Success for Palace Grounds in Tuam in Green Flag Awards 2021

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 17:12:00 GMT

Success for Palace Grounds in Tuam in Green Flag Awards 2021

Galway County Council has today welcomed the announcement by An Taisce that the Palace Grounds in Tuam has been awarded a Green Flag.

The 2021 Green Flag Awards were announced today, Wednesday 17^th November 2021, by An Taisce Environmental Education Unit, acknowledging Ireland’s best public parks and gardens, which included an Award for our very own Palace Grounds in Tuam.

The International Green Flag Award Scheme is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world. It is only awarded for exceeding tough environmental standards in green space management and excellence of visitor attractions.

The Palace Grounds is the public park in Tuam and has been described in the past as Tuam’s "Jewel in the Crown". The Palace Grounds is a vital part of the town’s living history, a place where the people of Tuam connect with nature. The park is a safe home for nature, a climate-proofed place enabling healthy living, and the sharing of memories and stories. The management of the park focuses on knitting the access points and boundaries into the town’s historic and emerging urban design. Each access point is welcoming, and visitors can explore the historic aspects of the grounds. Orientation and interpretation throughout the park are first and foremost concerned with ensuring that the natural and historic features of the park are healthy and biodiverse. The Palace Grounds is an oasis for well-being and is enjoyed by a very broad spectrum of visitors from a regional spread. It is often used as physical activity and recreational hub to encourage the participation of people in sport, physical activity and active living.

The Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Councillor Peter Keaveney welcomed this award, stating: “Our public spaces are key to improving the quality of life for people living in Co. Galway. They also serve to make our communities more attractive to visitors, and in so doing help boost tourism.  Providing a space where people can safely enjoy the outdoors has been very important this year and I want to congratulate everyone in Galway County Council and Tuam Tidy Towns on this prestigious award for the Palace Grounds.”

The Green Flag Community Award extends the Scheme to include community initiatives such as Community Gardens, Community Parks, and Tidy Towns Projects. In Ireland the Green Flag Community Award Scheme is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

International accreditation for public park excellence in Ireland has increased again this year, to reach over 100 accredited public green spaces. Ireland was today awarded a total of 103 Green Flag sites, comprised of 84 formal public Green Flag Park sites, along with 19 volunteer run Green Community Sites.

This year over 2,300 public sites in 16 countries around the World have achieved Green Flag or Green Flag Community Award status and once again, more Green Flag Awards have been secured by Irish Parks and Gardens than by any country, other than the UK where the scheme originated in 1996.

Operated within the Republic of Ireland by An Taisce Environmental Education Unit, the Green Flag Awards are judged every year by a peer jury of green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, and community involvement.

This year participating countries, alongside the Republic of Ireland, included Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

 

For further general information in relation to the Awards, visit:

www.greenflagaward.org