The 2024 Green Flag Awards were announced today by An Taisce Environmental Education, after a record-breaking year. The 2024 Green Flag Awards celebrate the recognition of Ireland’s best parks and green spaces.
The international Green Flag Award was awarded to 120 parks, gardens, greenways and wildlife sanctuaries around the country today. The award acknowledges excellence in the management of those green spaces which are freely open to the public. In the Republic of Ireland, An Taisce Environmental Education is the national operator, and has delivered the Green Flag Award since 2016.
The Green Flag Award is the international quality benchmark for the public green space sector – now operating in 19 countries around the world. Running for over 25 years, the programme uses eight key criteria, with an emphasis on environmental management, for its assessment. All sites implement a management framework, and then undergo an annual inspection conducted by qualified judges.
Once again Ireland has secured its lead in high quality park amenities with more Green Flag Awards being secured by Irish parks and public gardens than by any country, other than the UK where the scheme originated in 1996.
The Pollinator Award
Three of the 2024 applicants were given a special award for their work supporting pollinating insects. The Pollinator Award is jointly run by An Taisce Environmental Education and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. This award works by assessing pollinator-friendly management of parks and community green spaces. These are scored against the recommendations of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
This year’s Green Flag Pollinator Plan Award overall winner was Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco & Activity Park in Kerry.
The winners of three other categories were:
Ballycroy Visitor Centre, Wild Nephin National Park (Country Park/ Demesne winner)
Sneem Garden of the Senses (Community Garden winner)
Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco & Activity Park (Town Park winner)
Seven further parks were highly commended due to the quality of their applications:
Ardgillan Castle Demesne & Gardens
Julianstown Community Garden
Maynooth Campus
Millennium Park, Blanchardstown
Newbridge Demesne
Tymon Park
Waterstown Park
Kate Chandler, the Community and Engagement Officer for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, said:
“We were delighted to help judge the Green Flag Pollinator Award this year. It cannot be overstated how important parks are in helping biodiversity and encouraging human connection with nature. From creating swathes of naturally restored meadows, to protecting native trees and hedgerows, to eliminating harmful pesticides, the parks this year have shown how our green spaces can be managed for the benefit of pollinators and people. It is a testament to the high standard of applicants that, in addition to the three winners, seven further parks were highly commended for their excellent work. Congratulations to all.”
Emlyn Cullen – Programme Manager for An Taisce Environmental Education Unit, running the Award in Ireland said:
“The continued success of the Green Flag Award is due to the love staff members have for their green spaces and the hard work they put in to maintaining them. They do a phenomenal job every day making their parks and gardens beautiful, safe spaces for the public to enjoy.”
Green Flag Award Northern Ireland
This is the third year of the Green Flag Pollinator Awards in Northern Ireland. The Green Flag Awards are run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. There are two categories – the Community Pollinator Award and the Council Pollinator Award. The winners and runners-up for 2024 are:
Community Pollinator Award Winner – Monkstown Village Garden
Community Runner Up Pollinator Award – Downpatrick Community Allotments
Council Pollinator Award Winner – Musgrave Park, Belfast City Council
Council Runner Up Pollinator Award – Falls Park, Belfast City Council
The National Biodiversity Data Centre was delighted to take part in judging these awards this year. Many congratulations to the winners and runners-up.
Find out more:
An Taisce Green Flag for parks homepage
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Green Flag Award homepage