Waterford City has once again earned the title of Ireland’s cleanest city, climbing to 8th place in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Anti-Litter League rankings. The city has been awarded the prestigious “Cleaner than European Norms” status, further cementing its reputation as a national leader in cleanliness and urban presentation.

The biannual survey, carried out by An Taisce on behalf of IBAL, assessed 40 towns and cities across Ireland, with Waterford praised for the upkeep of key city centre and tourist areas as the summer season approaches.

Among the highlighted areas were:

  • The Mall, described as beautifully presented and maintained.

  • Barrow Street/Broad Street, a busy shopping zone noted for its cleanliness.

  • The Viking Triangle and Museum Quarter, major tourist attractions.

  • The Quays and River Walk, praised for their upkeep.

  • Lombard Street/William Street, commended for being litter-free despite nearby dereliction.

Only one heavily littered site was identified in the city — the Bring Bank at Tesco Ardkeen — a recurring issue that local authorities may now prioritise for improvement. Meanwhile, the report welcomed recent clean-up efforts at the ‘Woodpecker’ site, the Apple Market Car Park, and a previously problematic area near the Vee Car Park.

Ballybeg Makes Clean Gains

Waterford’s suburb of Ballybeg also performed strongly, ranking 15th overall and classed as “Clean to European Norms.” While it dropped slightly from its 2024 standing, half of the sites surveyed received top litter grades.

Notably improved areas included Ardmore Terrace and Ballybeg Stores & Environs, both of which just missed the top grade this time. The most seriously littered location was the Ballybeg Bring Bank, described in the report as not just littered but “dumped upon.”

Despite that, Ballybeg was free of any litter blackspots, reflecting real progress in the area’s overall maintenance and community efforts.

National Context

Nationally, the survey showed improved cleanliness, with two-thirds of towns rated clean, an increase from 2024 figures. Naas claimed the top spot overall, followed by Ennis and Killarney.

Plastic bottles and cans, while reduced by 50% since the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme, were still present in 20% of surveyed sites across Ireland. The IBAL also noted the continued prevalence of coffee cup litter, though disposable vape waste had decreased.

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