Cahir Inch Field was successful this year in its application to renew the Green Flag Award for 2024-2025. Cahir Inch Field was accredited with retaining its Green Flag Award on the 8th of November in the category of formal public Green Flag Park sites. This is further recognition of the great work that has been undertaken in Cahir with the support of Cahir Tidy Towns volunteers, other organisations and businesses in the town.
Only awarded for exceeding tough environmental standards in green space management and excellence of visitor attractions – the Green Flag Award Scheme is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world.
The Green Flag Award scheme aims to encourage the provision of good quality public parks and green spaces that are managed in environmentally sustainable ways.
Emlyn Cullen - Programme Manager at the Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce, who manages the Award in Ireland said:
“The continued success of the Green Flag Award is due to the love staff members have for their green spaces and the hard work they put in to maintaining them. They do a phenomenal job every day making their parks and gardens beautiful, safe spaces for the public to enjoy.”
The Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities; Joe O’Brien T.D. stated that:
“It has been a tremendous privilege to support An Taisce’s expansion of the Green Flag Community Award across the last number of years. I know a core value for An Taisce is the promotion of inclusion and community participation at all levels, a value deeply shared with my Department, Rural and Community Development. The Green Flag is a fantastic vehicle for facilitating, encouraging and recognising the value of that collective community engagement.
I want to commend the hundreds of communities and their volunteers for their inspiring work in community-led green space projects. It is a testament to the dedication of people all across the country that Ireland now has the largest quota of Green Flag Award sites in the EU, and I have no doubt the many volunteer-run community spaces receiving their Green Flag Community Award will be flying that flag with great and well-earned pride.”
The visiting judges for the Green Flag Award were impressed with Cahir Inch Field and paid tribute to the commitment shown by the Tidy Town volunteers, local community, business groups and Tipperary County Council:
“This is a fantastic amenity, which all those who are involved should be extremely proud of”.
Councillor Andy Moloney on behalf of Cahir Tidy Towns also paid tribute to those involved in achieving the Green Flag Award:
“It is a fabulous green enjoyed by many over the summer and also served as a successful location for Heritage Day activities. The addition of the Pétanque club and the proposed accessibility path will be a welcome addition to future visitors to this popular park. I wish to acknowledge the support and work carried out by An Choill Bheag, the Men’s Shed, TÚS, APB Food Group, HSK, Tipperary County Council and the volunteers who maintain the park to the highest standard in order to receive such an honour. I would also like to thank Leader Board for supporting our new Fionn McCumhail project”.
Anselm McGowan, District Administrator of Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel also spoke of the importance of the award:
“Tipperary County Council are proud to be intrinsically involved in achieving this prestigious award. This is a prime example of what can be achieved when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This endeavour would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment of Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District, Cahir Tidy Towns and local volunteers who take such pride in this wonderful Public amenity.
The Tidy Towns adjudication remarked that 'Winning the Green Flag Award for the second year in a row for the maintenance of the Inch Field is an outstanding achievement and you are wished well in this year’s competition. The Inch Field is a delightful natural resource that can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Your efforts to keep it as wild as possible are admirable and you have outlined how you have done this. As stated in an earlier section the “Sleeping Giant” was a major attraction on the day. The “Bees Dining Area” which is very well positioned and the wildflower area bordering on the Golf Course had loads of bee activity on what was a very fine summer’s day'. As an integral part of what Cahir is the winning for a third time of the Green Flag status can only be good for Cahir.”
