Three Galway City parks receive Green Flag Awards

By Kevin Dowling

Three parks in Galway have received Green Flag Awards, which reward the best green spaces in Ireland, by An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit.

Quincentennial Park in Salthill has received this award for the fourth time whilst the Children’s Millennium Park have won it for the fifth time in a row.

It is also the second time that O’Sullivan Park in Mervue has gotten rewarded.

Green Flag Awards

The Green Flag Award is an international annual award given out to the best parks and gardens. Applicants are evaluated on strict environmental standards in green space management and the amount of visitors they attract.

The judging panel was made up of several experts who all volunteered to visit and grade the sites on eight specific and strict criteria.

Once again, Ireland was the most successful country with 101 green spaces rewarded out of the 150 flags awarded worldwide.

Reaction to the Awards

The Director of Services for Galway County Council, Patrick Greene, said he was “delighted to see the work of our staff in Environment and Recreation and Amenity recognised.”

Greene said that Galway County Council “continues to invest in recreation facilities in our parks and planting for biodiversity across the city.”

He thanked everyone who contributed to the awards and said he is excited to add more Galway parks and gardens in the coming years:

“Many thanks also to the volunteers who assist us in maintaining parks and green spaces in the city,” he said.

“We look forward to adding more parks to the list of awardees in future.”