Mayo parklands celebrate at Green Flag awards

A NUMBER of parklands across Mayo were recognised for excellence as the 2024 Green Flag Awards, announced by An Taisce.

Three Green flags were awarded (managing organisation in brackets) in the county: Jackie Clarke Collection Heritage Garden, Turlough Park (both Mayo County Council) and Ballycroy Visitor Centre (National Parks and Wildlife Service, Wild Nephin National Park).

Green Heritage Site accreditation was also awarded to Turlough Park.

Winning Green Flag Community Awards were: Balla Woodlands and Parks (Balla CRD), Ballyhaunis Community Garden (Ballyhaunis Community Garden) and Ballina Karen Community Garden (Mayo County Council).

In the 2024 Pollinator Plan Award, the Country Park/ Demesne winner was Ballycroy Visitor Centre in the Wild Nephin National Park.

The international Green Flag Award was awarded to 120 parks, gardens, greenways and wildlife sanctuaries around Ireland, acknowledging excellence in the management of those green spaces, which are freely open to the public.

The Green Flag Award is the international quality benchmark for the public green space sector.