Trim was chosen to represent Ireland in the competition following its success in the National Tidy Towns competition in 2022. Based on the scoring obtained, the community will be rated from 1 to 5 blooms and aim to obtain bronze, silver, or gold levels in the 5-bloom rating. The other towns in Trim’s category include Brooks, Alberta, Canada; Rosemere, Quebec, Canada; Stratford, Ontario, Canada; and Szentes, Hungary.
The judges tour began at Newtown Cemetery and the Porchfields and went on to Our Lady of Trim Park, Norman Pratt Park, and included a quick stop with the donkeys on Castle Street. Following a walk on the river, the judges had a whistlestop tour of Trim Castle, dropped off at the Trim Visitor Centre, and were greeted by parishioners in St. Patrick’s Church. This was followed by a visit to the Trim Recycling Centre and Trim GAA, where they met several local groups and organisations. In the afternoon, stops included St. Patrick’s Park and Sensory Garden, the Office of Public Works, Boyne Valley Activities, the Black Friary Archeological site, and Talbot Castle.
Speaking about their visit to Trim, Bob Ivison said, “It’s been an amazing experience and a wonderful example of what local communities are all about, not just the flowers and displays but the community spirit itself is tremendous.” Fellow CiB judge Susan Ellis added, “It’s a complete example of what we are looking for in Communities in Bloom. They know what they are doing here, it must be why such happy, jolly people surround us.”
Meath County Council Director of Services Des Foley said, “It is such an honour for Trim to be nominated in the first place to represent Ireland in this international competition. This is an opportunity to showcase Trim on the international stage. Overall, we are delighted to be part of it. It’s a partnership between Math County Council, Trim Tidy Towns, and all the community and voluntary organisations and the business community in the town, all working together.”
Chairperson of Trim Tidy Towns Brain Heffernan added, “The town looked amazing, the best that I can remember. So many different groups took part, so it was a real town effort. We couldn’t invite all the sporting, community groups and schools to meet the judges due to time constraints, but, the judges, after meeting the groups that they did meet, got a great feel for what a vibrant community that exists in Trim. So, a big thank you from Trim Tidy Towns to all the groups involved.”
The Communities in Bloom results will be announced at an Awards Ceremony held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, from October 17 to 20, 2024. Trim, with the other International Finalists, will be provided with excellent marketing and promotional opportunities during the event, where Boyne Valley Tourism and Meath County Council can showcase Trim and the Boyne Valley, which will hope to create positive benefits for the tourism, hospitality, and retail industries.