling and football," John revealed. He said they know people from many other areas now on a first name basis from attending the awards.

Coolagown gained the extra points for landscaping, wildlife and natural amenities and sustainable waste and resource management, coming up a point in each. In the all important 'tidiness' section they gained a valuable two points.

"It is no wonder that you have been a gold medal winner for the last five years as increasing recognition comes your way," the judges noted in their report, adding: "Congratulations and deep thanks to all involved in this incredible manifestation of community pride and successful collective action."

They've no intention of resting on their laurels though - John said discussion in the car on the way home from the awards on Monday was all about what needs to be done to gain those vital extra points next year to put them in top place. "Planning for 2014 has started already," he stressed, demonstrating the level of committment and drive that has brought them so far.

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