Buncrana wins Ireland’s Best Kept Large Town 2025

Buncrana has won Ireland’s Best Kept Large Town 2025 on the thirtieth anniversary of the award's beginnings. 

It is the second year running that a Donegal settlement has won an award in the Ireland’s Best Kept Town awards, after Malin was recognised as Ireland’s Best Village in the 2024 awards.

Buncrana’s success was announced at an awards ceremony in Farmleigh House, Dublin. The Inishowen town won ahead of Comber in Down, and Rush in Dublin who were also nominated for the Best Kept Large Town Category. 

Naas in Kildare was the overall winner for 2025’s Ireland’s Best Kept Town competition, after winning the Large Urban Centre category.

It was a successful year for Ulster towns other than Buncrana, as Donaghmore in Tyrone won Best Kept Village, and Royal Hillsborough in Down won Best Kept Small Town. 

Ireland’s Best Kept Towns competition was launched in 1995 as an all-island initiative to help improve the standards of towns and villages across the island of Ireland. All entrants were marked against strict adjudication criteria that included cleanliness, the outward appearance of buildings, the presentation of roads and public facilities, and the natural environment. 

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The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, congratulated Naas, Buncrana, Donaghmore and Royal Hillsborough for their success.

He said: “Now in its 30th year, Ireland’s Best Kept Town Competition recognises the great pride people have in their own communities, both in Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

“Investment in our communities through this wonderful competition reaps long-term rewards for all, as showcased by the winning groups here today. It is testament to how local volunteers take ownership of their local area and work to improve them, for now and into the future.

“Being nominated for these awards is an achievement in itself. It is a recognition of the efforts made by volunteers and local communities in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and the Best Kept competition in Northern Ireland.”