Ballinasloe scored an “excellent” result on its return to the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Anti-Litter League. The results of it were released recently. Overall, the town was judged to be “cleaner than European norms”, with all sites assessed scoring either a Grade A or grade B, and there were no heavily littered sites. It was the highest-ranked location in Galway, and joint fifth out of the 40 towns visited in 2026.
The Anti-Litter League, which is run in partnership with the environmental group An Taisce, sees independent inspectors from An Taisce visit towns and cities across Ireland and grade them according to international standards. The results are then presented in league format.
The Anti-Litter League is credited with drastically reducing litter in towns and cities since its inception in 2002. That year, the inaugural survey showed less than 10% of towns were categorised as “clean to European norms”. This year, over 75% of towns met the designation. Ballinasloe was absent from the survey for four years, but returned to it in 2026.
Within Ballinasloe, 10 sites were surveyed. Six received an A grade, two were graded as B+, and two were graded as B. The A grade sites were: The R348 Approach road; The Ballinasloe Harbour/Marina; The Deposit Return Scheme at Lidl; Ballinasloe Horse Fair Monument and Environs; The R38 Approach, and Willow Park.
The Harbour/Marina site received particular praise for “a complete absence of litter” and all aspects of the harbour – seating, signage, and facilities – being “in excellent condition”. The Horse Fair Monument and Environs were described as: “striking” and “very well presented and maintained.” Meanwhile, the R348 Approach Rd was rated as “a fresh and welcoming approach” to the town.
The two sites which received the B+ grade were the R446 approach and the Lidl Shopping Centre. The first displayed litter from plastic bags and sweet papers, while the second had “too many small items for the top litter grade.”
The two sites rated B were the Recycle Bank, near the Marina, and Main St. Main St was praised for its street elements, which were “freshly presented”, but again, there was too much litter for it to receive a higher grade. There were discarded bags and some broken glass near the recycling bank at the marina.
Reacting to the results, Cllr Evelyn Parsons, Chair of the MDC congratulated everyone involved in the Ballinasloe Tidy Towns association, businesses and community volunteers on the “very encouraging results”. She added: “The [IBAL] Litter survey 2026 shows urban areas are continuing to clean up. It’s great to see ongoing improvements and to note areas for continued focus. Minding the environment is everyone’s business and responsibility.”
