The final resting place of the late, great Rory Gallagher has a further string to its bow.
Ballincollig in Co. Cork has been named Ireland’s tidiest town at national awards ceremony as volunteers claimed the top prize at a ceremony in Croke Park on Friday.
The town has been long viewed by many as contender for the SuperValu Tidy Towns title, after they took home the top prize for Tidiest Large Urban Centre while missing out on the overall award by just a single point.The 2023 award was won by Co. Laois’s Abbeyleix with a score of 376, while Ballincollig scored 375 overall.
The group was congratulated on their win by Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dan Boyle, he said:
“We are all so proud of Ballincollig & all the tidy towns volunteers who have worked so hard over the years to make it one of the most attractive spots to live and work in in Cork.
“The teams have done fantastic work around greening, fostering biodiversity and are trailblazers in terms of community climate action and protecting local heritage.
“Cork City Council works well with the tidy towns teams and everyone in City Hall believes the award is so deserved after years of dedication by the people who live there”.
Ballincollig beat out 904 towns and villages from across the country to claim the grand prize today. The award comes with €15,000 in prize money, more than enough to fund a well-earned day of celebration for the Ballincollig Tidy Towns crew.
Rory Gallagher fans can visit his graveside at St. Oliver’s Cemetery in Ballincollig on the outskirts of Cork City, where the world renowned late guitarist was buried and is a mecca for legions legions of fans even close on 30 years since his untimely passing
The grave is easily found with its distinctive headstone. The headstone is a replica of an award that Rory won for International Guitarist of the Year in 1972, and has five separate golden pieces rising up out of a marble base.
