Green Flag Award 2022
The 2022 Green Flag Awards were announced, Wednesday 14th September 2022, by An Taisce Environmental Education, acknowledging Ireland’s best public parks and gardens. Among them were two Laois Public Parks
∙ Laois County Council Páirc an Phobail Portlaoise
∙ Laois County Council Peoples Park Portarlington
Ireland’s success continued this year with four new Green Flag Award winners, three new Community Award winners and five new Green Heritage Site Accreditations – raising the total on the emerald isle to a record-breaking number of 104 awards. This includes three new Green Flag Award winners, three new Community Award winners and five new Green Heritage Site Accreditations. Of the 104 Green Flag sites Ireland was awarded today, 85 are formal public Green Flag Park sites and 19 are volunteer run Green Community Sites.
This was the 2nd year of the roll-out of Green Heritage Site Accreditation across Ireland. With the support of the NPWS and the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, 12 Irish Green Flag sites have now been accredited to Green Heritage Accreditation standard. This is an addition of five sites this year to last year’s total of seven. Green Heritage Site Accreditation is awarded to public green spaces of historical and cultural significance.
Only awarded for exceeding tough environmental standards in green space management, and excellence of visitor attractions – the Green Flag Award Scheme is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world.
Once again more Green Flag Awards have been secured by Irish Parks and Gardens than by any country, other than the UK where the scheme originated in 1996. Out of 136 awarded in Europe today, 104 were in Ireland.
This year participating European countries include Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden
