Fingal communities honoured at 2025 all island IPB Pride of Place awards

Coolmine Lodge and Rivervalley Community Centre were the big winners for Fingal at the 2025 IPB Pride of Place awards. Supporting the Fingal nominees on the evening were Mayor of Fingal Cllr Tom O’Leary, Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly and members of the Community Development team.

Coolmine Lodge, a therapeutic community dealing with severe addiction won a special award in the Climate Action and Biodiversity Category. The Centre was praised by the judges for using nature to support service users saying: 
The “Recovery through Nature” programme encourages participants to “allow the environment to do the talking”. The focus on environmental and climate issues creates a safe place for participants, it creates a sense of belonging rooted in nature and a Pride of Place in all that they have achieved.

Meanwhile, Swords’s Rivervalley Community Centre was runner up in the Urban Neighbourhood and Housing Estates category as they showcased the thriving centre and its importance in the local community.  Thrive Balbriggan also represented Fingal in the Health and Wellbeing category, centred around the Great Places and Spaces Mapping Project.  

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Tom O’Leary commented: “It is inspirational to be here at the Pride of Place awards with the fantastic Fingal groups whose dedication and pride in their local areas is being celebrated for making a really positive change in their communities. I want to congratulate everyone involved.”

Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly said: “Huge congratulations to the Coolmine Lodge and Rivervalley Community Centre on their success at this year’s Pride of Place Awards and also to Thrive Balbriggan who represented Fingal.  These awards are particularly special as they celebrate the invaluable role of the voluntary and community sector and the fruits of their efforts, with the support of our Community Development team, is very evident to me in the vibrant communities in Fingal.”  

The awards, hosted by comedian and broadcaster Dermot Whelan, took place in Limerick’s Strand Hotel on November 7th, with 400 community volunteers in attendance.

Sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Pride of Place competition was initiated 23 years ago though a Co-operation Ireland programme to acknowledge the invaluable work undertaken by volunteers and those involved in local community development. It has grown into the largest competition recognising community development achievements on the island of Ireland.