TIDY TOWNS JUDGES TO VISIT BRAY AND GREYSTONES VERY SOON
TIDY TOWNS adjudicators will be sent to Bray and Greystones in the coming days, after they were two of six left out of the running for this year’s competition.
While a week ago, the organisation said that one other town nationally was omitted, it turns out that the total nationally was six.
TidyTowns has said while it is still investigating the cause, it is examining the possibility that the error was due to restrictions on the email providers of the entrants.
Mary Hargaden of Bray Tidy Towns said that they are feeling positive, after what was initially a ‘flattening’ experience.
‘You move on,’ she said.
The committee and volunteers have been characteristically busy with projects and clean-ups since last week’s disappointment.
‘We have a lot to keep us going,’ said Mary. She said that while the adjudication report, and the points total, are important, it’s important to try not to focus too much on one thing and instead to concentrate on everything the group has achieved.
Marie McCooey of Greystones Tidy Towns said that it had been disappointing, particularly because had they retained their medal they would have had in invitation to the main ceremony and therefore known they had won something.
‘We are still waiting for the results to come out,’ said Marie.
‘ They are of course not going to rush it, and give the entrants the respect they deserve. We won’t know until we get the results whether we held onto our medal or not. I hope so as we had a good body of work this year.’
She said they have no idea what went wrong.
‘Something went wrong between my computer and theirs,’ said Marie. ‘I sent the report, CCd it to my colleagues, my colleagues got it but Tidy Towns didn’t receive it,’ she said.
The other towns omitted were Mountrath in County Laois, Ballinamuck in County Longford, and Glenroe and Ballyorgan in County Limerick.
The Department of Community and Rural Affairs said that the towns in question had submitted their email applications, but those emails never reached the servers of the Department.
The Department also said that the adjudicators will be mindful of the fact that their assessments are taking place in October rather than during the summer months.
Any prizes that may be awarded to the six groups will be honoured and presented at the regional awards ceremonies to be held later in the year.
The process will not have the potential to change the results of the category or county winners.
SOMETHING WENT WRONG BETWEEN MY COMPUTER AND THEIRS. I SENT THE REPORT, CC’D IT TO MY COLLEAGUS. MY COLLEAGUES GOT IT BUT TIDY TOWNS DIDN’T