The winner of the Best Place To Live in Ireland competition has been announced – Westport in County Mayo.
Dubbed the Venice of the West, the Mayo town has beaten off stiff competition in the Irish Times poll.
Readers nominated 563 entries from all 32 counties in Ireland with the five judges making their final selection from a shortlist.
The final list of nominated towns and villages included Cork city; Ardara, Co Donegal; Westport, Co Mayo; Killarney, Co Kerry; and Rathmines in Dublin.
Judge Dr Maureen Gaffney said: “We have the very happy dilemma of discovering that Ireland is just a great place.”
The paper reports that the competition was a huge success after the Irish Times invited members of the public to nominate the place in which they lived and explain its appeal.
All kinds of habitats were eligible, be it a town or city suburb, a village or remote rural spot, a tiny community halfway up a mountain, a street, a road or a housing estate.
Irish Times Features Editor Conor Goodman, chairman of the judging panel, said: “It became not just a search for a pretty place but an examination of living in Ireland today.”
John O’Callaghan, who nominated Westport in what one judge called a ‘lyrical pitch’ was standing in the town’s Octagon when he heard the news according to the Irish Times report.
He said: “I’m just thrilled for the town but to be the first place in Ireland is a really wonderful boost.
“This competition is deeper. It goes to the heart of how rooted the people are, of how much of a community they have.”
The judges visited Westport last week before making their final decision.
Dr Gaffney said: “Even in the rain Westport looked so beautiful, without a single piece of litter.
“The town has solved the most consistent problem facing nearly every community, getting people to work together.
“With a population of 5,500, it has 97 voluntary associations, each working hand in glove, creating fantastic facilities for its young and even providing a colour service for local business frontages.”
Chairman of judging panel, Goodman added: “Westport is a beautiful place, well-kept and pleasant to visit, but those aren’t the reasons it won.
“The judges chose Westport because it is a community of people working together to make the best of the town’s many advantages.”
Judge Paul Keogh said: “It is a model to every town and county. On governance, it scores really high. It has been so well managed. Yes, urban Ireland is alive and well.”
The five judges were: Dr Gaffney, adjunct professor of psychology and society at University College Dublin; Paul Keogh, founding partner of Paul Keogh Architects and former president of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland; Gerard O’Neill, chairman of Amárach Research and a co-founder of Hireland.ie; Irish Times Environment Editor Frank McDonald; and Irish Times journalist Edel Morgan.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Seanmor | Jul 26, 2012, 05:14 PM EDT
Whatever happened to Fermanagh's Lakes, the Mountains of Mourne and the Glens of Antrim? Have those scenic Irish places been transferred acoss the sea to Great Britain?
cuculin | Jun 28, 2012, 10:09 AM EDT
ciaradexy, then that makes you a tourist! Killarney is Killarney because of the tourists and is what makes it such a wonderful place. I grew up talking to people from all over the world and learnt from a very young age that Killarney was someplace very very special not just to me but to millions of people all over the world. The worst time of the year to be in KIllarney is during the Rally and thats because its full of young Irish! lol.
Padraig | Jun 27, 2012, 12:48 PM EDT
Best pub in Westport is The Quays Bar and Lounge! Best hamburger in Ireland is The Asgard, down at the Quays as well. Both owners are class! cheers liam and Tom.
ciaradexy | Jun 27, 2012, 11:06 AM EDT
Oh and Christinao't, if you paid attention, most of the articles people sent in about where they lived were published in the Times
ciaradexy | Jun 27, 2012, 10:26 AM EDT
Christinao't, this poll has been going on for months now. People wrote in about where they lived. It was a poll and a vote. The final decision was not made by the Times. it was made between people from these towns. Westport got more votes than any other town. Cuculin, I love Killarney too but theres just too many tourists there! Im in the town 4 or 5 times a year and I love it when its not packed.
mayoman1 | Jun 27, 2012, 12:44 AM EDT
I was born bred and buttered in Westport, we knew this all along!
cuculin | Jun 26, 2012, 03:55 PM EDT
christinao, rattling Ciaradexy cage isnt a good idea.
christinao't | Jun 26, 2012, 11:57 AM EDT
ciaradexy, go back and read the article , love. And then go get a life you surely have a lot to learn!
cuculin | Jun 26, 2012, 10:46 AM EDT
I'll meet you there bushmanirish.
bushmanirish | Jun 26, 2012, 10:21 AM EDT
Just had this discussion with my friend last week; her choice was Killarney. I can't wait to have my own "favorite places" contest; including, apparently, Matt Molloy's pub :).
cuculin | Jun 26, 2012, 10:09 AM EDT
pilib04 you tool. " I won't criticize the others, in particular, I won't mention Ireland's number one tourist trap, that made the list" What are you on about? I am from Killarney and can tell you 100% from traveling all over Ireland and abroad that Killarney is one of the best places to live in the world.....yes world not just Ireland. The people in kIllarney are second to none and the quality of life in Killarney is also second to none. In fact there are so many many positives to Killarney that I dont even know where to begin.
ciaradexy | Jun 26, 2012, 08:10 AM EDT
Pilib, the title of best place to live wasnt decided by the Times. It was up to people to write about their town and it was based on a vote by the people of these towns and not the Times.
ciaradexy | Jun 26, 2012, 08:09 AM EDT
Christinao't, Birr is a kip. Most midland towns are.
ciaradexy | Jun 26, 2012, 06:45 AM EDT
Great town, was there at the weekend for the festival but theres always far too many tourists there from march to September. Visiting outside these months is a much better option.
christinao't | Jun 26, 2012, 02:32 AM EDT
Surprised Birr did not make the top honors! Beautiful and far more facinating having read Jack Drought's book about all the stories and great characters from the town!
atherts | Jun 25, 2012, 04:11 PM EDT
Been there, wasn't that impressed. Seemed a bit dirty and crowded.
mtheresa | Jun 25, 2012, 03:59 PM EDT
hermitTalker your comments are confusing!! What do you mean?
Stevenator | Jun 25, 2012, 01:48 PM EDT
Great choice. As a U.S. citizen touring Ireland 3 times, I liked every town I visited, But I was most impressed by Westport's laid-back spirit. It just felt like a great place to live, very real and unaffected by tourists. Pretty town as well. Plus, it has Matt Molloy's pub.
johnshiel | Jun 25, 2012, 11:57 AM EDT
very nice, upbeat story. Isn't this the town that Grace O'Malley used to stop into when whe had some major shopping to do?
butlerreport | Jun 25, 2012, 11:16 AM EDT
"The Venice of the west?" Westport needs no comparison to a sinking city in Italy.
pilib04 | Jun 25, 2012, 09:58 AM EDT
To all my friends in Westport, Congratulations. I assumed you were at the top of the list based on the other nominees. I won't criticize the others, in particular, I won't mention Ireland's number one tourist trap, that made the list. Westport is certainly one of my favorite towns in Ireland. Although, Derry(Londonderry), Belfast, Crossmaglen, Newry, Charlestown, Warrenpoint, Enniskillen, Dingle, Gleann Cholm Cille, Carrickfergus and Letterkenny are all great places. It really would be hard to narrow it down to one. Great job to the Irish Times.
hermitTalker | Jun 25, 2012, 09:41 AM EDT
Congratulations to Wwstport and its spirit. Only 5500 citizens and 97 voluntary groups. I returned here from USA handicapped physically and am disgusted at the lack of any serious community sense. Thank God for EWTN reigious services, some excellent TV programmes and the computer and a caring family member and a few others socially and the medical staff.