At the Pride of Place judging in Ballinode were (from left): Aisling Kierans, Leona McDonald, Nicola Payne, Monaghan County Council, Jennifer McAree, Elaine Coyle, Tim Caffrey, judge; Maria Maguire, John McGrillen, judge and Peter Deery.

Monaghan communities show pride in their places

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Monaghan communities proudly showcased their achievements and community spirit as Pride of Place judges Tim Caffrey and John McGrillen visited the county on August 10 and 11 last to assess this year’s nominations.

Pride of Place is an all-island competition organised by Co-Operation Ireland in partnership with IPB Insurance. The competition provides local authorities with an opportunity to recognise and celebrate communities that demonstrate civic pride, inclusivity, community engagement and strong collaboration with local authorities.

This year, Monaghan County Council nominated three initiatives to represent the county across different categories.

The judges visited Lisdoonan Development Association, which is competing in the Community Wellbeing category. Next up was Ballinode Community Centre, which hosted the judges, as they vie for success in the 300–1,000 population category. The Monaghan judging programme concluded at the Ulster Canal Stores, which is representing the county in the Community Tourism segment.

Throughout the visits, the judges met local volunteers, community representatives and stakeholders, gaining an insight into the dedication, innovation and teamwork that underpin each of the nominated projects. The judging visits were attended by Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Campbell, Monaghan County Council Chief Executive Robert Burns and a number of elected members.

The judges praised the enthusiasm and commitment shown by each group and were impressed by the strong sense of community pride evident across all three nominations.

Cllr Campbell congratulated all of the nominees for the manner in which they presented their projects and communities to the judges. "Preparing for a Pride of Place judging visit requires significant commitment, dedication and teamwork, and I am very proud of the high standard demonstrated by each group. I wish them every success in the competition.”

Mr Burns congratulated the finalists and said the judges were impressed by the dedication, volunteerism and community spirit on display at all three projects.

“Pride of Place celebrates the people and communities who work every day to make Monaghan a great place to live, work and visit,"he said.

"The commitment shown by everyone involved reflects the strong sense of pride that exists throughout our county," added Mr Burns.

The winners of the 2026 Pride of Place competition will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on October 24 at the Convention Centre Dublin.

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