There is excitement in the air in Laois as members of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns jet off to Canada to take part in the prestigious Communities in Bloom final.

Following its outstanding success as Ireland’s Overall Tidy Towns winner in 2023, Abbeyleix was selected to represent the country in the 2025 Communities in Bloom International Challenge. It is a global competition that brings together top-ranking towns from countries including Canada, the UK, USA, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia.

The international judges from Canada and Belgium previouslt visited the town on June 27 for the official judging day.

Pictured: Abbeyleix Tidy Towns members take to the skies

In preparation, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns volunteers, with the support of Laois County Council, were hard at work making sure the community was in pristine condition. 

Abbeyleix is proud to fly the flag for Ireland and Laois in this international celebration of community pride, sustainability, and collaboration. As proven by the National Tidy Towns victory, the town is sure to give its all to show the judges what makes Abbeyleix a truly exceptional place to live, work, and visit.

"It's a lovely feeling representing Ireland on the world stage," the Tidy Towns group shared on social media.

"Once [again] thanks to everyone who helped us on this journey especially the community who pulled out all the stops for judging in late June," the group said.

The 31st annual Communities in Bloom awards will take place from October 16 to October 18 in the beautiful Stratford, Ontario.

"Stratford, a founding CiB community with over 30 years of history, provides a stunning backdrop for this celebration," organisers boast.

"Renowned for its cultural vibrancy, picturesque gardens, and rich history, Stratford offers something for everyone. Stroll along the scenic Avon River, explore award-winning parks and trails, and enjoy the warm hospitality of a city that embodies the CiB spirit."

The organisation says its program provides a template for bringing everyone together to work towards improving the quality of life for all. It also provides a network of hundreds of communities worldwide with similar goals and objectives to share knowledge, experiences and best practices.

It adds that it is a volunteer and partnership-driven organisation that uses a multi-tiered competitive evaluation process to assess communities that then acts as a catalyst to help foster community strength, involvement and continuous improvement.

This nurtures environmental sustainability, climate change adaptation and mitigation, enhancement of green spaces, and the conservation of the cultural and natural heritage. The program assesses all municipal, residential, commercial, and institutional space.

For more updates on Abbeyleix Tidy Town's participation in Communities in Bloom, keep an eye on the Leinster Express / Laois Live website.

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