THERE were plenty of West Cork winners at this year’s 2025 Anti-Litter Challenge held in Cork County Hall on Monday night. Crosshaven came out on top in Towns Category C, while Clonakilty came third in the same category. Macroom was named the most improved town, while Ballingeary won the Largest Villages award and Castletownbere came third in the Towns Category A.

The competition was first introduced in the 1990s to tackle the problems of litter in Cork county towns and villages. Communities compete and are scored by judges based on the presence or absence of litter on their roads and streets. County Mayor Cllr Mary Linehan Foley said the work undertaken by voluntary community groups does not go unnoticed. ‘It was wonderful to see so many volunteers from the 21 towns and 66 villages across the county who took part in this year’s challenge. Clean towns and villages have positive environmental, social and economic spin-offs and every community who participated benefitted,’
she said.

Council chief executive Moira Murrell said The Anti-Litter Challenge is one of the Council’s most significant community initiatives and is an example of what can be achieved through community spirit and civic pride.’