Ireland’s largest community awards will be hosted by Kerry County Council on Monday next (May 16) with hundreds of delegates expected to travel from across the four provinces to the INEC in Killarney.

The Pride of Place awards is an annual competition organised by peacebuilding charity Co-operation Ireland and is sponsored by IPB Insurance.

Established to promote and celebrate the best in community development, the awards recognise the selfless efforts of people in making their local neighbourhoods better places to live, work and socialise. The 2022 awards will recognise the efforts made by community groups over the pandemic period.

Pride of Place is an All-Island competition whereby Local Authorities from across the island of Ireland nominate groups in their communities who they feel have made a significant contribution to improving their neighbourhood, working collectively. The competition culminates with a Gala Awards Ceremony.

Three Kerry groups are in the running for awards in 2022: Corca Dhuibhne 2030/Dingle Peninsula 2030 in the Islands and Coastal Communities category; Killarney Immigrant Support Centre (KASI) in the Community Resilience category and the Reeks District in the Community Tourism category.

“We are so proud to be hosting this illustrious awards ceremony here in Kerry," the Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Jimmy Moloney, said. 

"The response of community and voluntary groups across Ireland over the past two years during the pandemic and currently in supporting the integration of refugees from Ukraine makes it an appropriate time to acknowledge this outstanding work.”

Peter Sheridan Chief Executive Officer, Co-operation Ireland added: "Co-operation Ireland has no other programme that embodies the charity's ethos better than Pride of Place.

“We work to build relationships across the island and Pride of Place plays a critical role in that work. The impact the awards have had in towns and villages across the island since they started in 2003 cannot be underestimated, and the continuing success of the awards is down to the dedicated volunteers and their love of where they live.

“We are looking forward to welcoming 400 delegates from community organisations across Ireland who will be able to celebrate the event in person for the first time in three years.”

Chairman of IPB Insurance George Jones said: “The IPB Pride of Place Awards are an ideal platform to recognise the positive social impacts being made in communities across the island of Ireland. I would like to take this opportunity to commend all the communities involved for their spirit of collaboration and camaraderie in making it to the finals.

“It is also important to recognise the role of Local Authorities across the island of Ireland who work closely with their communities to support inspiring voluntary initiatives. These awards serve as one of the important ways that we can recognise those involved in working to make a difference in society.”

Pride of Place Chairman Tom Dowling added that "these awards continue to be as important as ever as we are about to start judging the 20th year of the competition".

"The purpose of the awards has never changed. They are about recognising and celebrating the extraordinary, inspirational, and tireless work being done by communities all over the island of Ireland as they strive to make their place a better place in which to live.”