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The History The national TidyTowns initiative was launched by Bord Fáilte, the Irish Tourist Board (now Fáilte Ireland), in 1958 as part of the 'Tostal', a nationwide festival celebrating all things Irish. A step-up from the original National Spring Clean Campaign which ran between 1953 and 1957, TidyTowns rapidly developed its own identity and has gone on to become Ireland's most well known and popular local environmental initiative. Right from the start, the primary focus of TidyTowns was to encourage communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit. The competition aspect was an important element in developing friendly rivalry that would help boost standards across the board. and the winner of the first competition held in 1958 was Glenties, Co Donegal pictured above. However, the emphasis was always on participating rather than winning as the very act of taking part brought benefits to the community. And with a focus on long-term results rather than quick returns, TidyTowns was soon seen as a unique and far-sighted initiative. Although just 52 towns entered in its first year, TidyTowns rapidly increased in popularity with an average of 700 entrants per year. Its success also spawned many other initiatives at national, county and local level, which further boosted its reputation and impact. It is impossible to accurately estimate the number of people who have had some involvement in TidyTowns, but its safe to say it has run into the hundreds of thousands, and its influence on the transformation of Ireland's landscape is undeniable. Following the restructuring of Bord Fáilte in 1995, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government assumed responsibility for TidyTowns and now organises the initiative with the support of national sponsor 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." To access further information on the history of TidyTowns make sure to check out our extensive on-line archive under this section. This includes the full set of written reports on every participant since 1996, a complete photographic archive of winning towns for download through a short registration process, publications of special interest to TidyTowns over the years, video and audio links to TV and radio programmes featuring TidyTowns and the complete list of overall winners. This section will expand as we gather more and more items from TidyTowns rich past, so please make sure to visit from time to time.
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An Stair In 1958 mar chuid den ‘Tostal’, féile a bhí ar siúl ar fud na tíre agus a rinne ceiliúradh ar gach ní a bhain le hÉirinn, sheol Bord Fáilte Éireann (Fáilte Ireland anois) tionscnamh náisiúnta na mBailte Slachtmhara. Céim in airde ón bhFeachtas Glantacháin Náisiúnta Earraigh bunaidh a bhí ar siúl idir 1953 agus 1957, d’fhorbair tionscnamh na mBailte Slachtmhara a aitheantas féin go tapaidh agus tá sé anois ar cheann de na tionscnaimh comhshaoil áitiúla is fearr á bhfuil aithne air agus is coitianta in Éirinn. Ón tús, ba é príomhfhócas na mBailte Slachtmhara pobail a spreagadh lena dtimpeallacht áitiúil a fheabhsú agus áit níos fearr le maireachtáil, le cónaí nó le cuairt a thabhairt air, a dhéanamh dá gceantar féin. Bhí gné an chomórtais ina mír thábhachtach le hiomaíocht chairdiúil a fhorbairt a chuideodh le caighdeáin a threisiú ar fud na tíre, agus ba iad na Gleannta i nDún na nGall, atá sa phictiúr thuas, a bhuaigh an chéad chomórtas a reáchtáladh in 1958. Ba ar pháirt a ghlacadh, áfach, agus ní ar bhuachan a bhí an bhéim i gcónaí mar go rachadh fiú páirt a ghlacadh sa chomórtas chun leasa an phobail. Agus le fócas ar thorthaí fadtéarmacha seachas torthaí tapaidh, is gearr go bhfacthas na Bailte Slachmhara mar thionscnamh sainiúil, fadbhreathnaitheach. Cé nár chuir ach 52 baile isteach ar an gcomórtas an chéad bhliain, is gearr go raibh tóir mhór ar na Bailte Slachtmhara le meán de 700 iontrálaí in aghaidh na bliana. D’eascair cuid mhaith tionscnamh eile as chomh maith agus a d’éirigh leis freisin ag leibhéal náisiúnta, ag leibhéal contae agus ag leibhéal áitiúil, rud a chuir go mór lena chlú agus lena thionchar. Ní féidir líon na ndaoine a raibh baint éigin acu leis na Bailte Slachmhara a mheas go cruinn, ach is féidir a rá go bhfuil na céadta míle duine i gceist, agus ní féidir an tionchar a bhí aige ar tírdhreach na hÉireann a athrú a shéanadh. I ndiaidh athstruchtúrú Bhord Fáilte in 1995, ghlac an Roinn Comhshaoil, Oidhreachta agus Rialtais Áitiúil freagracht na mBailte Slachtmhara agus eagraíonn an Roinn an tionscnamh anois le tacaíocht an urraitheora náisiúnta SuperValu agus roinnt gníomhaireachtaí eile. Leanann a rathúlacht, agus cé gur athraigh sé de réir mar a d’athraigh an saol, coinníonn sé chroíphrionsabal a bhunaitheoirí - “déan ceantar níos fearr de do cheantar féin”. Le tuilleadh eolais a fháil ar stair na mBailte Slachtmhara déan cinnte go seiceálfaidh tú ár gcartlann leathan ar líne faoin roinn seo. Áirítear leis seo sraith iomlán tuarascálacha scríofa maidir le gach rannpháirtí ó 1996, cartlann fótagrafach iomlán de na bailte a bhuaigh le híoslódáil trí próiseas clárúcháin gearr, foilseacháin sainspéise ar na Bailte Slachtmhara thar na blianta, naisc físeán agus clostrealamh chuig cláir Teilifíse agus raidió a thaispeánann na Bailte Slachtmhara agus liosta iomlán de na buaiteoirí foriomlána. Tiocfaidh méid ar an roinn seo de réir mar a bhailímid tuilleadh míreanna maidir le stair shaibhir na mBailte Slachtmhara san am a caitheadh, mar sin déan cinnte le do thoil go dtugann tú cuairt ar an láithreán gréasáin ó am go ham.