Ireland's Greenest Places 2026 open for applications until August 1st
James Cox
The closing date for entries to Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026 has been announced as August 1st.
People all over the island urged to nominate the places they believe deserve recognition by August 1st
The highest number of entries so far are for places in Dublin.
To enter all you have to do is write a short submission outlining the contribution the special place or project you’re nominating makes to a genuinely greener environment.
At this point Dublin is leading the way with over a dozen entries, followed by Cork, Wicklow and Wexford.
The variety of entries received so far is striking. They include everything from a community allotment group in Wexford to the University of Galway and from the village of Eyeries in West Cork to the Kingfisher project in Kimmage in Dublin.
Following the success of last year’s initiative which attracted over 150 entries from all over Ireland, The Irish Times, in association with Electric Ireland, confirmed they would be running the competition again this year.
From biodiversity corridors and river clean-ups to community gardens, energy projects and tree planting initiatives, entries are open to projects big and small that deliver measurable environmental impact, bring people together, and inspire others to follow.
So, whether it’s your own community, suburb, village or town, a place you visit on a regular basis or one you have just been inspired by – as long as it’s on the island of Ireland – you can nominate it as one of Ireland’s Greenest Places.
The format is similar to last year but with a slight change to the categories. Awards will be made to Ireland’s Greenest Community, Greenest Suburb, Greenest Town or Village, Overall Winner and, a new one this year, Ireland’s Net Zero Hero.
That award will go to someone who stands out for their exemplary work in driving a particular project or in inspiring others to act, in coordinating community efforts.
To be in with a chance to claim the title for your place, project or person of choice, all you have to do is click on the link Ireland's Greenest Places - The Irish Times (or search for irishtimes.com / greenest places) where you’ll find an entry form. Then write a short submission – up to 300 words – explaining why it’s so special and the tangible contribution it makes to a genuinely greener environment.
Each nominated place will be judged on a range of criteria including its beneficial environmental impact, level of ongoing collective engagement by the community and evidence of behavioural change by people.
Former minister for the environment and leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan is returning as one of the competition’s judges. He said one of the main aims of the competition is to showcase what can be achieved when people work together to deliver more sustainable and greener communities.
All the entries will be assessed by a panel of judges and researchers before a longlist is compiled. Over the summer, that longlist will be whittled down to a shortlist before the winners are announced in September.
One of the new judges on the panel this year is the well-known biologist, environmental consultant, author and radio presenter Éanna Ní Lamhna.
The closing date for entries to Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026 has been announced as August 1st.
She said: “This excellent competition gives recognition to community groups all around the country, who are making efforts to improve the environmental quality of where they live, for the benefit of all.
“The new 'Net Zero Hero' award is great. It recognises the positive impact that one determined person can have – sparking a whole community to act for the common good. This is the kind of leadership we need in our communities right now."
Most of the judges have returned for the second year. As well as Eamon Ryan and Lisa Browne from Electric Ireland they include environmental consultant and former Irish Times environment editor Kevin O’Sullivan and senior features writer Rosita Boland.
Joining Éanna as a first time judge this year is sustainability consultant Shannen Healy, known as Green Gal @_greengal on Instagram and other platforms.
If you know a place in Ireland that deserves recognition for its contribution to a greener future, go to Ireland's Greenest Places - The Irish Times where you’ll find an entry form and submit your nomination.
