Ice House Hill in Dundalk in bloom ahead of 2023 An Taisce Green Flag awards

Louth County Council has said that one of Dundalk’s best known landmarks, Ice House Hill, has bloomed just in time for the annual An Taisce Green Flag awards.

Ice House Hill is one of four public parks in Louth which currently hold Green Flag status,  the mark of a quality park or green space recognised throughout the world. It is hoped the park will retain the Green Flag in the 2023 An Taisce awards for a seventh consecutive year.

Set amid a stunning 17 acre green space in the centre of Dundalk, Ice House Hill has been "proudly maintained" by Louth County Council, it says, since restoration works in the 1990’s transformed it into an idyllic urban retreat. 

The park is populated with specimen trees which have matured to create a parkland vista, best viewed from the park’s hilltop vantage point.

The pond area remains a key attraction for visitors, featuring flocks of ducks and breeding pairs of moor hens. It also supports much aquatic life with emerging vegetation and water edge shrubbery. 

At the heart of Ice House Hill are the historic ruins of the original ice house, which are well preserved and open to easy viewing from the public. Historically ice from the ponds was stored here during winter months, providing cool refreshment to the nearby residents in the summer months.

There are many benches on which to soak up the parkland scenery and enjoy the green and lush surroundings. The re-painted cast iron fence provides a picturesque boundary to the extensive lawns, which are continually mowed and manicured.

In line with the all Ireland pollinator plan which Louth County Council signed up to in 2020 there are some areas left to grow wild and seeded with wild flow seeds to produce the floral displays now evident in the park amongst the species rich grasslands.

Shrubs and plants growing throughout the park have continued to thrive, with many flowers in bloom at this time of year.

Despite the inclement weather in recent weeks Ice House Hill remains a popular attraction for picnics, and features a dedicated hexagon hardwood space which was newly cleaned and painted ahead of the summer months.

Louth County Council says it also continually monitors all public parks, including Ice House Hill, for litter, and has installed a number of new bins in recent months. A number of inspections were recently carried out, it says, showing no evidence of litter in the park.

Chief Executive of Louth County Council, Joan Martin said Ice House Hill was “A testament to the endless hard work of parks crews in the busy summer season, assisted by volunteer groups in the town.

“It’s always wonderful to visit Ice House Hill, which has developed over the last few decades into a natural and mature looking parkscape , with a beautiful pond and well kept pathways to explore all parts of the park.”

The Chief Executive concluded:  “Ongoing maintenance by parks staff continues to enrich the inherent qualities of the park and the surrounding areas.”