128 Great Green Spaces Win Green Flag Awards for Ireland!

The 2025 Green Flag Awards were announced today 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 – which is one of the winning sites, colleting a Green Flag, Heritage Award and was the overall Pollinator Plan Award winner. 

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. Now in its 30^th year, the programme uses eight key criteria 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. 

This year participating European countries include Ireland, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden as well as Ukraine which was awarded its first flag this year, and the UK which released their results earlier this year.

Speaking of his sites 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.’

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.”

The Green Flag Community Award brings the award to community initiatives such as Community Gardens, Community Parks, and Tidy Towns Projects. By acknowledging the work done by local groups this Community Award helps empower community groups to improve their local area and environment. 

In Ireland the Green Flag Community Award scheme is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

Mr. Jerry Buttimer T.D., Minister of State for Community Development, Charities and Rural Transport, who launched the award ceremony stated that:

“My department has supported An Taisce’s expansion of the Green Flag Community Award since 2018. The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht share an Taisce’s core values of inclusion and community participation at all levels. The Green Flag provides a ground up approach to facilitating, encouraging and recognising the value of that joint community engagement.

I am sure that all the communities honoured today will take great pride in flying their Green Flag. These awards acknowledge the phenomenal work being done by volunteers and dedicated communities to keep our parks and gardens to such a high standard, and in doing so, improve our communities as a whole. Ireland now has the largest quota of Green Flag Award sites in the EU, and this is down to the dedication, skill and effort of volunteers throughout the country. 

The Green Heritage Site Accreditation is an additional certification given only to Green Flag Award winning sites that conserve and showcase unique landscapes and built heritage of historic significance. It was launched in Ireland in 2021, with the support of “The National Parks and Wildlife Service” and the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. This year 17 Green Flag Award sites were accredited to Green Heritage Site Accreditation standard, an increase of 4 sites from last year. To date, this heritage award only operates in Ireland, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and the UK.

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, said:

“It reflects the appreciation and understanding of our heritage that there is an increase in Green Heritage sites this year. This scheme is a welcome and important complement to the Green Flag Award, and I am delighted my Department, through its National Parks and Wildlife Service, supports and co-funds the Green Heritage Site Accreditation Programme.

“The Green Heritage Accreditation celebrates best practice in engagement with our heritage and reminds us all of our responsibility to appreciate and preserve richness and diversity of the green spaces that surround us.” 

Additionally four of the 2025 applicants were given a special award for their work supporting pollinating insects. The Pollinator Plan Award is jointly run by An Taisce and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. This optional plan for Green Flag Award applicant sites works by assessing pollinator-friendly management of parks and community green spaces. These are scored against the recommendations of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, which is itself a National Biodiversity Data Centre initiative of national importance. This year’s Green Flag Pollinator Plan Award overall winner was Maynooth University Campus.

Kate Chandler, the 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.”

2025 Green Flag Awards:

Park:                                                              Managing organisation:

Páirc Cois Féile / Abbeyfeale Town Park Abbeyfeale Community Leisure Ltd  John O’Sullivan Park Clare County Council Tim Smythe Park  Clare County Council Kilrush Woods Vandeleur Clare County Council Shannon Town Park. Clare County Council Shalom Park Cork City Council Ballincollig Regional Park Cork City Council Fitzgerald’s Park Cork City Council Douglas Community Park Cork City Council Gerry O'Sullivan Park Cork City Council St. Anne’s       Park Dublin City Council Blessington Street Park Dublin City Council Albert College Park Dublin City Council Herbert Park  Dublin City Council Father Collins Park Dublin City Council Bridgefoot Street Park Dublin City Council Ringsend Park Dublin City Council Eamonn Ceannt Park Dublin City Council Ballyfermot Peoples Park Dublin City Council Griffith Park  Dublin City Council Johnstown Park Dublin City Council Poppintree Park Dublin City Council People’s Park Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Cabinteely Park Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Marlay Park  Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Blackrock Park Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Deansgrange Cemetery     Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Shanganagh Park  Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Deerpark  Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Fethard Town Park Fethard Regional Comm. Sport Rec. Campus CLG  Malahide Demesne Fingal County Council Millennium Park Fingal County Council Hartstown Park Fingal County Council Newbridge House and Farm  Fingal County Council Ardgillan Demesne  Fingal County Council St. Catherine’s Park Fingal County Council Santry Demesne Fingal County Council Children’s Millennium Park  Galway City Council Quincentennial Park Galway City Council O’Sullivan Park Galway City Council Eyre Square Galway City Council Tralee Town Park Kerry County Council Childers Park & Woodlands Kerry County Council Liffey Linear Park Newbridge  Kildare County Council  Kilkenny Countryside Park Kilkenny County Council Páirc an Phobail - Portlaoise  Laois County Council  Peoples Park Portarlington Laois County Council  Fitzmaurice Place  Laois County Council  Memorial Park  Laois County Council  The Peoples Park Limerick Limerick City and County Council Mungret Park Limerick City and County Council Adare Town Park Limerick City and County Council The Mall Longford County Council  Blackrock Community Park   Louth County Council  St Helena Park Louth County Council  Saint Dominic’s Park  Louth County Council  Ice House Hill Park  Louth County Council  Aisling park  Louth County Council  Glenveagh National Park National Parks and Wildlife Service   Coole Park Nature Reserve National Parks and Wildlife Service  Lloyd Town Park Tullamore Offaly County Council The Phoenix Park  Office of Public Works Iveagh Gardens Office of Public Works Fota Arboretum & Gardens Office of Public Works Grangegorman Military Cemetery Office of Public Works St. Stephen's Green Office of Public Works Glebe House and Gallery Office of Public Works Arbour Hill Military Cemetery Office of Public Works Corkagh Park South Dublin County Council Sean Walsh Park South Dublin County Council Waterstown Park  South Dublin County Council Tymon Park  South Dublin County Council Rathfarnham Castle Park South Dublin County Council Killinarden Park South Dublin County Council Whitestown Stream Park South Dublin County Council Jobstown Park South Dublin County Council Sport Ireland Campus  Sport Ireland National Sports Campus Cahir lnch Field Tipperary County Council Kilbarry Nature Park Waterford City & County Council  Waterford Greenway Waterford City & County Council  South East Technological University Arena  Waterford Institute of Technology  Mullingar Town Park  West Meath County Council Pearse Park - New Ross Wexford County Council The New Ross Library Park Wexford County Council Glendalough Cemetery Wicklow County Council

2025 Green Heritage Site Accreditation:

 

Park:                                                                 Managing organisation:

Cavan Burren Park	Cavan County Council
The Palace Grounds	Galway County Council
Tralee Bay Wetlands	Kerry County Council
Lough Gur Lakeshore Park and Visitor Centre	Limerick City and County Council
Turlough Park	Mayo County Council
Jackie Clarke Collection Heritage Garden	Mayo County Council
Killarney House and Gardens	National Parks and Wildlife Service
Connemara National Park	National Parks and Wildlife Service
Ballycroy Visitor Centre - Wild Nephin National Park	National Parks and Wildlife Service
University of Galway	National University of Ireland Galway
Maynooth Campus	National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Garinish Island	Office of Public Works
Irish National War Memorial Gardens	Office of Public Works
Derrynane Historic Park	Office of Public Works
Altamont House and Gardens	Office of Public Works
Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre	Office of Public Works
Royal Hospital Kilmainham	Office of Public Works

 

 

2025 Green Flag Community Awards:

Park:                                                        Managing organisation:

Abbeyfeale Biodiversity Park  Abbeyfeale Community Council / Abbeyfeale Tidy Towns  Father Breen Park Abbeyleix Abbeyleix Park Development  Balla Woodlands and Parks Balla CRD Ballaghaderreen Community Garden Ballaghaderreen Community Garden/Friends of Fairgreen Ballyglunin Railway Restoration Project Ballyglunin Community Development Charity Ballyhaunis Community Garden  Ballyhaunis Community Garden  Hungry Hall Park Broomfield and District Residents  Cloontuskert Community Orchard  Cloontuskert Development & Tidy Towns Association  Barrack Hill Town Park Donegal County Council Dromiskin Heritage Park Dromiskin Tidy Towns  Ginnety's Pond Nature Park  Dromiskin Tidy Towns  The River Walk Dungloe Dungloe Tidy Towns The Rock Garden Fingal County Council Santry Demesne Community Garden Fingal County Council Foulksmills Park Foulksmills Tidy Towns  Terryland Forest Park  Galway City Council The Headford Community Garden Headford Development Association Julianstown Community Garden  Julianstown & District Community  Assoc. Zero Waste Community Garden Kildare County Council  Knockvicar Organic Garden Knockvicar Organic Garden Ballina Karen Community Garden  Mayo County Council Murrintown Community Centre  Murrintown Community Centre Our Ladys Island Community Park Our Ladys Island Community Development Company Rosslare Harbour Memorial Park and Gardens Rosslare Harbour/Kilrane Environment Group  Sneem Garden of the Senses Sneem Dev Co-op/Sneem Tidy Towns Headford Community Orchard The Church of Ireland

2025 Pollinator Plan Award:

Overall winner

Maynooth Campus

Country Park/ Demesne winner:

Ballycroy Visitor Centre, Wild Nephin National Park

Community Garden winner:

Sneem Garden of the Senses

Town Park winner:

Maynooth Campus

Walled Garden winner:

Ardgillan Walled Garden

Highly commended:

• 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

*The winning entries from each section were presented with €100 vouchers, kindly donated by Young Nurseries https://www.youngnurseries.com/