Clean bill for local towns in IBAL

Veronica Corr

The county towns of Monaghan and Cavan both got the thumbs up from the Irish Business Against Litter team in their new year report.

Both towns were deemed ‘Cleaner than European norms’ with Monaghan ranked fourth nationwide and Cavan placing 19th out of 40 large towns surveyed.

There was much praise for Monaghan Town, in achieving the top five placement in the reports carried out by An Taisce. There was a noted improvement at the Diamond Centre on previous surveys. The town’s iconic Peace Campus incorporating the County Museum, Library, youth, community and café spaces was deemed a beautiful addition, achieving a B+ rating. Monaghan Business Park was recorded as being much improved, while residential area Canal View garnered an A grade. Lidl Monaghan achieved an A for its Deposit Return Scheme, encouraging customers to ‘be part of the cycle’. Glaslough Street, which is renowned for its retail offerings and eateries, achieved a B+.

The town centre’s shopping environment received a positive review overall. St Joseph’s Church received a straight A in its IBAL examination, due to the complete absence of litter in the grounds.

Meanwhile, Cavan Town made it into the top half of the league table, with seven out of 10 sites surveyed meriting a top grade. Hampton Court was admired for its exceptionally fresh presentation. While the Deposit Return Scheme at Tesco was regarded as “spotless” and the Town Hall/Arts Centre, featuring outdoor seating in an attractive setting, also received top scores.

Unfortunately, Con Smith Park in Cavan received a Grade C and was found to be “the most heavily littered site by far” surveyed in the town. However the majority of the park was found to be in great order with some lovely features including a sculpture.

The R198 from the bus depot out to McCarren’s received a B grade, with floral displays and an eye-catching sculpture noted, however, the presence of cigarette butts and food-related litter was observed.

The R188 garnered a straight A from the traffic lights at the 50km zone, to the junction with the R212, with road markings, surface and signage all being taken into account, alongside the well kept properties. The Cathedral of Ss Patrick and Felim topped the poll, lauded for its “beautifully maintained grounds with an abundance of colourful planter boxes”. Main Street, Cavan Town received a B grade for being in good order and creating an overall positive impression but fell short of top marks because of the presence of cigarette butts, coffee cups, plastic bottles, fast-food wrappers and sweet papers.

Emer Brennan of the Tidy Towns Committee was “delighted” by Monaghan Town’s impressive report: “We strive for consistency and for us that’s staying in the top five. We’ve managed to do that over the last number of years. Obviously, we would like to be number one at some stage but keeping in the top five is the main aim.”

Monaghan County Council Cathaoirleach PJ O’Hanlon, said the town’s strong showing is “testament to the pride our community takes in its environment”.

Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Robert Burns, also welcomed the findings.

“These results demonstrate the value of sustained investment in our public realm and the strong partnerships we have built with community organisations across the county. ”

Cavan Tidy Towns’s Aoibhin Smith-Lynch noted they achieved the same result in June 2025.

“We’re looking at the positives. Seven out of the 10 sites randomly selected received an A grade. We are really happy that they referenced flowerbeds, sculptures and maintenance. This is a business-orientated report - just a snapshot of one day in Cavan town. Our volunteers and the members of Cavan County Council have been out throughout the year litter picking and we have worked with schools to develop future stewards for the environment.

“While we are disappointed to see Con Smith Park score poorly, with reference to the newly-installed basketball court being an area of particular concern, continued work is needed to raise awareness of the importance of keeping our parks tidy. Bins are available. The majority of people who use the park treat it with respect, but there are some who need to realise what a wonderful resource Con Smith Park is.”

Cavan County Council welcomed the IBAL results noting the report’s praise of a “very strong performance”.

“This is the result of a fantastic collaborative effort which involves the local Tidy Towns committee, the dedicated local authority staff working on the front line, and not least the businesses and local community, all of whom take immense pride in their home town.”