OPW celebrates 12 Green Flag Awards and 6 Green Heritage Site accreditation awards for Public Parks and Gardens
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From: Office of Public Works
- Published on: 8 November 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Today, An Taisce Environmental Education acknowledged Ireland’s best public parks and gardens with the announcement of the 2024 International Green Flag Awards.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) welcomed the news that 12 OPW sites were among a group of 120 Irish public parks, gardens and voluntary run green community sites across the Republic of Ireland who received their 2024 Green Flags.
The OPW sites receiving Green Flags include Altamount House and Gardens in Co. Carlow, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre in Co. Meath, Derrynane Historic Park in Co. Kerry, Fota Arboretum & Gardens and Garinish Island in Co. Cork, Glebe House and Gallery in Co. Donegal, Grangegorman Military Cemetery, Irish National War Memorial Gardens, The Iveagh Gardens, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, St. Stephens Green and The Phoenix Park in Dublin.
In addition to the Green Flag award, the OPW received 6 Green Heritage Site Accreditation awards. These include Altamont House and Gardens, the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, Derrynane Historical Park, Garinish Island, the Irish National War Memorial Gardens and Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
The Chairman of the OPW, John Conlon said:
“I am delighted that many of our OPW sites have been awarded these flags, which highlights the wonderfully diverse parks in our care. These parks provide unique spaces for the public to enjoy and we in the OPW are proud that we continue to receive the recognition for the work and dedication that goes into the upkeep of these beautiful parks. I would particularly like to congratulate all the OPW staff whose hard work and commitment to each property has contributed towards these Awards. The OPW places great importance on the sustainable management and conservation of the State’s Heritage sites, and the Green Flag Awards scheme is a wonderful way of recognising and celebrating these high standards.”
The Green Flag Awards, administered by An Taisce Environmental Education in 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 key criteria, including biodiversity standards, cleanliness, health and safety, sustainability and community involvement. This International Scheme is in operation across Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Mexico, Mongolia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The Green Heritage Site Accreditation is awarded to public green spaces of historical importance that actively understand, manage, and promote their heritage which makes them unique. The judging criteria also takes into account the different facilities offered, management strategies, and community engagement.
OPW spokespersons are available for interview upon request to discuss these awards. Please contact pressoffice@opw.ie for more information and to arrange an interview.
Notes
Notes on the individual OPW parks
Altamount House and Gardens
A large and beautiful estate covering 16 hectares in total, Altamont Gardens is laid out in the style of William Robinson, which strives for ‘honest simplicity’. The design situates an excellent plant collection perfectly within the natural landscape.
For example, there are lawns and sculpted yews that slope down to a lake ringed by rare trees and rhododendrons. A fascinating walk through the Arboretum, Bog Garden and Ice Age Glen, sheltered by ancient oaks and flanked by huge stone outcrops, leads to the banks of the River Slaney. Visit in summer to experience the glorious perfume of roses and herbaceous plants in the air.
With their sensitive balance of formal and informal, nature and artistry, Altamont Gardens have a unique – and wholly enchanting – character.
Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
On 1 July 1690 (Old Style), King William III clashed with his father-in-law, King James II, on the River Boyne at Oldbridge, County Meath.
Both kings commanded their armies in person. There were 36,000 men on the Williamite side and 25,000 on the Jacobite side. It was the largest number of troops ever deployed on an Irish battlefield. At stake were the British throne, French dominance in Europe and religious power in Ireland. William was victorious – and the continent was changed forever.
On the battleground itself, in a recently restored eighteenth-century house, now stands the Battle of the Boyne visitor centre. The centre contains original weapons and a laser model of the battlefield. It is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to find out more about this pivotal episode in Irish and European history.
Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
Derrynane House and Historic Park
Derrynane House, situated on the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula at Caherdaniel in County Kerry, is the ancestral home of Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), lawyer, politician, statesman, and one of the great figures in modern Irish history.
Derrynane was transferred to the state in 1964 and most of the old demesne is now included in Derrynane National Historic Park, an area of approximately 120 hectares managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The lands are rich in natural and cultural heritage, with a unique combination of archaeological, architectural, horticultural, botanical and ecological features.
Derrynane National Historic Park has 1.5km of shoreline with sand dunes and beaches, including a Blue Flag beach. The dunes contain rare animal and plant species including Natterjack Toads and the Kerry Lily, as well as a suite of native orchid species. There are a variety of trails throughout the grounds, including a section of the Kerry Way, a Seashore Nature Trail and a Mass Path.
The gardens have a plant collection of great significance and endangered plants from South America have been established as part of the National Botanical Collection in partnership with the Royal Edinburgh Botanic Garden.
The surrounding area is rich in archaeological sites and the park itself contains an Ogham stone, a small ring fort, souterrains, a Mass Rock and the ruins of Ahamore Abbey, on Abbey Island (dating to 10th Century).
The property is very family friendly and has great tourism value and potential. Derrynane House and National Historic Park is a Discovery Point on Fáilte Ireland's highly successful Wild Atlantic Way route.
Derrynane House and Historic Park
Fota Arboretum and Gardens
Fota House, Arboretum and Gardens are located 12 km from Cork City in the shelter of Cork harbour. The Arboretum contains an extensive collection of trees and shrubs extending over an area of approx. 11 hectares (27 acres) and includes features such as an ornamental pond, Italian and walled gardens. The internationally recognised arboretum and gardens are open all year round and are a haven for relaxation and enjoyment. “Fota” is derived from the Irish “Fód te” meaning warm soil – perfect for the growing and cultivation of rare trees and exotic plants.
The delightful and tranquil gardens at Fota were laid out by James Hugh Smith-Barry in the first half of the 19th century and include the palm walk, orangery, and the atmospheric Victorian fernery. The arboretum has a world-renowned collection of rare tender and exotic trees and shrubs from the southern hemisphere. The development of the Arboretum coincided with the great plant hunting expeditions around the world bringing back wonderful specimens from exotic locations. Not only do they play a major role in educating and informing visitors, this is a stunning recreational area for all to enjoy the beauty and richness of one of the finest collections of rare and tender trees and shrubs grown outdoors in Ireland and Britain.
Garinish Island
Located in the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay, Ilnacullin / Garinish Island is a small island (15 hectares) known to horticulturists and lovers of trees and shrubs all around the world as an island garden of rare beauty. The gardens of Ilnacullin (Island of the Holly) owe their existence to the creative partnership of John Annan Bryce and Harold Ainsworth Peto over a century ago.
Bequeathed to the Irish people in 1953 and managed by the OPW, Garinish Island (Ilnacullin) is a designed historic garden of international significance, with a world renowned plant collection and unique architectural heritage. Much of the plant collection post-dates the original creation of the gardens and can be attributed to Murdo McKenzie and Roland Bryce.
The property is a destination for local, national and international visitors. In excess of 65,000 people visit Garinish Island annually and enjoy its gardens and also Bryce House, which was fully restored and opened to the public in 2015.
The gardens are extensive, incorporating a range of features, for example: annual bedding, herbaceous borders, heather banks, hedging, shrubberies, tree plantations, bog garden, fern garden, ponds, glades, lawn and walled gardens.
Glebe House and Gallery
This elegant Regency house, dating from 1828, is set in woodland gardens near the town of Letterkenny in County Donegal. The celebrated painter Derek Hill lived and worked here from the 1950s until the 1980s, when he presented the house to the Irish state – along with an extraordinary collection of art.
Hill was a man of exquisite taste. The house itself, is as he left it – beautifully decorated with William Morris textiles and furniture of oriental design. His collection includes hundreds of works by some of the leading lights of the art world, such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Louis le Brocquy and Auguste Renoir. There are also choice pieces from further afield, including Japan and the Islamic world.
Hill’s studio, which adjoins the house, has been transformed into a modern and stylish gallery, which now plays host to changing exhibitions.
Grangegorman Military Cemetery
Ireland’s largest Military Cemetery, Grangegorman Military Cemetery, was opened in 1876 to serve as a graveyard for the soldiers and their families, of what was then Marlborough Barracks (now McKee Barracks).
Grangegorman Military Cemetery is an oasis of peace and tranquillity, a near picture perfect Victorian garden cemetery. The mature tree collection of over twenty-six species in this small site adds to its solemn and reflective atmosphere. From mature copper beech to coastal redwoods, the trees stand like guardians throughout the grounds.
Grangegorman Military Cemetery contains the graves of soldiers who served in the Crimean War 1854-1856, World War I 1914-1918, World War II 1937-1945, War of Independence 1919-1921 and the Easter Rising 1916. The Graveyard contains six hundred military burials, including a memorial to the Unknown Soldier and 140 service men that lost their lives with the sinking of the R.M.S Leinster mail boat off the coast of Dublin.
Grangegorman Military Cemetery
Irish National War Memorial Gardens
These gardens are one of the most famous memorial gardens in Europe. They are dedicated to the memory of 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the 1914 – 1918 war. The names of all the soldiers are contained in the beautifully illustrated Harry Clarke manuscripts in the granite book rooms in the gardens.
The gardens are not only a place of remembrance but are also of great architectural interest and beauty. They are one of four gardens in this country designed by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) (the others being Heywood Gardens, Lambay Island, and those in Howth Castle).
Sunken rose gardens, herbaceous borders and extensive tree planting make for an enjoyable visit to the gardens in any season.
Irish National War Memorial Gardens
Royal Hospital Kilmainham
The Royal Hospital Kilmainham stands on the site of a seventh-century early Christian settlement, replaced in Norman times with a monastery of the Knights Hospitallers.
The building as we know it today was begun in 1680. Leading architects such as William Robinson, Thomas Burgh and Francis Johnston made it the starting point for Dublin’s development into a city of European standing.
Inspired by Les Invalides in Paris, the building was to be a retirement home for old soldiers. Over the next 247 years, thousands of army pensioners lived out their final days within its walls.
In 1991, the Royal Hospital Kilmainham became home to the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
St. Stephen’s Green
Located in the heart of Dublin City, St. Stephen’s Green Park is Ireland’s premier Victorian Square. At just under 10 hectares in size, the ‘Green’, as it known to all Dubliners, is enjoyed by millions of visitors annually, yet it is also valued for its sense of peace and tranquillity in the centre of an urban metropolis.
Today’s layout is credited to Lord Ardilaun, of the Guinness Brewery Family, who introduced the St Stephen’s Green Act 1877 and set about its re-design to include lakes, fountains, waterfall, lodge, walks and plantations.
The Office of Public Works has been responsible for the conservation and management of the Green for the last 135 years, and continues to conserve and present this wonderful Victorian park for today’s citizens. The children’s play park, ‘Garden for the Blind’, floral displays, herbaceous borders, lime walk and extensive tree and shrub plantings make for a pleasuring of the senses.
Seasonal events such as historical re-enactments, family and tree days, and lunchtime musical performances in the bandstand not only show off the site’s flora and fauna but the strong, cohesive force of an urban landscape bringing together a local community and visitors from further afield. The Green has truly national and international appeal.
Iveagh Gardens
The Iveagh Gardens are among the finest and least known of Dublin's parks and gardens. They were designed by Ninian Niven, in 1865, as an intermediate design between the 'French Formal' and the 'English Landscape' styles. They demonstrated the artistic skills of the landscape Architect of the mid 19th century and display a unique collection of landscape features which include Rustic Grotto's and Cascade, sunken formal panels of lawn with Fountain Centre Pieces, Wilderness, Woodlands, Maze, Rosarium, American Garden, Archery Grounds, Rockeries and Rooteries.
The conservation and restoration of the Gardens commenced in 1995 and to date most of the features have been restored, for example the Maze in Box hedging with a Sundial as a centre piece. The recently restored Cascade and exotic tree ferns all help to create a sense of wonder in the 'Secret Garden'. The pre 1860s rose varieties add an extra dimension to the Victorian Rosarium.
Phoenix Park
At 707 hectares, Phoenix Park is one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces within any European capital city. The Park was established in 1662 as a Royal Deer Park by James Butler, Duke of Ormond, on behalf of King Charles II. The Park is located 2.5km west of Dublin City, is bounded by a stonewall 11km in length and has 22kms of roads.
The Park represents a unique natural and cultural landscape that is both a historic park and a city park and which provides a setting for a range of activities and amenities and acts as a location for a number of important public institutions and residences. As a natural and built historic park, enclosed over 300 years ago by a demesne wall, Phoenix Park is unique in Ireland.
The Park has been managed by the OPW as a National Historic Park since it was so designated in 1986. The conservation and management of the park is guided by the Florence Charter on historic gardens as set out by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites).