The search is on for Ireland’s Greenest Places!

As we head into what we hope will be a marvellous summer filled with long days in the great outdoors details of the search for Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025 have been announced - and we all know that in Waterford we have the finest green places!

Whether you live in a community, village, suburb or town or perhaps it’s a place you love to visit on a regular basis – the competition is open to anywhere on the island of Ireland - you can help it secure the coveted title of one of Ireland’s Greenest Places.

The initiative, which has been launched by The Irish Times, in association with Electric Ireland, will see each nominated place judged on specific criteria, including its beneficial environmental impact, level of ongoing collective engagement by the community and evidence of behavioural change by people.

To be in with a chance to claim the title for your place of choice, all you have to do is 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.

Four years ago The Irish Times hosted a competition entitled ‘Best Place to Live in Ireland’ and Waterford emerged the winner.

The Chair of the Judging Panel, Irish Times Features Editor Mary Minihan said they will be looking for places which offer a vision of a more sustainable future.

“We chose place because it’s a deliberately broad term. People can nominate a suburb, village, town or community such as a peninsula, island or other distinct area anywhere on the island. The key will be how it measures up against the criteria outlined above, as well of course as care for nature and the local environment. 

“Over the next four months our judges will draw up shortlists based on the submissions, visit the front-runners, choose winners in each category and eventually choose an overall winner. We are looking forward so much to hearing from people from Waterford and all the other counties as soon as possible to help us identify Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025.” 

Former Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, who is one of the judges, said one of the key objectives of the competition is to showcase the contributions people and communities are making to a greener Ireland.

"We know that Irish people care about climate change and that they are concerned about its effects on their lives. We also know that place-based solutions deliver climate actions that really work because they are developed and underpinned by community ownership.

“With this initiative we want to celebrate what’s happening in so many locations around the country, share those learnings as widely as possible and encourage more people to get involved in making their community a better place to live now and into the future."

Electric Ireland’s Lisa Browne said the company is proud to partner with The Irish Times as the sponsor of Ireland’s Greenest Places.

“As a judge, I’m looking forward to seeing the wonderful stories come in from communities around Ireland and their journey to a more sustainable life. 

"This partnership is the perfect fit with our strategy to empower customers to live an all-electric life and to help customers to see how big or small changes can make a real difference.” 

 Anyone can enter by writing a short pitch about a place they believe is contributing to a greener environment and helping to build climate resilience. The judging panel is looking forward to a challenging summer of deliberation with every stage in the process documented on a regular basis in The Irish Times.

Joining Mary Minihan, Eamon Ryan and Lisa Browne on the judging panel will be Irish Times Environment Editor Kevin O’Sullivan and Senior Features Writer Rosita Boland.

If you know a place in Ireland that deserves recognition for its contribution to a greener future, visit https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2025/05/24/irelands-greenest-places-2025/ to submit your nomination.