The 2025 Green Flag Awards were announced this week by An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland, after a record-breaking year. The 2025 Green Flag Awards celebrate the recognition of Ireland’s best parks and green spaces.
The international Green Flag Award was awarded to 128 parks, gardens, greenways and wildlife sanctuaries around the country today, an increase in 8 awards since last year. The awards ceremony took place at Maynooth Campus.
The Green Flag Award is the international quality benchmark for the public green space sector – now operating in 30 countries around the world, including the U.S. and for the first time this year, Ukraine.
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
Four of the 2025 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 and winner of the Town Park award was Maynooth Campus.
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)
Ardgillan Walled Gardens (Walled Garden winner)
Thirteen further parks were highly commended due to the quality of their applications:
- Marlay Park
- Cabinteely Park
- Barrack Hill Town Park & Community Gardens
- Newbridge Demesne
- Julianstown Community Garden
- Cloontuskert Community Orchard
- Tymon Park
- Waterstown Park
- Tralee Bay Wetlands
- Killarney House & Gardens
- Ardgillan Castle & Demesne
- Malahide Demesne & Talbot Botanical Gardens
- Millennium Park
Speaking of his site’s award, Stephen Seaman, Grounds Supervisor, Maynooth Campus, said:
“It’s a true honour to host the awards here at Maynooth Campus yet again , and we’re thrilled to be part of the Green Flag Award for Parks and Green Spaces programme — a celebration of sustainability, biodiversity, and community pride. Each year, we look forward to the judges’ arrival, as it brings renewed focus and motivation to uphold the Green Flag Award standards of excellence across our campus. Being part of this awards scheme has highlighted the great work happening here at Maynooth and offers a valuable opportunity to collaborate with like-minded people from parks and green spaces across the country.”
Kate Chandler, Community and Engagement Officer for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, remarked:
“Every year it is a joy and privilege to help judge the Green Flag Pollinator Awards. For many people, their local park is the nearest place to home where they can connect with nature and learn about biodiversity. This year’s applicants have demonstrated a range of fantastic actions to help pollinators survive and thrive in our green spaces, including restoring meadows, eliminating pesticides and protecting and planting native trees and hedgerows, as well as running pollinator-themed events. We were delighted with the quality of applications this year. It is a testament to the ongoing high standard in this award that, in addition to the four winners, thirteen further parks were highly commended for their excellent work. Congratulations to all.”
Emlyn Cullen – Programme Manager for An Taisce, running the Award in Ireland said:
“It’s fantastic to see so many parks and public green sites represented here in Maynooth Campus, who graciously hosted the awards ceremony today. 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 Pollinator Award Northern Ireland
2025 is the fourth year of the Green Flag Pollinator Awards in Northern Ireland, which are run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The awards ceremony was hosted in the Walled Garden at Bangor Castle, where four sites received Green Flag Pollinator Awards.
Congratulations to all the winning and highly commended parks, and a huge thank you to all the parks who are taking action to help pollinators.
Find out more:
An Taisce Green Flag for parks homepage
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Green Flag Award homepage