There were jubilant celebrations at the Limerick Going for Gold grand final as Kilfinane was named as overall winner for 2023.
Limerick Going for Gold is a community based competition with more than €60,000 in prize funding up for grabs.
Limerick Going for Gold aims to make Limerick a cleaner, brighter place to work, live and visit and has captured the imagination of Tidy Towns groups, residents’ associations, smaller groups and individuals right across Limerick city and county since it began in 2012.
The competition is sponsored by the JP McManus Charitable Foundation. It is organised by Limerick City and County Council and supported by Live 95, The Limerick Leader, The Limerick Post, Parkway Shopping Centre, I Love Limerick and Southern Marketing Media & Design.
A total of 13 communities made the final of the Limerick Going for Gold Tidy Towns Category – before the winners were announced at the grand final, attended by hundreds of people from communities across Limerick city and county in the Limerick Strand Hotel.
Five of the finalists in the Tidy Towns Category were selected by popular vote on the Limerick Today show on Live95 with the remaining areas chosen by the judges, Pat Shearin and Michael Griffin (retirees from Limerick City and County Council) following visits to all of the areas.
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Gerald Mitchell congratulated the participating communities for helping to ensure that Limerick Going for Gold 2023 was a tremendous success.
Speaking to the hundreds of attendees Mayor Mitchell said, “I want to congratulate all the entries in this year’s Going for Gold competition and of course the overall winners Kilfinane. It is a credit to you all how communities can come together and transform their areas. Everyone working together, sharing a common purpose.”
Gerry Boland from the JP McManus Charitable Foundation said, “it is very satisfying to reach the conclusion of another successful Going for Gold campaign. Going for Gold involves so many people in our communities throughout our city and county, and the improvements which they have effected in their local areas are much appreciated and contribute enormously to the quality of the environment in which we live.”
Seamus O Connor, Senior Executive Officer in Limerick City and County Council commented, “Limerick Going for Gold brings together the efforts and endeavours of communities and I want to thank the entrants for their hard work and commitment as without it we wouldn’t be able to have an event such as this.”
Source: Limerick City & County Council
