OPW welcomes seven Green Flag Awards for OPW National Historic Parks

The-Office-of-Public-Works-1.pngThe Office of Public Works (OPW) today (20 July 2017) welcomed the news of seven OPW parks being awarded the Green Flag Award for 2017.

St. Stephen’s Green Park, Castletown Demesne, Derrynane Historic Park, Garinish Island, Grangegorman Military Cemetery, the Irish National War Memorial Gardens and the Phoenix Park were awarded the Green Flag at a ceremony in Malahide Castle today.

Maurice Buckley, Chairman, Office of Public Works said “I am delighted that the Office of Public Works has been awarded these flags for such wonderfully diverse parks.  The OPW places great importance on the sustainable management and conservation of the State’s Heritage sites, and the Green Flag scheme is a wonderful way of recognising and celebrating these high standards”.

The Green Flag Awards, administered by An Taisce in the Republic of Ireland, recognise and encourage the provision of good quality parks and green spaces that are managed in environmentally sustainable ways.  The awards are marked on eight criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

The Green Flag Award Scheme supports best practice management of parks and green spaces across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, and has been running in Ireland since its pilot in 2015.