Saturday, 04 October 2025
The Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry has been awarded the prestigious title of Ireland’s Greenest Place 2025, a recognition of its community’s dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Often referred to as “the most beautiful place on earth” by National Geographic, Dingle has become a model for nature-first living, thanks to a deep-rooted local commitment […]
The Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry has been awarded the prestigious title of Ireland’s Greenest Place 2025, a recognition of its community’s dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Often referred to as “the most beautiful place on earth” by National Geographic, Dingle has become a model for nature-first living, thanks to a deep-rooted local commitment to protecting the land for future generations.
The Dingle Peninsula was chosen as the overall winner of the Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025 awards, a national initiative run by The Irish Times in partnership with Electric Ireland. Judges praised the Dingle community for its long-standing efforts to care for its environment, noting that residents do not take their natural assets for granted but instead find creative, practical ways to live more sustainably.
“They understand they have a responsibility to improve the peninsula and to leave it in a better place for the next generation of residents and visitors,” the judging panel remarked.
Despite having a relatively small population, around 1,600 in Dingle town and 13,000 in the wider area, the Peninsula attracts over a million visitors annually. This high level of tourism adds to the responsibility of preserving the environment and has inspired a range of innovative projects in areas such as energy, transport, agriculture, and sustainable tourism.
One key criterion for the Greenest Places award was evidence of behavioural change, not just environmental projects, but how communities have shifted their mindset.
In Dingle, this is seen in how daily habits have adapted:
Shared transport instead of private cars
Community gardens instead of individual lawns
Reducing plastic and reusing communal resources like the Skerries Toybox idea
Sustainable behaviour is contagious. Dingle’s success highlights how culture and community norms are just as important as infrastructure when it comes to lasting change.
The community’s approach to sustainability is deeply collaborative. Local initiatives include:
Reducing waste at local food festivals
Tree planting through the Meitheal na gCrann project
Lift-sharing and gardening groups coordinated via WhatsApp
Inclusive, community-led projects focused on long-term environmental impact
These actions reflect a strong culture of community ownership, behaviour change, and a desire to create a better environment, not just for today, but for generations to come.
Launched in May 2025, Ireland’s Greenest Places invited the public to nominate communities, towns, villages, or projects that have made outstanding contributions to environmental protection. Over 120 nominations were received, with a shortlist of 14 places reviewed by a panel of five judges:
Eamon Ryan, former Green Party leader
Kevin O’Sullivan, Irish Times Environment and Science Editor
Lisa Browne, Electric Ireland
Journalists Rosita Boland and Mary Minihan (The Irish Times)
Each nominee was assessed based on environmental impact, collective community engagement, and evidence of behaviour change.
In addition to Dingle’s overall win, other communities across Ireland were recognised in different categories:
Recognised for wide-ranging community initiatives such as pollinator corridors, beach cleanups, solar panels on community buildings, and the innovative Skerries Beach Toybox, a reuse scheme for plastic beach toys.
Awarded for creative projects including nut and apple tree planting in public areas and a plastic-free Christmas market that now attracts visitors from across the county.
Celebrated for restoring water quality in Lough Ennell, which had previously suffered pollution from agricultural runoff. Collaboration with farmers and local organisations led to positive environmental change.
Honoured for reimagining urban space to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, and shared public areas, and for its grassroots community organising that has helped transform the area into a more sustainable suburb.
Mary Minihan, Chair of the Judging Panel, praised all participants:
“To make it through to the final stages and have your work recognised with an award is a wonderful achievement. One of the main objectives of this initiative was to showcase the wonderful environmental work taking place in communities across Ireland.”
She added that many shortlisted and winning communities are likely to receive visits from others hoping to learn from their sustainability successes.
The Dingle Peninsula’s achievement as Ireland’s Greenest Place 2025 serves as an inspiring example of what can happen when communities come together with purpose and passion. From climate-conscious tourism to grassroots environmental action, the people of Dingle are not only protecting their home, they’re helping to shape a greener, more sustainable Ireland.
At All-Ireland Sustainability, we’re committed to building a greener, fairer island, together. Stay informed on the latest environmental initiatives, community action, and policy developments shaping sustainability across Ireland, North and South.
👉 Sign up for our newsletter today and be the first to hear about upcoming events, expert insights, and ways to get involved.
Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or just starting your journey, new members are always welcome.
Subscribe now and be part of the All-Ireland Sustainability Membership.