The O’Donoghue Ring Collection has announced the addition of another prestigious award to its recent swathe of eco-based accolades.

Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa has achieved a Gold Level Award from the 50 Shades Greener, Green Business Programme.

The Gold Level certification recognises how the popular town centre hotel has incorporated sustainability across its business into its HR, Purchasing and Marketing operations.

It is only awarded to those businesses that have taken the time to look at their suppliers and form a green purchasing policy and who have incorporated their green ethos and goals into all recruitment and induction processes.

Since 2020, The O’Donoghue Ring Collection has taken a property-by-property approach to minimise environmental impacts called ‘Our Green Way’. As a result the Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa has made a number of significant environmental strides. 

Group General Manager Brian Lawlor said: “Our team is passionate about safeguarding the future and has worked incredibly hard to implement greener, more sustainable practices across every department in our properties. As part of the group-wide sustainability initiative ‘Our Green Way’ we’ve successfully reduced our energy consumption, food waste, water use and carbon emissions and are well on the way to entirely ridding ourselves of single use plastic. It was most flattering to hear that, during their review of Killarney Plaza’s practices, 50 Shades Greener put us straight up to the Gold standard because so much of the work had already been done! But we’ve still plenty to be getting on with and with our clear action plans for all areas, we’re hoping that Emerald status will soon be within our grasp.”

The latest recognition of the family-run group’s commitment to sustainability comes after Killarney Plaza and two of its sister hotels – Killarney Towers Hotel & Leisure Centre, and Killarney Avenue Hotel – achieved the prestigious Green Hospitality Eco-Certification.

The O’Donoghue Collection’s unique Killarney Urban Farm, from which the portfolio’s hotels and restaurants take much of their sustainably-produced produce, also swept up the Green Hospitality honour at the recent return of the Killarney Looking Good Awards last October.