Our county town made its own piece of history this week when Enniskillen was crowned Best Kept Town overall in Ireland for the second time.

In so doing, the island town became first town in Ireland to win the award twice since Ireland’s Best Kept Towns competition was launched in 1995, the other success coming in 2014.

As such then Enniskillen volunteers and community organisations involved in improving their local area are now celebrating winning Ireland’s Best Kept Large Town and the Best Overall, all-Ireland titles.

Enniskillen also won the Large Town category three times before in 2013, 2014 and 2017.

The results of this year’s annual competition were announced on Tuesday at an awards ceremony held in the Drawing Office of the Titanic Hotel Belfast.

The judges’ citation documented the strong presence of civic pride apparent across the town of Enniskillen and specifically mentioned “The ‘Wide Awake Way’ and the area around Racecourse Lough locations, “where much thought and effort has gone into supporting biodiversity with wildflower meadows also helping to promote insect life such as bees, butterflies and others.”

They noted that, “Enniskillen is a most attractive town and has managed to combine its location on the river Erne with an ability to maintain and enhance its many historical features”.

SEE ALSO: Ireland's Best Kept Town: Enniskillen wins overall award

Congratulating Enniskillen on their awards, Doreen Muskett President of the Northern Ireland Amenity Council said: “We are thrilled to see Enniskillen win the prestigious Ireland’s Best Kept Overall award for the second time in the competition’s history, and the Best Kept Town award, both so well deserved.

“Throughout the pandemic thousands of volunteers and gardening enthusiasts kept our, towns, villages and the country looking its best. The awards illustrate and emphasise how much voluntary work is undertaken to keep Enniskillen beautiful and how the community works together to make where they live desirable.

The Republic of Ireland’s Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, on Tuesday (June 21) congratulated Enniskillen as worthy winners of Ireland’s Best Kept Town 2022 competition, following an awards ceremony in The Titanic Hotel, Belfast.

Speaking after the announcement, Minister Humphreys said: “I want to congratulate all of the winners and nominees in the all-island Best Kept Town competition.

“In particular I would like to congratulate Enniskillen, Inistioge, Abbeyleix and Lisburn for winning awards in their respective categories.”

Prizes were awarded across various categories with Lisburn winning the Best Kept Large Urban Centre category, Inistioge in Co Kilkenny awarded Best Kept Village and Abbeyleix in Co Laois lifting the Best Kept Small Town category.