The longlist of nominees for the Irish Times competition, Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025, is published today.
The greening of so many places across Ireland has flipped from the cosmetic to delivering substantial environmental dividends.
Hard evidence of this is shown in the quality of the nominees which are contenders for Ireland’s greenest suburb, village, town and community.
In many instances there is transformative action, backed by understanding the need to do things differently, ranging across nature restoration; embracing renewables, becoming resilient for climate disturbances to come and enabling the natural world capture carbon at scale.
RM Block
The Long List:
Ireland’s Greenest Suburb
Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin
Cabra, Dublin
Harper’s Island, Cork Harbour
Ireland’s Greenest Village
Louisburgh, Co Mayo
Castlegregory/Maharees, Co Kerry
Inagh, Co Clare
Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Co Tipperary
Quin, Co Clare
Ireland’s Greenest Town
Skerries, Co Dublin
Killarney, Co Kerry
Ballina, Co Mayo
Abbeyleix, Co Laois
Kiltimagh, Co Mayo
Ireland’s Greenest Community
Rathcroghan, Co Roscommon
Derrybeg Farm, Celbridge, Co Kildare
Gaelscoil Raifteirí, Co Mayo
Charlemont Deck Culture Garden, Dublin
Dysart River Project, Co Westmeath
Waterford Trees for Life
The Three Sisters Gardening Community Group, Belfast
Taplin’s Fields (Bridgefoot Street Park Community Garden), Dublin
Coolmine Lodge, Dublin
The Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry
Inishturk Island, Co Mayo
Fahburren Forest, Co Mayo
Ambrosetown Cemetery, Co Wexford
One of the awards judges Eamon Ryan, former Green Party leader, knows how engagement on environmental endeavour gets a hold on people: “You have to be careful of the addiction that some fall into when it comes to looking after our natural world.”
“You can start off by planting a single seed in April and before you know it the lawnmower is locked away for May, and by June you are trialling what some call an environmental gateway drug: you join in on a local clean-up and start picking things up from there.”
We have always been good at community-led environmentalism in Ireland, whether it is through the Tidy Towns competition, angling clubs or local heritage organisations, adds the former minister for climate, environment and energy.
“What The Irish Times Greenest Places initiative shows is how much this activism has deepened and spread in recent years. At a time when people are anxious about climate change and biodiversity loss, it helps to think global but act local.
“Taking action gives you hope and calms anxiety by showing we can turn things around,” he says.
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Long-listed entries show the variety of what is taking place, “whether that includes a big vision for rewilding, greening everywhere from old graveyards out to the nearby sea or else creating social enterprises to improve the circular economy in our own backyard”.
The advantage of this addiction is that it does nothing but good and costs hardly anything at all, Ryan says. “It can work in every part of the country because we all have a sense of pride and love about our own place. It can be in the most rural community, part of the parish council team or simply be inspired by the need to green and improve the most suburban and city centre landscapes of all.”
The calibre of many nominations featured in this piece suggests no lack of ambition. Others overcome the physical limitations of space or enhance an environment in unusual circumstances. Other longlist nominees with such characteristics featured in previous coverage.
Deterioration of water quality in too many rivers and lakes occurs due to intensive agriculture and inappropriate development. Turning this around was the goal of Dysart River Project, restoring the quality of a river feeding into Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath.
The damage was evident, according to Edel Ennis, Westmeath County Council’s Just Transition Officer. From 2018-2021 the water quality status was “poor”.
A collaborative effort with 23 farmers in the catchment at its core worked with agencies to find solutions, including Local Authority Water Programme scientists and Teagasc experts.
“Farmers within the catchment wanted to play their part in protecting and improving water quality. Remedial actions such as solar-powered cattle drinkers on farms were put in place,” she adds.
After four years, it went to “good” status. “It’s an amazing turnaround. This is a really good example of building awareness and getting people on board,” she says.
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Fahburren, almost in the shadows of Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo, has been wooded for centuries. It is a mix of ancient trees from the 17th century and long-established forests, marked on the first ordnance survey maps of the early 19th century. It was part of an estate that fell into decline.
In the early 2000s, a new native woodland was established in unwooded land, extending the ancient deciduous woodland under Department of Agriculture guidance; in effect creating a natural corridor up to a kilometre wide that has become “a thriving temperate Atlantic rainforest”.
Fahburren Forest is a notable “citizen-driven rewilding” in line with national biodiversity aspirations, says Patrick Slevin, who is leading the ecological transformation.
It followed the property being acquired by his parents Vincent and Maribel Slevin, who sought professional support in designing, planning, planting and nurturing new native woodland in both pastureland and scrub.
“The work tending the forest is continuous and the next phase is due implementation, namely thinning,” adds Slevin, who is a farmer and advertising executive.
With the help of farming neighbours, it “marks a profound behavioural change: from livestock farming to active conservation, prioritising native biodiversity and long-term ecosystem recovery. The environmental impact is demonstrable.”
He has come to the realisation that without human intervention thriving biomass follows; “just leaving it is the better thing to do”.
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Ballina, Co Mayo, has become a trailblazer of green initiatives across climate, biodiversity and scale-up of renewables, driven by a broad cross-section of organisations. This was enabled by emphasis on community engagement “at the level they can participate in,” says Emma Donoghue, who is manager of the town’s Mary Robinson Centre.
The town stands out for going beyond the obvious, such as roll-out of solar PV, notably in delivering a wide range of impactful biodiversity projects. While it helps having one of Europe’s largest urban woodlands on its doorstep, “all this work is a testament to Ballina’s strong community ethos and commitment to environmental stewardship”.
It includes ecological studies and mapping petrifying streams and tufa habitats; wetland ecosystems that are part of a distinctive limestone landscape. At the mouth of the River Moy in Killala Bay, the MV Shingle, a former smuggling ship was sunk last year to create Ireland’s first artificial reef which has quickly become a biodiversity haven with diverse fish species.
Cloughjordan Ecovillage in Co Tipperary has a similar profile in the breadth of its green actions, but its pioneering role in meeting the challenges of becoming the village with the lowest ecological footprint in Ireland makes it exceptional.
“It’s an impressive set-up with everything a small village needs, all provided sustainably,” says local Elizabeth O’Shea. “Environmentally careful horticulture and forestry has led to remarkable biodiversity.”
Then there is the car sharing; meitheals, a wood-fired district heating system, events, arts programmes and connection to the well-provisioned main village of Cloughjordan. “People don’t need to drive for miles to get what they need, which reduces fuel consumption and carbon footprints.”
Louisburgh in Co Mayo is quickly catching up. It is becoming an important hub extending to Clare and Inishturk islands, says James Ryan, but driven by sustainability and careful planning.
There is major emphasis on public awareness of climate and biodiversity issues and solutions – and especially local food production, he adds, with 96 gardeners “sharing info, swapping plants and seedlings; partners in organic vegetable farm project with a weekly stall”.
Derrybeg Farm in Celbridge, Co Kildare has successfully ensure sustainable food production at farm level, being Ireland’s largest and longest established “community-supported agriculture” farm. Its 50 members pay €47 per month and get 36 bags of organic vegetables over a year.
“When we consider that 70 per cent of Ireland’s organic fruit and vegetables are imported, with food miles and plastic packaging, Derrybeg Farm offers a model of sustainable food production,” says Nicky Deasy.
It brings together diverse people who love healthy food, cooking, growing food and caring for the environment.
People living Inishturk are aware they live in “a beautiful untouched landscape”, says islander Aoife O’Toole. With many unique flora and fauna and “the community has endeavoured to implement environmentally safe practices for many years”.
Action has shifted from the personal to the collective, as “people are conscious of what they have and are keen to protect it”, she adds. They embrace sustainable farming, recycling, protect the corncrake, control invasive species, climate adaptation and energy efficiency on the way to net-zero emissions.
Harper’s Island in Cork Harbour has a similar onus to protect an important landscape. This applies to wildlife, especially the huge variety of birds that have flocked to the Glounthaune estuary/Slatty Water complex since green efforts began, says Ailbe Ryan.
The wetlands are owned and managed by Cork Co Council in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland, Glounthaune Men’s Shed, Community Council and Tidy Towns.
“There are many plans in place for development of this important resource. Last year, we placed a people counter at the entrance gate, and we were very enthused by the 26,000 number who visited,” Ryan adds.
They may be small villages, but Quin and Inagh in Co Clare illustrate what can be achieved with committed volunteers in embracing the many sides of sustainability, and applying the lever of public transport. Local bus routes are promoted through QR-coded timetables and, critically, participation is at such high levels services have been expanded.
In Inagh’s case that means extended to late evening, says Róisín Ní Gháirbhith. This means rural villages are kept alive, allowing students to commute and facilitating visitors more conveniently. “Public transport has increased massively. Local people are fully embracing this,” she adds.
Coolmine Lodge, in Co Dublin, is an example of where biodiversity and wellness can form an easy symbiotic relationship.
It hosts a six-month residential treatment programme for men working towards an independent life free from addiction. Its garden is an oasis in the heart of urban Blanchardstown. “Residents spend time, and work in the garden as a part of their recovery programme. As well as maintaining the garden the men grow many vegetables for their own consumption,” explains John Kiberd.
With the help of local environmental group Blakestown Drive Community Group, residents created a stepping stone forest using methods inspired by botanist Akira Miyawaki including the planting of 600 native Irish trees and shrubs – all sustained with rainwater harvesting.
“An area of urban lawn has been utterly transformed into a vibrant natural environment. The therapeutic value of creating, maintaining and being exposed to these habitats benefits the residents and wildlife alike,” Kiberd says.
Too often, Dublin’s city centre is associated with dirt and decay, yet two gardens belie such claims. Charlemont Deck on Charlemont Street, is a raised podium of 20 metres by 30 metres within an enclosed area of a social housing complex.
It’s described as a “culture garden” and is unashamedly about community connection rather than “technical green goals”, says community artist Ed Carroll who works in the area.
“Gardening is about planting and belonging in a very diverse community, where eight years after regeneration, residents were still only getting to know each other,” he adds. That said, it boasts of a remarkably diverse mix of plants.
It emerged last year from an idea of Bernie Burton (originally from Mercier Place), Kevin O’Brien (once of Tom Kelly Flats) and primary school pupil Kevin Wojtarowicz, whose family are from Poland.
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What emerged wasn’t just about vegetables and flowers. “It’s the seeds of connection. Neighbours, even those not taking part, shouted down with their tips and feedback.”
“Almost every Saturday morning, rain, hail or snow, we turned the soil, took cuttings and planted seeds ... For the older ones, ‘green’ is first of all about caring for our mental health. For the younger it’s about learning how to grow plants and things.”
One resident noted: “I look out from my balcony and now, after work, I see something that is soothing.”
Taplin’s Fields, at the northern end of Bridgefoot Street Park in the Liberties, is the first purpose-built community garden in a Dublin City Council park.
“It’s nothing short of a green miracle. Once a derelict dump site set for development, the space was reclaimed by the community, who fought for years to protect it,” says Irene Rondini. “What was once rubble is now a thriving garden, open to all – no gates, no fees, just nature and people growing together.”
Started by local activist Richie Taplin and others, it’s grown into a welcoming space where around 15 volunteers from all walks of life and different countries tend to flowers and vegetables, and share skills, stories, and food. On a good day their numbers rise to 30.
Rondini adds: “I’m one of them – I don’t have a garden or even a balcony and this space is a lifeline. For others too – kids, elderly people, and those facing isolation or hardship – it’s a green sanctuary in the middle of the city. [It’s] a biodiversity haven.
“Gardeners promote native species, plant pollinator-friendly crops and never use pesticides or chemicals.”
The concept has also taken root in West Belfast through the Three Sisters Gardening Community Group. “Waste ground in inner city Belfast was turned into a space for growing vegetables, herbs, berries, potted fruit trees and flowers. A concrete space is now a lush, productive area for people to gather,” says co-founder Brenda Gough.
Its multipurpose role is always to the fore: “It’s about not being alone in a world; learning new skills or just having a place to sit in the sun.”
Almost every townland in Ireland has a graveyard; special places juxtapositioned with nature; sometimes completely overgrown, often over manicured with herbicides. In maintaining Ambrosetown Cemetery in Duncormick, Co Wexford, Donal Keane struck a better balance; it’s an example of how minimal intervention can be best; “keeping it on the wild side”.
The idea stemmed from visiting a beautiful “minimum maintenance” graveyard in St Hellier on the Channel Island of Jersey.
“Over the past few years, the management of this graveyard has changed from extensive use of pesticides to control vegetation, to a much more environmentally friendly method. It is now cut by strimmer midsummer once flowering plants and grasses have matured and gone to seed,” he says.
With a light strim after that, it has allowed the graveyard to develop into a rich habitat site.
This graveyard features in Zoe Devlin’s book, Blooming Marvellous: A Wildflower Hunter’s Year – the author being “Duncormick’s most famous resident”. Their team has worked with Wexford Co Council in planting Irish yew and whitebeam trees. Walsh believes their approach should be deployed far beyond graveyards.
The entries to Ireland’s Greenest Places, Ryan says, “are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what is happening on the ground”.
“People in every community seem to be looking to see what they can do by promoting pollinators, planting trees or establishing sustainable energy or transport solutions”.
Gone are the arguments that local people shouldn’t be doing these things because it is the State’s responsibility. “Everyone can now see the returns that can come when you work from the bottom up as well as the top down.”
The Irish Times Ireland’s Greenest Places competition is in association with Electric Ireland
