The Co Tyrone village of Donaghmore has picked up a top prize at the Ulster in Bloom awards.
The much-loved annual horticultural, environmental and community competition officially recognises the most beautiful plant and floral displays across local cities, towns and villages.
Donaghmore was awarded the ‘Village’ winner at the awards, recognising the efforts of community groups like the Donaghmore Horticultural Society, which is made up of local volunteers from the community.
The group’s chair Sammy Wilson said it was a great honour for the village to pick up the award.
“We started entering Ulster in Bloom in 2013 and we came in second and third a couple of times but now we’ve won three times,” Sammy said.
“It’s great because we haven’t got a very big group of us working at it, but there is a lot of work that goes into it.
“We all put a big effort into it and it really has enhanced the village and made it look well.
“We try to keep the village here as tidy as we can, and in 2018 we won the Tidiest Village in Ireland so we’re proud of the effort we put into the place."
Ulster in Bloom is sponsored by Translink, who celebrated the return of the awards to highlight the work of community gardeners across the region.
“It is heartening to see such fantastic demonstrations of community spirit in action, especially given the challenging times everyone has experienced,” Translink Chairman Michael Wardlow said.
“These awards clearly highlight the pride so many have for their local areas. The time and dedication given to creating such beautiful spaces is commendable. It’s also great to see so much biodiversity and a focus on sustainability, whether through the use of wildflowers or community allotments.”
