Abbeyleix Tidy Towns were the proud recipients of the 5 Blooms Silver Award at the 2025 Communities in Bloom International Symposium and Awards in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
Abbeyleix also received an Outstanding Achievement Award for International Community Involvement and special recognition for Abbeyleix Community Garden.
A representative group travelled to Canada for the prestigious event.
The group consisted of Cllr Barry Walsh, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Michael Rainey, Chief Executive of Laois County Council and Robbie Quinn and Kathleen O’Connor from Abbeyleix Tidy Towns.
Communities in Bloom is a volunteer and partnership-driven charitable organisation that inspires all communities to enhance the quality of life and our environment through people and plants to create community pride.
Communities in Bloom’s slogan is “Growing great places together” and that is something that Abbeyleix have achieved success in at local and national level, culminating in the winning of the prestigious national Tidy Towns award in 2023.
As a result of this win, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht nominated the group as the 2025 entrant in the CIB International Challenge with a focus on the edible garden theme.
Communities in Bloom judges visited Abbeyleix at the end of June and were amazed at the community spirit on show in the town, the work carried out and indeed the works planned by the group.
They stated that the value of volunteerism they had seen was “immeasurable”. They were also impressed with the focus that the group has on climate action, biodiversity and sustainability.
Following their evaluation, volunteer judges Alain Cappelle and Anthony O’Neill said: “A vibrant and welcoming space, the Abbeyleix Community Garden showcases exceptional artistic flair in every corner.
“Beautifully landscaped and brimming with creativity, it celebrates the goodness of edible gardening in ways that inspire and delight.
“Artistic vignettes woven throughout the garden bring smiles to all who visit, while the evident joy and passion of its gardeners make this a truly uplifting community treasure.”
The judging criteria encompass the whole community and include:
Community Appearance; Environmental Action; Heritage Conservation; Tree Management; Landscape; Plant and Floral Displays.
Michael Rainey, Chief Executive of Laois County Council said:
“Congratulations to Abbeyleix on this outstanding achievement.
“We are immensely proud to support the tireless efforts of the Tidy Towns Group and the wider community, who continue to build a vibrant and welcoming place for residents.
“It’s fantastic to see Laois gaining international recognition as a wonderful place to live, work, and visit.”
Robbie Quinn, Chair of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns Group said: “It’s a tremendous honour to represent Abbeyleix and Laois on the international stage at this remarkable event.
“Winning this prestigious award is recognition of the dedication and hard work of our entire community.
“This honour belongs to all those in Abbeyleix who strive every day to make our town a beautiful and vibrant place to live.
“Thank you to everyone who played a part in bringing us to this proud achievement.”
While in Canada, Chair of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns group, Robbie Quinn presented to an international audience on both the town itself, the work of the group and the collaborations with Laois County Council.
This was a great opportunity for Laois to be promoted abroad.
