Dingle peninsula receives award for being Ireland’s ‘greenest place’

Dingle peninsula in Co Kerry, overall winner in the augural Ireland’s Greenest Places Awards, was honoured at a ceremony in Dublin on Monday.

The entry in the awards, run by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland, was highlighted as “a standout example of how to embrace sustainability at scale” in farming, food production, adopting renewable energy and embracing sustainable tourism and transport.

Áine Uí Dhubhshláine (75) from An Ghráig near Ballyferriter, received the award from ESB executive director Pat Fenlon.

“I’m very honoured to accept this award on behalf of the beautiful, sustainable environment that is Corca Dhuibhne. This award will encourage and motivate others to become involved in environmental efforts,” she said.

It also demonstrated what communities could achieve collaboratively with the support of local authorities, NGOs, State agencies and local businesses “but most importantly of all, local volunteers”, she added – and, in their case, the support of Dingle Hub.

Skerries, Co Dublin, received the greenest town award for “biodiversity enhancement, highlighting the importance of protecting the environment on your doorstep and minding the nearby sea”.

The suburb of Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, through its Living Streets programme, was adjudged the greenest suburb, with judges praising its blueprint for collective action in creating a sustainable place to live, work and get about easily, backed by securing strong buy-in.

Ireland greenest community was a group involved in a Dysart river restoration project in Co Westmeath where volunteers including farmers worked together to improve water quality.

Ireland’s greenest village was Inagh, Co Clare, which was commended as an example of a small town whose size was not a barrier to “giving local citizens a better quality of life, compatible with a clean and healthy environment”.

[ Ireland’s Greenest Places winners: The five locations our judges lovedOpens in new window ]

One of the judges, former minister for environment, climate and energy Eamon Ryan, said the Ireland’s Greenest Places initiative revealed how much environmental activism had been deepened and spread by people enhancing their place in diverse ways.

When people are anxious about climate change and biodiversity loss, “it helps to think global but act local. It gives hope,” he added.

“Sustainability can sometimes feel complicated and theoretical, but we wanted to highlight the practical work being done by volunteers on the ground,” said Irish Times features editor Mary Minihan, who chaired the judging panel.

The entries reflected “the power of small, collective actions in building a more sustainable future”, said ESB head of marketing Lisa Browne. It also indicated people of all ages and backgrounds were working together “to create real and lasting change while strengthening the sense of belonging that makes communities thrive”.