Communities in County Carlow roll out welcome mat for Pride of Place judges
Brendan McGrath and Colette Byrne, Pride of Place adjudicators, with Robin Johnson in Johnson's Tailors in Tullow
TULLOW and Ballymurphy rolled out the welcome mat last week as adjudicators for the 2026 IPB Pride of Place awards visited the two Carlow communities.
Judges Colette Byrne and Brendan McGrath were greeted by local volunteers, community groups, businesses, schools, sporting organisations and residents during a busy day of presentations, tours and demonstrations on Thursday 24 July.
The all-island competition, run in association with Co-operation Ireland and IPB Insurance, recognises communities that demonstrate civic pride, inclusion and a strong commitment to improving the places in which they live.
In Tullow, the judging programme highlighted the breadth of activity taking place across the town, from biodiversity and heritage to youth work, social inclusion, sport and recreation.
Among the stops were Tullow Youth Project and Forward Steps Resource Centre at Bishop’s House, along with the daycare centre, Cairdeas centre and the parish centre where community groups had displays and local produce was presented to the visiting judges.
The town’s heritage was also placed centre stage. At Market Square, volunteers dressed as pikemen took part in a demonstration linked to Tullow’s 1798 history and the legacy of Fr John Murphy while a wreath was laid at the monument.
Young people from Tullow were well represented, having worked with the tidy towns committee on murals and the sprucing up of electricity boxes in advance of the visit. An art installation at Slaney House, supported by local helpers, also formed part of the town’s showcase.
Biodiversity was another key theme, with judges shown around the newly opened biodiversity garden by members of Tullow’s men’s shed, as well as some of the recent planting near the Civic Centre. Three Portugal laurel trees had been added to circular containers beside the centre, complementing earlier work nearby.
In Ballymurphy, more than 150 people turned out as the community, last year’s overall county winner in the towns and villages category, presented its own programme of heritage, sport, music, food and local enterprise.
The judges travelled in style, with vintage cars supplied by James Lakes including a green Ford and a silver Mercedes. Their itinerary included visits to Ballymurphy Celtic AFC, St Patrick's Church and Johnsie's former shop and garage before a threshing display celebrating an old farming tradition.
At the grotto, the song was sung and a talk was given on the site’s history and heritage. At St Patrick’s church, the Looney Tunes choir performed, accompanied by Fr Rory Nolan on guitar.
There was also a sporting connection â local resident James Hickey of Mount Leinster Rangers and GAA director general Tom Ryan, whose family hail from Ballymurphy, outlined to judges the positive impact the GAA can have on community and social inclusion.
Speaking in a Carlow Co Council-commissioned video that was shown, James described Ballymurphy as “a beautiful place to live,” adding that his son had recently told him the area was “like something out of a movie”.
Other Ballymurphy highlights included Plúr Bakery, which presented some of its renowned pastries to the judges and an arts and crafts workshop run by Nicola Brown and Leiko Uchiyama.
