Ballyboy, Tullamore and Bracknagh groups represent Offaly in Pride of Place

Community groups in Ballyboy, Tullamore and Bracknagh represented Offaly in this year's Pride of Place competition, the judging for which took place earlier this month.

The annual Pride of Place awards are organised by Co-operation Ireland and sponsored by IPB Insurance. They promote and celebrate the best in community development and recognise the enormous efforts of volunteers in making their local neighbourhoods better places to live, work and socialise.

Under the competition, local authorities nominate groups in their communities who they feel have made a significant contribution to improving their neighbourhood by working collectively.

This year Offaly County Council nominated Ballyboy Community Development (representing the Birr Municipal District area) in the Community Wellbeing Initiative category; Tullamore Tidy Towns (representing the Tullamore Municipal District area) in the Climate Action and Biodiversity category: and Bracknagh Community Association (representing the Edenderry Municipal District area) in the Population 0 to 500 category.

Judging for the three Offaly entries took place on September 6 and 7 last. The judges for the two days were John Briggs, former Chief Executive of Armagh Council, and Declan Nelson, former Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council.

The first judging visit was to Ballyboy, a beautiful village with a proud heritage lying two kilometres east of Kilcormac on the ancient route between Birr and Dublin. The picturesque village contains the famous pub Dan & Molly's and a primary school. It was an important town in the Middle Ages when it had a castle, a hat factory, and a mill.

Ballyboy Community Development (BCD) is a new and vibrant community group formed in 2021 to revitalise the village and its community groups. The group provided a welcome cup of tea and refreshments to the judges and local volunteers in Dan and Mollys, with live music provided by local musicians.

Councillor John Leahy and Councillor Peter Ormond attended the judging. The judging started when an impressive presentation was given to the judges by BCD officials Thomas Fox, Diana Fox, and John Leamy who outlined the history of the group and its evolution, as well as the numerous fundraising events it has organised. They also outlined their plans to demolish the derelict dance hall in the centre of the village and construct a much-needed vibrant new community centre. There is great enthusiasm in the village for this to be completed.

Later in the judging, a talk was given to the judges at the old hall by Esther Lambe who recalled when the hall was accidentally destroyed by a fire back in 1967 which was a major national news story at the time. However, the sun was really shining on Ballyboy on the day, as the group were delighted to receive notification of planning approval from the local authority for their community centre application on the morning of the judges' visit.

After the presentation in Dan & Mollys the judges visited the well-maintained burial ground and crumbling ruins of St Mary’s Church where an interesting talk was given by local historians Sean Bracken and George Gill.

A talk was also given at the site of the old RIC barracks, before a group of energetic set dancers provided lively entertainment at the rear of Dan & Mollys pub. The group then proceeded down to the banks of the Silver River where a group of impressive set dancers and traditional musicians entertained the judges and locals to jigs and reels in pleasant sunlit surroundings.

On the way back up the village the group stopped to hear the history of Jacksons Mill and the history of the Wesley Church was delivered with conviction by William Buckley. The history of Scoil Bride NS was given by the Principal, Ms Grace Clendennen. The pupils then entertained the visitors with singing at the front of their freshly-painted school.

Finally, the judges were able to meet volunteers from several local community groups such as the Ballyboy Comhaltas, Dan and Mollys Card Players, the High Milage Group, the Ballyboy Group Water Scheme and the craft group.

The involvement of new residents in the area has resulted in a great sense of community involvement and integration in Ballyboy. On the day of the judging the village was looking its best, and it was obvious that the group had put a lot of hard work into ensuring that not a leaf was out of place.

The group won’t be resting on their laurels, as they are busy planning another large fundraising event shortly, with the All-Ireland Tractor Pulling and Dyno Day planned for this Saturday, September 30, which they are busy promoting on their Facebook page.

Offaly County Council Chief Executive Anna Marie Delany praised the three entrants from Offaly, noting the enormous impact and commitment of the volunteers in these communities as the reason the Council had nominated Ballyboy Community Development, Tullamore Tidy Towns and Bracknagh Community Association.

The IPB Pride of Place Gala Dinner & Award Ceremony is due to take place in Armagh City Hotel on Friday, November 10.