Green flag delights
By Mary Dennehy
TYMON Park this week achieved Green Flag status, alongside being recognised as one of the country’s top recreational outdoor spaces.
At an event in Maynooth University on Wednesday, Tymon Park in Tallaght received its first-ever Green Flag, while also being declared the overall category winner for best Town Park nationwide.
The playground in Tymon Park
It was Green Flags all round for South Dublin County, with Corkagh Park, Waterstown and Sean Walsh all retaining their flags for another year.
The Green Flag, of which there are now 60 flying across the country, is an international standard for well manage public parks and green spaces.
Only awarded for ‘exceeding tough environmental standards’ in green-space management and excellence of visitor attractions, the Green Flag Award sets the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces.
In a comment to The Echo after Wednesday’s win, Teresa Walsh, Director of Environment, Water and Climate Change with the council, said: “South Dublin County Council is delighted to receive the Green Flag Award for four of our parks, recognising the effort of staff, communities and volunteers in improving our green spaces.”
A focus has been placed on Tymon Park in recent years, with a new playground swinging into action in Tymon Park in 2017 – which complemented its existing fairy trail, forest walks, pond and lake network, playing pitches and diverse woodland landscape.
There are also wild grass areas within the park to support and encourage biodiversity.
Here in Ireland, the Green Flag Award is operated by by An Taisce Environmental Education Unit, with the awards marked under eight criteria, including horticulture standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.
According to Robert Moss, of the Green Flag Award programme: “In terms of urban renewal, and rural and community development, the Green Flag Award for Parks is a logical and sensible step towards supporting community engagement with green space improvement, and helps increase quality of life within our communities.”
