Birr's best kept estates revealed at awards ceremony

Birr's Best Kept Estates 2012 were revealed at an awards ceremony last Saturday night. The competition that was judged over the past months was fully sponsored by Birr Credit Union and had a total prize fund of €3,000. Last Saturday night's ceremony complete with champagne, food and music was sponsored by the County Arms Hotel. The focus of the Best Kept Estate competition is to encourage residents to take pride in their estate and promote community involvement. Marks were awarded in the competition for the appearance of green areas and footpaths, litter control and tidiness, tree planting and landscaping, green initiatives and the general community involvement. Meadowville estate came out top dog in the medium estate category of the competition, followed by runners-up Woodlane, Hillside and Westgate. In the small estate category there were joint winners - Demesne View and Meadowbrook. The two were followed in second and third place by Fairview and Presentation Place respectively. Three special awards were given out on the night also. Croghan Road Residents were awarded for their community effort, while Corr na Meala estate was highlighted for its tidiness. Finally Drumbane was recognised for its work keeping the area litter free.