Lough Gur has been awarded a Green Flag in recognition of exceptional work carried out by Limerick City and County Council at the scenic Lakeshore Park over the previous two years. The park was officially conferred with the international mark of quality for parks and green spaces today.
Lough Gur joins the People’s Park in Limerick City and Abbeyfeale Town Park in flying the flag proudly at its location, along with 2,300 other public parks in 16 countries.
The award sets a gold standard to adhere to by the custodians of the park. The award is applied for each year to monitor progress and ongoing improvements. Assessment criteria for the Green Flag Award include visible evidence of management in the areas of marketing and communication, a warm welcoming approach, heritage and biodiversity and community involvement.
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr. Daniel Butler who formally raised the Green Flag over Lough Gur said: “Local authorities willingly apply for a Green Flag Award knowing that from the day the park is nominated it sets an international standard for maintaining and operating the park as a public facility for all Limerick citizens to enjoy.”
“I congratulate Limerick City and County Council on putting Lough Gur forward for this award. The award not only signals the exceptional work that they have done to date but also their commitment to maintaining standards year on year.”
“The Green Flag Award must be applied for each year and what we have found from the People’s Park Green Flag designation is that the annual application ensures there is continuous improvement. In Lough Gur, the presence of the Visitor Centre, Kiosk and Playground onsite, managed by Lough Gur Development community group, ensures a daily presence by community who have the best interests of the area at heart.”
“Their involvement in maintaining standards for a Green Flag Award is also acknowledged here today by raising this Green Flag. Congratulations to all involved.”
Gordon Daly, Director of Community, Tourism & Culture with Limerick City and County Council said ‘The public park in Lough Gur is located at the heart of a vibrant community committed to promoting and protecting the rich heritage and biodiversity surrounding this lakeside. Lough Gur is also an important tourism amenity for Limerick. The management of facilities by the community with full support from Limerick City and County Council has led to continued improvement of Lough Gur for community and all visitors to enjoy. The official raising of a Green Flag Award is clear evidence of the hard work carried out by all involved to bring Lough Gur to this award-winning position.”
Carmel Lynch, Senior Engineer for Limerick City and County Council with responsibility for Recreation added: “The importance of public parks became increasingly important since March 2019. The pandemic saw a return to these public spaces on a scale that was not experienced previously. We welcome this increased enjoyment of public parks and have worked to improve how people enjoy these spaces. Lough Gur is a unique lakeshore public park in Limerick that has become popular over this time. In response to the growing number of visitors, several upgrade and improvement works were carried out including trail resurfacing, replacement seating, public facility refurbishments, increased maintenance and working with the local community group to support their efforts such as the installation of a new playground and kiosk. We look forward to applying for the Green Flag Award on an annual basis and seeing continued improvement in Lough Gur.”
To conclude the event John Carew, Chairperson of the Community Committee ended the event by reciting a poem that he had written and thanked Limerick City and County Council profusely for the hard work they do to maintain Lough Gur as one of their public parks to the highest international standard.
