Ireland now has more Green Flag Awards than any other European country, after receiving 104 out of the total 136 awarded earlier this week.
Of the awards which were announced on Wednesday (September 14) 85 were for formal, public Green Flag Heritage sites while the other 19 were for Green Community Sites run by volunteers.
Green Flag Awards act as a quality mark for parks and green spaces around the world that have exceeded a certain standard of environmentally friendly green-space management.
Winners retain their award for one year, before they are reset and the awards take place again, however the recipients can win many years in a row.
This year, there were four new Green Flag Award winners, three new Community Award winners and five new Green Heritage Site Accreditations.
2022 marked the second year of the Green Heritage Site Accreditation programme in Ireland, which awards recognition to public green-spaces that are of historical and cultural importance.
Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage Malcolm Noonan said the programme is “a welcome and important complement to the existing Green Flag Award”.
“[It] enables a larger pool of sites to participate in the programme and highlights the multifaceted nature of our green spaces.
“The scheme celebrates best practice in engagement with multi-layered heritage and reminds us all of our responsibility to appreciate and preserve the richness of the green spaces that surround us,” he said.
Pollinator award
Three of 2022’s applicants were given a special award in recognition of the work they did to support pollinating insects. Malahide Demense and Talbot Botanical Gardens run by Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council’s Tymon Park and Julianstown Community Gardens all received the award.
Kate Chandler, the community and engagement officer for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan said:
“It is encouraging to see another year of strong applications to the Green Flag Pollinator Award.
“One third of our wild bees in Ireland are under threat due to a loss of food and shelter, and so we’re thrilled to see the range of activities taking place across the country to support them.
“We had a number of impressive new applications this year, and look forward to working with An Taisce again to encourage more applications in the years to come,” she concluded.