It’s official – Cabra and Malahide are two of the ‘Best Places to Live’ in Ireland

Padraig Conlon 03 Sep 2021

The suburbs of Malahide and Cabra have been named among the Top 20 Best Places to live in Ireland and are in the running for the overall title following the publication of the long list of contenders at the weekend.

Dublin is one of just four counties to have two representatives make it through to the Top 20 after a total of 470 locations were nominated by more than 2,400 people from all 32 counties for the title of ‘Best Place to Live in Ireland 2021’.

Malahide was the most heavily nominated location in the country with 320 entries in total while Cabra received just 2.

The Irish Times ‘Best Place to Live in Ireland’ competition, which is sponsored by Randox Health, began in June when members of the public were invited to nominate their favourite place to live for the award.

The Top 5 finalists will be named in mid-September with the overall winner announced on Sat Sept 25th.

Each nominated location was considered by a panel of judges on specific criteria, including community spirit, local services and amenities, diversity, transport links, vibrancy of the local economy, cost of living, safety and of course the unique X factor.

In the nomination selected by the judges as best representing everything which is great about Malahide, Timothy O’Regan described it as a wonderful location for walks, sporting activities and outdoor pursuits of all types – whether along the beach, the estuary, the marina or in the gardens of Malahide Castle.

While he noted that it is on the edge of Dublin City, he said it feels very much like its own town with a great local feeling and strong community spirit – not to mention its fabulous bars and restaurants.

One thing covid and the 2km limit showed to Kath King was that Cabra simply had it all. Public transport, schools, supermarkets, a good bakery, hospitals, local shops, GAA clubs, a third level college and of course the Phoenix Park.

But she says it is the sense of community, the friendliness of the people and the street parties which pull all this altogether. “Cabra has everything I could ever want. I’ll say it again. We are so lucky to live here”

The panel of five judges – which includes Mayo county architect Simon Wall, Monaghan GP Dr Illona Duffy, Nationwide TV presenter Zainab Boladale and Irish Times journalist Rosita Boland – spent hours reading and debating the entries, before selecting the Top 20.

The Irish Times is currently on the road visiting the 20 locations and in a couple of weeks will announce the Top 5 before revealing the overall winner.

The Chair of the Judging Panel, Conor Goodman said the entries from people all over the island showcased the quality-of-life available here.

“While the competition is a celebration of the many great places this country has to offer, it also has a serious mission. We want to highlight good examples of community cohesion and local initiatives, in the face of challenges such as the housing shortage and the public health crisis.”

“In Cabra and Malahide and the other locations named in the Top 20 – our judges saw how pride in, and passion for a place can galvanise a community to action and lead to the forging of a unique and open spirit of creativity and innovation. In each of these locations a strong culture of volunteerism is evident as is a strong interest in sustainability and a desire to create a welcoming environment which caters for people of all ages and backgrounds.”

Other places to make the long list include Killarney, Carrick-on-Shannon, Gorey, Clonakilty, Abbeyleix and Tullamore. Towns predominate among the Top 20  – with 11 representatives – while there are 4 villages, and 3 cities in addition to the 2 Dublin suburbs. The three other counties with two representatives are Monaghan, Laois and Galway.

The second most heavily nominated location after Malahide was the village of Glaslough in Co. Monaghan – population 450 – with 246 entries.

The countrywide competition last took place almost 10 years ago in 2012 in the midst of the financial crisis.

On that occasion Westport was selected as the overall Irish Times Best Place to Live as it met so many criteria and displayed a remarkable community spirit that was evident in its 90-plus voluntary organisations.

For information about ‘Best Places to Live 2021’ go to www.irishtimes.com/bestplace

Related News