Three Fingal groups to take part in the Annual IPB Pride of Place Competition 2025

Judging in the IPB Pride of Place Competition in Fingal will take place this August with three groups already selected to represent the county and showcase why they are examples of the best in Community Development on the island of Ireland.

Thrive Balbriggan, the Community of Rivervalley & Rathingle in Swords, and the Coolmine Lodge Biodiversity Project in Dublin 15 will each represent Fingal County Council in three different categories when the judging team come to the county on Monday August 25th and Tuesday August 26th.

Now in its 23rd year, the competition, organised by Co-operation Ireland, is part of a drive to foster better community relations on the island of Ireland. Pride of Place invites local authorities in Ireland, north and south to nominate the groups and communities which make a difference in creating communities as places to be proud of. The groups compete in different categories and are judged in their own communities by way of a presentation and a tour.

Fingal County Council has an excellent track record in this competition, having won the Best Community Engagement Award last year.  Also in 2024, the town of Lusk won first prize in the category for Communities with populations over 5000 while Castleknock Community Centre, Laurel Lodge were runners-up in the category which recognises social inclusion and diversity. The finals were held in Monaghan town last November.

Rivervalley Community Centre, Swords is leading the efforts in the Urban neighbourhoods category this year, and a committee representing all the key community stakeholders in the area is busy all summer working on its presentation and tour, with particular emphasis on recent and future developments for this thriving centre.

The award winning Thrive Balbriggan Mental health project will represent Fingal in the Health and Wellbeing category this year, centred around the Great Places and Spaces Mapping Project, which won a LAMA award for Fingal back in February.

Coolmine Lodge in Dublin 15 is entered in the Climate Action and Biodiversity Category, with special emphasis on the environmentally friendly projects undertaken by local community groups in partnership with Coolmine Lodge.

Speaking ahead of the finals, Mayor of Fingal Cllr Tom O’Leary said, “I want to wish the three Fingal groups who are taking part in Pride of Place this August the very best of luck. I have no doubt they will continue the strong tradition of local groups and communities doing Fingal and the Council proud in this competition which recognises the huge importance of the community and voluntary sector in the life of the county, and that is something we all should be proud of”.

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council AnnMarie Farrelly added; “the great work of our voluntary groups, and the strong support they get from our Community Development Office is crucial to the sense of community evident in the county and it is important that this is recognised and rewarded, as happened in Monaghan last year when Fingal County Council won the Best Community Engagement accolade. I sincerely want to wish all three groups the very best of luck when the judges visit Fingal next month. “

The finals of the 2025 IPB Pride of Place Competition will take place in Limerick on Friday, November 7th. For more information on Pride of Place you can contact the Council’s liaison officer, Rafe Costigan at 087-2203944 or at [email protected]