Ballyeaston has been named the overall winner in the 2006 Ireland’s Best Kept Town Awards. Representatives from the Newtownabbey village heard the news that they had won the title of Ireland’s Best Kept Town at an awards ceremony in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra.

Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh also won its category, Best Kept Large Town, in this year's competition, which brought together the top Northern Ireland towns from last years Best Kept Awards and their counterparts from the Tidy Towns competition in the South.

Ballyeaston clinched their category award, Best Kept Village, before going on to take the top title. Aughrim, Co. Wicklow won the Best Kept Small Town award.

Doreen Muskett, MBE, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Amenity Council (NIAC), organisers of the Best Kept Town awards in Northern Ireland and hosts of this year's all-Ireland event said:

“The towns represented at this years awards were already winners in the North’s 2005 SuperValu Best Kept Awards and the Tidy Towns competition in the South, but these awards are the icing on the cake. I am delighted for Ballyeaston in taking the overall title, and well done to Enniskillen and Aughrim for their showing in this year's competition. Judging is never an easy task when you are comparing the best towns and villages across Ireland, but a healthy and good natured spirit of competitiveness has emerged over the years and long may it continue.”

She added:

“Volunteers are encouraged to help promote sustainability and improve the environment for everyone’s enjoyment, including future generations. In addition the awards afford an opportunity to build new links and a wider exchange of ideas and good practice.” 

Mr. Stephen Peover, Permanent Secretary at the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland said;

“The Best Kept Awards continue to flourish and I am delighted to be associated with this unique competition, which brings entire communities together with a common purpose of improving their local environment.” 

He congratulated all those who had taken part and worked so hard to maintain their town or village in a clean and attractive manner for the benefit of the local population and visitors alike. Mr Peover also paid tribute to NIAC for the outstanding contribution it has made to the improvement of the environment in Northern Ireland and to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (ROI) for working with them to make Ireland's Best Kept Towns such a success.

Mr. Batt O’Keeffe, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (ROI) added:

“Ireland’s Best Kept Towns is a terrific initiative in which the best towns in the Tidy Towns competition take on their counterparts in Northern Ireland. By having this second chance to shine, even higher standards are encouraged in towns and villages right across Ireland and people North and South get an opportunity to meet each other and share their experiences. Congratulations to all three winners, and in particular Ballyeaston for taking the overall title.”

SuperValu have been sponsors of the Ireland’s Best Kept Towns competition since its inception and are sponsors of the North’s Best Kept Awards and Tidy Towns in the South. Mr. David Pollock, Commercial Director of Musgrave SuperValu-Centra (NI) said:

“We are proud to sponsor Ireland’s Best Kept Town Awards in keeping with our ethos of supporting the local communities in which we trade.  There are now more than 200 independently owned SuperValu outlets across Ireland, based at the heart of local towns and villages, with the individual store owners and their staff making a major contribution to the quality of life in the communities they serve.  Support of and participation in Ireland’s Best Kept Towns has made and will continue to make, a real difference to the environment and local communities throughout the island.”

Mayor of Newtownabbey, Alderman Lynn Frazer, commented:

I would like to congratulate the community of Ballyeaston on their well deserved success.  Once again, the wonderful efforts of the residents show that the main aim of the competition to help promote sustainability and improve the environment for everyone’s enjoyment has been fully exemplified."

Ireland’s Best Kept Towns Awards, now in it’s eleventh year, was initiated when NIAC and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government agreed that an All-Ireland competition would help raise the profile of both Tidy Towns and Northern Ireland's SuperValu Best Kept Awards and the standards of towns and villages across the island of Ireland.  The competition also affords an opportunity to build new links and friendships between communities North and South.