Could Monaghan be the best place to live in Ireland?

It's time to get your mouse moving as the friendly rivalry with our neighbours clicks up a notch with the debate over where is the bast place to live.

Cavan has received 10 nominations in ‘The Best Place to Live in Ireland 2021', but Glaslough in Monaghan is the location with the most support, almost 13 times Cavan's showing. As a county Dublin leads the field, but it's votes are spread out over three population centres.

There's less than a week to go to the closing of entries in the poll. Cavan is level with Tipperary but behind counties Sligo and Down. Dublin has 239 while our neighbours Monaghan are in second place with 199 entries, with Cork in third on 71.

The north Dublin suburb of Malahide accounts for more than half of these with 129 entries, bringing it neck and neck with the Co Monaghan village of Glaslough, which has been nominated 130 times.

Other locations to receive multiple nominations in Dublin include Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock and Skerries, while outside of Dublin, Bray in Wicklow, Killarney in Kerry, Clonbur and Portumna in Galway, Dungarvan and Tramore in Waterford and the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal have all been nominated several times.

Altogether, there have been 1,064 entries so far for the 32-county competition which is organised by The Irish Times. Eight counties have five nominations or less. They are Kilkenny on five, Carlow, Westmeath and Tyrone on four, Fermanagh and Meath are on three while Longford and Armagh have two.

The Irish Times launched its search for the Best Place to Live in Ireland last month and invited people from all over the island to nominate their favourites.

Each nominated location will be judged on specific criteria, including community spirit, local services and amenities, diversity, transport links, vibrancy of the local economy, cost of living, safety and of course the unique X factor.

During the summer, the nominated places will be researched and put before a panel of judges, who will choose an eventual winner in September.

Westport emerged as the overall winner when the competition was held for the first time in 2012 but is not eligible to win it this time round.

To be in with a chance to claim the title for your homeplace, all you have to do is to write a short submission of 300 words explaining what makes it so special. Full details are available at www.irishtimes.com/bestplace

But you’ll have to move quickly as the closing date for this year’s competition, which is supported by Randox Health, is Sunday July 25th.