Green Flags raised at Louth County Council managed public parks

Louth County Council have celebrated the raising of An Taisce Green Flags at four of County Louth’s most popular public parks.

The Green Flag Award is the international quality benchmark for the public green space sector. The scheme is now operating in 17 countries around the world and has been running for over 25 years.

Flag raising events were recently held in St. Helena Park and Ice House Hill in Dundalk, Blackrock Community Park and St. Dominic’s Park, Drogheda.

The new 2023/24 Green Flags will take pride of place in all four parks for the coming year.

It is the seventh successive annual win in the Green Flag awards for the Louth parks, which have all once again received positive assessment from the judging panel.

The parks are proudly managed and maintained by the Placemaking and Physical Development Directorate at Louth County Council.

Ongoing works at Ice House Hill in particular have seen a number of upgrades within the Dundalk park, including resurfacing and newly edged paths and repairs to the well, where a new pump has been installed.

One of the main attractions of the 17 acre park is the duck pond, which has recently been fitted with a new water circulation pump, a key feature in improving water quality in the pond.

The local authority is also committed to maintaining the historic ‘Ice House’, and following a survey of the structure are awaiting a report from the conservation architect.   

Preserving Louth’s public spaces is a key aim of Louth County Council, and the local authority have been actively participating in the An Taisce Green Flag awards scheme since 2016, a local authority spokesperson said.

The Green Flag scheme uses eight different key criteria to assess participating parks, with an emphasis on environmental management, health and safety, presentation, etc.

Management plans for each park have been put in place and these are assessed by a network of competent judges, who also conduct an annual inspection of each park.

Louth County Council Chief Executive, Joan Martin welcomed the awarding of Green Flag status.

“The Green Flag awards, which Louth County Council have proudly retained once again this year, represent the dedication and commitment not only of our staff to maintaining Louth’s beautiful outdoor spaces, but also of individuals and local community groups, and the collaborative work that is done every day to ensure public parks across the county are welcoming, safe spaces for everyone to enjoy.”

The Green Flag Award scheme aims to encourage the provision of good quality public parks and green spaces that are managed in environmentally sustainable ways and achieve high environmental performance.

The Placemaking and Physical Development Directorate thanked volunteers, in particular Blackrock Park Committee, local community groups, the Council Management Team and staff who have worked tirelessly to achieve Green Flag status for another year.