Displaying items by tag: Green Flag

20th September 2023

Tralee Bay Wetlands and Lough Gur Lakeshore Among Green Flag Award Winners

Kerry’s Tralee Bay wetlands and Lough Gur lakeshore in Co Limerick are both winners in this year’s Green Flag awards.

Some 101 green spaces were selected for awards in Ireland out of a total of 150 across Europe, according to An Taisce’s environmental education unit.

Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco and activity park was the overall winner, and also the town winner in the Green Flag Pollinator awards.

Lough Gur Lakeshore Park and Visitor Centre in Limerick was one of two, along with Julianstown Community Garden in Co Meath, to receive special innovation awards.

Lough Gur installed 28 bee lodges to support solitary and native bees. The lodges were built by participants in the Probation and Linkage in Limerick scheme as part of the prison education programme, and were funded by Analog Devices.

An An Taisce Green Flag flying at Lough Gur Lakeshore Park and Visitor Centre in Limerick An Taisce's Green Flag flying at Lough Gur Lakeshore Park and Visitor Centre in Limerick

Other coastal award winners include Garinish Island and Fota Arboretum and Gardens in Co Cork and Derrynane House and Park in Co Kerry.

Participating countries in the international award scheme are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

Britain, where the green flag was initiated in 1996, is no longer in the EU but has 2,216 parks – the largest number since the scheme began 27 years ago – which can raise green flags this year.

Like its blue flag counterpart on coastlines, the green flag award benchmarks excellence in the management of spaces which are open and free to the public. In this case, it highlights parks, gardens, grounds and wildlife sanctuaries which have made special efforts.

An Taisce’s environmental education unit published the full list here

Published in Coastal Notes

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Irish Sailing

The Irish Sailing Association, also known as Irish Sailing, is the national governing body for sailing, powerboating and windsurfing in Ireland.

Founded in 1945 as the Irish Dinghy Racing Association, it became the Irish Yachting Association in 1964 and the Irish Sailing Association in 1992.

Irish Sailing is a Member National Authority (MNA) of World Sailing and a member of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

The Association is governed by a volunteer board, elected by the member clubs. Policy Groups provide the link with members and stakeholders while advising the Board on specialist areas. There is a professional administration and performance staff, based at the headquarters in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Core functions include the regulation of sailing education, administering racing and selection of Irish sailors for international competition. It is the body recognised by the Olympic Federation of Ireland for nominating Irish qualified sailors to be considered for selection to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games. Irish sailors have medalled twice at the Olympics – David Wilkins and Jamie Wikinson at the 1980 games, and Annalise Murphy at the 2016 games.

The Association, through its network of clubs and centres, offers curriculum-based training in the various sailing, windsurfing and powerboating disciplines. Irish Sailing qualifications are recognised by Irish and European Authorities. Most prominent of these are the Yachtmaster and the International Certificate of Competency.

It runs the annual All-Ireland Championships (formerly the Helmsman’s Championship) for senior and junior sailors.

The Association has been led by leading lights in the sailing and business communities. These include Douglas Heard, Clayton Love Junior, John Burke and Robert Dix.

Close to 100 sailors have represented Ireland at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Membership of Irish Sailing is either by direct application or through membership of an affiliated organisation. The annual membership fee ranges from €75 for families, down to €20 for Seniors and Juniors.