St Mark’s Youth and Community nominated for Ireland’s greenest place

ST MARK’S Youth and Family Centre in Fettercairn has been nominated for Ireland’s Greenest Place 2026, thanks to work on The Farm.

The Tallaght-based community centre on Fettercairn Road has been put forward under the category Ireland’s Greenest Community, and is one of six across the whole of Dublin involved in the awards – the local centre is up for the community category and can also win the big prize.

St. Mark’s Youth Club, based at the centre, was established in 1973 and has been based in St. Marks’ House since 1983. In his nomination, James Morrissey describes it as an oasis which has seen an original 1850’s farmhouse that was condemned and due for demolition transformed into a thriving community amenity and urban farm.

Mr Morrissey stated: “All the unconsumed lunch food from our preschool is used as feed for the goats, geese, ducks and hens. Nothing goes out the gate in a bin.

“Raised beds provide a range of organic vegetables and an education resource for young minds.

“We aim to nudge our young people into understanding the need to protect the environment, to slow down, to eat well.”

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.

This is the second year of ‘Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026’, an initiative, which is being run by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland.

It began in late May when members of the public were invited to nominate a special place, person or project which they believe contributes to a genuinely greener environment.

The six Dublin nominees are among almost 90 nominations received from members of the public from all over the country, with 23 on the longlist.

One of the judges this year is former Green Party leader and former Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan. Mr Ryan said the judging panel had been very impressed by the quality and diversity of the environmental projects being undertaken around the country.

The former Environment Minister said: “It was a real challenge for us to come up with the long-list, and we spent many hours reviewing and debating the entries. But that is a compliment to the excellent quality of the work being done by the people, projects and places which were nominated.

“So, congratulations to the 23 projects and people who made it onto the longlist but also to everyone who entered and is doing such valuable work.”

“Each place was judged on specific criteria including its beneficial environmental impact, level of ongoing collective engagement by the community and evidence of behavioural change by people.

“It’s clear that all the projects which entered are not just delivering significant environmental dividends but also really important community benefits also.”