Laois pride as Clough village wins Pride of Place title with Portlaoise runner-up

Hot on the heels of Abbeyleix winning Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town last Friday, another national title is winging its way to Laois, proving the county to be one of the best places to live in Ireland.

A day after Abbeyleix regained its SuperValu TidyTowns title for the third time in five years, the pretty village of Clough won for Laois in a different competition.

Clough has won a Pride of Place national title, while Portlaoise Tidy Towns came in as a runner-up,at the 2026 IPB Pride of Place Awards at the Convention Centre in Dublin on Saturday, October 24.

The village was awarded the Pride of Place award in the category of Population 0-300, and Portlaoise Tidy Towns was runner up for the Climate Action and Biodiversity award.

Olga Hyland is a member of the Clough Pride of Place committee.

“We are delighted to receive this award on behalf of Clough Village.

We would like to thank Laois County Council for selecting us and for all their help with the project.

“A special word of praise and appreciation goes out to the wonderful community of Clough who pulled out all the stops to make our village shine in the sunshine of July 24th last. Well done to Portlaoise Tidy Towns on being named runners up in their category. A great result for Laois,” she said.

Vincent Booth is Chairperson of Portlaoise Tidy Towns.

“We are delighted that Portlaoise has been recognised as runner up in our category. It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of the hard work, passion and community spirit of Portlaoise Tidy Towns and everyone who contributes to making our town a better place.

"Our collaboration with Laois County Council shows what can be achieved when we work together to take positive climate action, protect our biodiversity and create a greener, more sustainable future for Portlaoise. Huge congratulations to Clough,” he said.

Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald described the Pride of Place awards as “a proud night for Laois”.

"To see both Clough Village and Portlaoise Tidy Towns recognised at a national level shows the strength, commitment and community spirit that exists throughout our county”.

Back in July, Pride of Place judges Declan Nelson and John Briggs were warmly welcomed to both Clough and Portlaoise, representing Laois in the competition this year.

The judges were proudly shown around by Portlaoise Tidy Towns, taking in Portlaoise Library and a walking tour finishing at An Dún outdoor space.

The following week, judges Tom Dowling and Liam Hannaway spent an afternoon visiting Clough. They visited the primary school to hear of Clough’s guiding principles of past, people, place and progress, and the village’s growth and big community fundraiser.

After the presentation, the judges were taken on a walking tour around the village finishing with a bite to eat at the Parish Hall.

Michael Rainey, Chief Executive of Laois County Council, has warm congratulations for all the Laois winners.

“I sincerely congratulate all of the Tidy Towns groups in Laois for their commitment and hard work. To have such success across the county is a testament to the dedication of volunteers who invest countless hours to make their town an inviting place to live and visit. Laois County Council is proud to support their efforts,” he said.

On the Pride of Place wins, he noted that the achievements reflect well on Laois.

“The success of Clough Village and Portlaoise Tidy Towns demonstrates the level of community action that we have in Laois. While each nomination highlighted different areas, both showcased the impact of people working together to enhance their communities,” the council CEO said.

IPB Pride of Place in association with Co-operation Ireland is an all-island competition that acknowledges the work that communities are doing all over the island of Ireland. The competition's focus is about people coming together to shape, change and improve daily lives in their communities.