You've helped us find the world’s favourite Green Flag Award parks by voting for yours in the People’s Choice - and now the results are in! Over 45,000 votes were cast from all around the world. The top 5 parks are listed below in alphabetical order and are not ranked in any order of preference. They are:

Abraham Ledeboerpark: Gemeente Enschede Afdeling Stadsdeelbeer ** The Netherlands**** Al Bahya Garden: Abu Dhabi City Municipality ** **United Arab Emirates**** Parque da Cidade: Câmara Municipal do Porto **Portugal St. Anne’s Park: Dublin City Council Republic of Ireland
Stadtpark – Botanischer Garten Gütersloh: Fachbereich Grünflächen Stadt Gütersloh Germany

Robert Moss, Republic of Ireland Green Flag Award Manager said: " Saint Anne’s Park is one of the green space citadels that make North Dublin a special place. Its location within the buffer zone of the Dublin Bay Biosphere makes it an important site for biodiversity, especially as a feeding site for Brent Geese and other shorebirds at high tide."

Only awarded for exceeding tough environmental standards in green space management, and excellence of visitor attractions – the Green Flag Award for Parks is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world. An Taisce Environmental Education Unit have been operating this scheme within the Republic of Ireland since 2016. Participating countries include;

Australia, Belgium, England, Finland, Germany, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Wales.

The 2019 awards were available to public town parks, country parks, gardens, cemeteries, and green spaces from across the whole country. The Green Flag Awards are judged every year in June by a peer jury of green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, and community involvement. In September this year the public had their chance to vote for their favourite Green Flag Park or Garden wherever it may be in the World.

Carl McClean, International Development Manager at the Green Flag Award said: "Both Mexico and Portugal were new to join the Green Flag Award scheme in 2019 so it was fantastic to see Parque da Cidade appear in the top 5 voted parks. With new partnerships in Spain, Belgium and Finland alongside many other applications coming in from new countries it's a really exciting time to be part of this growing network of recognised parks - well done to all involved!"

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by An Taisce Environmental Education please e-mail us at [email protected] or telephone: 01 4002212 or 086 3579663