Clough Village set to receive Pride of Place judges

Clough Village will represent Laois in this year's 2026 IPB All Island Pride of Place Competition in the Population under 0-300 category.

The All-Island Competition, which is sponsored by IPB Insurances and hosted by Co-operation Ireland, gives communities across Ireland, the opportunity to display how proud they are to live in, work in and take care of their own local areas. The Pride of Place competition describes itself as an opportunity to recognise initiatives taken by local communities and to celebrate the contribution that they make to society.

The judges will visit Clough on the afternoon of Friday July 24th 2026. Olga Hyland, member of the Clough Pride of Place Organising Committee, is looking forward to the visit. They said:

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome the Pride of Place judges to Clough. The whole village has gotten involved in preparations and it’s been brilliant to see the community come together to show everything that Clough has to offer!” In a statement, Laois County Council highlighted that at the heart of Clough's success was the dedicated Tidy Towns Group whose volunteers had worked tirelessly throughout the year to enhance the village through landscaping, planting, litter management, biodiversity initiatives, and the ongoing maintenance of public spaces.

"Their efforts are complemented by the outstanding contribution of the local GAA club, which provides not only first-class sporting facilities but also serves as a focal point for community life, bringing together people of all ages through sport, recreation, and social events."

The village has also benefited from the commitment of numerous local organisations, schools, businesses, residents' groups, and individual volunteers, all of whom have contributed their time, skills, and resources to improve the area. Various community clean-up days, heritage projects, environmental initiatives, cultural celebrations, and fundraising events also contributed to the nomination.

Portlaoise Tidy Towns are also representing Laois in the Climate Action and Biodiversity category, and they welcomed judges to Portlaoise last week.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme