Six Mayo locations make shortlist to become Ireland's Greenest Places

Mayo has secured half a dozen nominations on the longlist of Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025 and as a result all six are in a shot with winning the overall title of Ireland’s Greenest Place 2025.

The six were among over 120 projects or places put forward by members of the public from all over the country and amongst 17 entries submitted from people in Mayo. It’s the joint highest number of nominees secured by any county, with Dublin also securing six nominations.

The six Mayo locations are the village of Louisburgh, the towns of Ballina and Kiltimagh, the communities of Gaelscoil Raifteirí in Castlebar, Inishturk Island and Fahburren Forrest near Croaghpatrick.

Five towns made the long list and as a result Ballina and Kiltimagh will be going up against one another and also with Killarney in Kerry, Abbeyleix in Co Laois and Skerries in Dublin for the title of Greenest Town.

Five villages also made the long list, and, in this category, Louisburgh will be up against two Clare villages, Inagh and Quin, as well as Castlegregory / Maharees in Kerry and Cloughjordan Ecovillage in Co Tipperary for the title of Greenest Village.

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Gaelscoil Raifteiri in Castlebar, Inishturk Island and Fahburren Forrest near Croaghpatrick were selected in the community category. In all 13 communities made the long list making it the most challenging category in the competition. The last category is Ireland’s Greenest Suburb which includes two Dublin suburbs and one Cork one.  

After Mayo and Dublin, Kerry is next on three nominations, Clare has two while nine other counties on one make up the full list of 26.

‘Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025’, an initiative, which is being run by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland, began in late May when members of the public were invited to nominate a special place or project which they believe contributes to a genuinely greener environment. 

The Chair of the Judging Panel, Irish Times Features Editor Mary Minihan said they had been hugely impressed by the quality and diversity of the environmental projects being undertaken around the country.

“It was extremely difficult for us to come up with the long list and we spent many hours reviewing and debating the entries. But that is a real compliment to the excellent quality of the work being done in the projects and the places which were nominated. So, congratulations to the 26 projects who made it on the long list but also to everyone who entered and is doing such valuable work,” she said.

The panel of five judges includes Eamon Ryan, former leader of the Green Party, who said that Ireland’s Greenest Places shows how much community-led- environmentalism has deepened and spread in recent years.

“At a time when people are anxious about climate change and biodiversity loss, it helps to think global but act local. The long-listed entries show the variety of what is taking place around Ireland. People in every community seem to be looking to see what they can do by promoting pollinators, planting trees or establishing sustainable energy or transport solutions. 

“Gone are the arguments that local people shouldn’t be doing these things because it is the State’s responsibility. Everyone can now see the returns that can come when you work from the bottom up as well as the top down,” he said. 

The shortlist for Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025 will be announced at the end of the month with the category winners and overall winner announced a fortnight later.