Birr reaches final of "Best Places to Live in Ireland" competition

Birr has made it onto the longlist of 25 finalists in the Irish Times' "Best Places to Live in Ireland" competition from an entry of almost 600 list. A shortlist list is expected to be announced next Monday, June 18 and an overall winner the following Monday, June 25. The winner of the competition will get a plaque or sign noting the accolade and a profile in the Irish Times as well as being the subject of a short film commissioned by the national newspaper. Birr was submitted to the competition by Birr resident Emma Nee Haslam, who's also known for her role with Birr Theatre. In her submission she described Birr as a "beautiful Georgian town with tree lined malls and a great community spirit". She also highlighted Birr's shops, club and organisations as well Birr Theatre, Birr Castle and the annual Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival. "I live in a town where my postman will endeavour to get a parcel to me via my childminder, the Tidy Towns committee are busy sweeping and cleaning, and my neighbour is always there to help," she said, adding that of all the places in the world she's lived, Birr is home. Birr was joined on the longlist by nine other towns: Skerries, Clonakilty, Killarney, Westport, Greystones, Carrick-on-Shannon, Abbeyleix, Athlone and Sligo. Also on the list were five villages, four cities, one rural district and five suburbs. Judges in the competition include adjunct professor of psychology and society at UCD Dr Maureen Gaffney, former president of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Paul Keogh, chairman of Amárach Research and co-founder of Hireland.ie Gerard O'Neill, Irish Times environment editor Frank McDonald and Irish Times journalist Edel Morgan. All longlisted places will be visited by a team of researchers before a shortlist is announced on Monday next.