Troy ‘honoured’ to speak as judges assess Tidy Towns’ Pride of Place entry

Longford/Westmeath TD Robert Troy has made one of his first public appearances since intense scrutiny over his property investments led to his recent resignation as a Government minister.

Deputy Troy, formerly a Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said that he was “honoured” to have been asked to speak at an event which coincided with the arrival of judges assessing Mullingar Tidy Towns’ entry in the IPB Pride of Place competition.

Speaking at the event in Columb Barracks, Mullingar earlier this afternoon, Deputy Troy told the organisers: “Thank you for giving me the honour of saying a few words today.”

“It means an awful lot, particularly after the last couple of weeks that I’ve had, to be so welcomed here by the community in Mullingar that I am so proud to represent,” he added.

Deputy Troy said that he was fortunate to be a TD representing his constituency and the town of Mullingar.

“It’s an honour for me to do that, and I think our two judges today will see why it is such an honour,” he continued.

“Because as you have interacted with the various community groups, as you have witnessed this morning the presentations, and as you have travelled around the town of Mullingar, you will have seen a very vibrant town.

“It’s a vibrant town from an economic perspective, and it’s a vibrant town also in the sense of community activism, of volunteerism, and the various community groups that are doing invaluable work day in, day out to make this a better place to live, a better place to work, and a better place in general.”

Two Pride of Place judges toured Mullingar this morning to assess Mullingar Tidy Towns’ entry in the competition, which recognises and rewards the efforts by local communities to foster civic pride in their area.

“We feel it went very well for Mullingar,” Jason McKevitt, local historian and member of Mullingar Tidy Towns, said of this morning’s phase of the adjudication process. “What we did this morning was put on display what is great and good about Mullingar, and why we have pride of place.

“It’s not just about heritage and biodiversity, which are key things, but also what Mullingar is like as a place to live. What is it like for the people who are here? We have a Purple Flag – that sort of positive stuff.

“We started here in the army barracks and gave a presentation earlier this morning. Then I took over and spoke about the history of here, and we went from here down to the old railway bridge near Cathedral View and looked at what local people and school kids are doing in the community, particularly children from the National Learning Network and the Muiríosa Foundation.

“We went from there to the Harbour, and then to Westmeath Sports Partnership. We looked at kayaking on the canal, and spoke with Inland Waterways.

“Then we went to Mullingar Shamrocks – not just to look at the GAA aspect, but at the fascinating work they’ve been doing in the area of biodiversity. We went on to St Colman’s National School, and Sean Doran did a bit of work with the kids where he got them to throw some pieces of paper. The key message here was that no matter where you throw paper, it’ll always land in someone else’s back garden.

“We went to the Town Park and looked at the amenities in and around there – the tennis club, the pollination garden, and the social space. From there we went up the Jail Hill and looked at more history and heritage in the built environment, like the courthouse, where Comhaltas was founded, and the James Joyce connection.

“Then we went on to Dominick Square, where some of the first shots of the civil war were fired, and of course nearby we have the mural of Niall Horan, and the Cathedral of Christ the King. At the cathedral, we emphasised the Boris Anrep mosaics – a cultural link with the ongoing events in Russia and Ukraine. We then finished up at the 1916 memorial.”

Annette Barr Jordan from Westmeath County Council said that the results of the adjudication process will be known in January, and she believes that in its entries for the competition, Mullingar has put its best foot forward.

“I think the presentation and the tour of the town went very well, and I would be confident that the judges were impressed,” she stated.