Two Mayo nominees for Ireland's 'greenest places' accolade
Mayo has secured two nominations on the long-list of Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026 and as a result both are now in contention to win a category award and potentially the overall title in Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026.
The two Mayo nominees are Louisburgh and Clogher in the Greenest Town or Village category.
There are five nominees in the Greenest Town or Village category so as well as competing against one another, Louisburgh and Clogher will be up against Cloughjordan Community Development Association in Tipperary, Kinsale in Cork and Ardmore in Waterford.
This is the second year of ‘Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026’, an initiative, which is being run by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland. It began in late May when members of the public were invited to nominate a special place, person or project which they believe contributes to a genuinely greener environment.
The two Mayo nominees were among almost 90 nominations received from members of the public all over the country.
Eamon Ryan, a former minister for the environment and leader of the Green Party, is one of the judges. He said the judging panel had been very impressed by the quality and diversity of the environmental projects being undertaken around the country.
“It was a real challenge for us to come up with the long-list, and we spent many hours reviewing and debating the entries. But that is a compliment to the excellent quality of the work being done by the people, projects and places which were nominated.
"So, congratulations to the 23 projects and people who made it onto the long-list but also to everyone who entered and is doing such valuable work.”
The Mayo Nominees
Louisburgh: Louisburgh actually made it to the short-list in last year’s competition.
In her nomination Kathryn Slater focuses on the work done by the community-led group, CALL Climate Action which she says is driving a green movement across the Kilgeever parish.
“Each month they organise different expert-led workshops where locals can learn about how they can take action, such as bumblebee monitoring, river sampling and native seed saving.
“They have created a model for community members to get together to buy land and plant native trees. They have a bog restoration projects with local landowners and their own Biodiversity Action Plan for an area near Killeen.
"They also have a nature education programme with the two local national schools led by their biodiversity lead. And a monthly film and discussion night focused around thinking about the future of our planet and what we can do locally.
“They are working with local artists to engage people with themes of biodiversity and water quality and have a number of art installations in town to educate people.
"They have set up a junior angling club where kids will engage with the river and also learn to monitor for water quality. They also set up local WhatsApp groups for both car-pooling and free exchange of unwanted goods. The list goes on!”
Clogher: The construction of a sand martin nesting wall and the restoration of Clogher Bog are two stand-out projects which have become a source of great pride for the village.
In his pitch Finian Bourke says Clogher is a place where sustainability, biodiversity and community participation are at the heart of community life.
“The construction of the nesting wall has provided a safe breeding habitat for one of Ireland’s declining bird species and provided educational opportunities for local schoolchildren and visitor to learn about the importance of biodiversity…..The restoration of Clogher Bog is another key community initiative.
"With funding from the Aviva Insurance Community Fund, and in partnership with the Lough Carra EU LIFE Project, work is underway to raise the bog's water table by blocking historic drainage channels.
“Restoring the bog will reduce carbon loss from peat soils, improve habitats for wildlife and protect the water quality of Lough Carra.
"As the bog lies within the lake's catchment, its restoration plays an important role in safeguarding one of Ireland's finest limestone lakes while contributing to national climate action goals.
“By combining habitat restoration, climate action, education and community spirit, Clogher is demonstrating that even a small rural village can make a significant contribution to Ireland's environmental future while inspiring others to do the same.”
The shortlist for Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026 will be announced in two weeks’ time with the category winners and overall winner announced in early October.