Three Kerry beauty spots are celebrating today (Wednesday) after being awarded the 2021 Green Flag by An Taisce, which acknowledges Ireland’s best public parks and gardens.

Childers Park and Woodlands in Listowel and Tralee Town Park retained their prestigious Green Flag Award accreditation for 2021/22. They are joined by Tralee Wetlands which entered the competition this year for the very first time.

The award provides international recognition and is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world. The Green Flag Awards are judged every year by a peer jury of green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, and community involvement.

International accreditation for public park excellence in Ireland has increased again this year, to reach over 100 accredited public green spaces. Ireland was today awarded a total of 103 Green Flag sites, comprised of 84 formal public Green Flag Park sites, along with 19 volunteer run Green Community Sites.

This year over 2,300 public sites in 16 countries around the world have achieved Green Flag or Green Flag Community Award status.

The Green Flag Community Award extends the scheme to include community initiatives such as Community Gardens, Community Parks, and Tidy Towns Projects. In Ireland the Green Flag Community Award Scheme is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

“These awards are due to the work of not only Kerry County Council staff but also the huge efforts of the Tidy Towns Groups and park users in Tralee, including local community groups and volunteers, with the assistance of NEWKD who operate various Community Employment Schemes as well as the local Gardai who regularly patrol the areas," Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Johnny Wall, said. 

"It is great to see Tralee Wetlands receive this accreditation as it is a fantastic facility and visitor attraction. I hope that over the coming years other Kerry towns and villages will also enter this competition."

Cathaoirleach of Listowel Municipal District, Cllr. Mike Kennelly noted that “while Childers Park and Woodlands is essentially a local amenity, it has an important role in Listowel’s economic development.

"The park gives Listowel a quality of life and environment which increases its overall attractiveness as a place to live, visit and invest in. The opening of the Greenway in 2022, with a connection through Childers Park and Woodlands into The Square, will enable many more people the chance to experience all of the great attractions Listowel has to offer, including our fantastic park.”