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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Witty Durrow scarecrows like this 2 Johnnies creation are sadly now part of Laois tourism history. Photo: Alf Harvey
The crows can caw again over Durrow in Laois, with the sad end confirmed of the hugely popular Durrow Scarecrow Festival.
The massive community effort to bring the beloved and witty weeklong August festival to life for the past dozen years, has taken its toll.
It did manage to achieve great things for the pretty village while it lasted, and there is a thrilling new fundraiser planned instead for 2025.
Durrow Development Forum chair Evelyn Clancy spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
"The scarecrow festival is definitely not going ahead. It took so much work, we are just tired. We feel we wanted to finish it while it was going well. As chair, I had to take three weeks holidays to run it, and we were all making scarecrows from March onwards.
"I would like to give huge credit to the committee, and all our volunteers over the years. We also would like to thank all our sponsors, and all who took part in the scarecrow competitions and of course all who came to enjoy it," Ms Clancy said.
Look back at the final Durrow Scarecrow Festival photos in 2024.
The festival proceeds all went towards the betterment of the village.
"It paid to buy the halls that are now going to become the Durrow Community Hub. With the help of Laois County Council we got funding of €1.7 million to build it. We still have to match 20% of that with local funding," she explained.
See more on the planned €2 million Durrow community centre here.
To that end, they have looked to Ballyroan in Laois for tips on another exciting fundraiser.
The Ballyroan Community Development Association recently held a Ballyroan Goes To Hollywood night, and it raised an incredible €130,000 towards developing their own village centre and playground. See photos of their Hollywood night out in the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel here.
The night involved over 100 members of the community who filmed their own short versions of seven well-known movies and tv shows, with and each team doing their own fundraising. They were then shown in a glitzy Oscar type awards night. Watch a hilarious glimpse of their version of movies here.
It has inspired Durrow to follow in their tracks.
"It is in the very early stages, but we have met the Ballyroan committee and we are holding a meeting ourselves shortly," the Durrow chair said.
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