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The National award won by Tralee. Photo: Aidan Kelly
IT gets better for Tralee.
Having won the Regional Category for ‘Most Enterprising Large Town Award for Munster’ in the Bank of Ireland National Enterprising Town Competition tonight, they then won ‘Most Enterprising Large Town in Ireland’ category and finally the Overall National most Enterprising Town In Ireland award netting an overall prize of €23,000.
Mayor of Tralee Norma Foley, Aidan Kelly of Tralee Chamber Alliance and Bank Of Ireland Tralee manager Gerry Enright were there to accept all three awards tonight at a ceremony attended by over 500 people from towns all over Ireland at the Tullamore Court Hotel.
The national competition to find the country’s most enterprising town had 78 entries from 31 local/city authority areas.
As regional winners they receive a prize of €3,000, national winners for the categories receive €5,000 and the Overall Award has a €15,000 prize.
Listowel was runner-up in the Munster Enterprising Small Town category.
The judges said they were impressed with everything they saw when they came adjudicate on Tralee last month.
They said there was “a real sense of collaboration” and found that Tralee was “different from a well-known neighbouring town” in the enterprise sector.
The judges recognized that Tralee is “both an important business and tourism centre and the home of Ireland’s most famous festival – the Rose of Tralee”.
Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kerry County Council, NEWKD, IT Tralee, HQ Tralee and Bank of Ireland Tralee worked together to convince the judges that Tralee should be seriously considered for the title.
