Laois village prepares to welcome Pride of Place judges

Clough Village will represent Laois in the Population 0-300 category

Published 16th Jul 2026, 12:55 BST The Clough Tidy Towns group preparing for the Pride of Place visit. Photo: Clough Tidy Towns Facebook. Clough Village will represent Laois in the Population 0-300 category Sign up to our Laois Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Laois Live within your account.

A Laois village will welcome the Pride of Place judges on Friday, July 24.

Preparations are well and truly underway in Clough Village for next week’s big judging day for this year’s Pride of Place Awards.

Clough is representing the county in the Population 0-300 category in the 2026 IPB All-Island Pride of Place competition.

Last week, the competition judges visited Portlaoise as the Portlaoise Tidy Towns group is representing Laois in the Climate Action and Biodiversity category.

The prestigious 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 recognises initiatives taken by local communities and celebrates the vital contribution that they make to society.

The judges will visit Clough on the afternoon of Friday, July 24.

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Commenting on the visit, Olga Hyland, member of the Clough Pride of Place Organising Committee, 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!”

Laois County Council has commended the village for its “strong spirit of volunteerism and collaboration” as well as the dedicated Tidy Towns group who has worked tirelessly to enhance the village through landscaping, planting, litter management, biodiversity initiatives, and the ongoing maintenance of public spaces.

They also noted 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.”

Laois County Council wished Clough Village the best of luck in this year’s competition.