Ballincollig estate named Ireland’s Greenest Suburb
Rosewood estate's local resident's association transformed the previously unused area.
A Ballincollig housing estate has been named Ireland’s Greenest Suburb for its two-acre meadow.
Rosewood Estate, which consists of 230 homes, is one of the oldest housing developments in Ballincollig.
In recent years the local residents’ association has developed two acres of open space into a meadow, which impressed judges of ‘Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026’, an initiative by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland.
The contest began in late May when members of the public were invited to nominate a special place, project or person which they believe contributes to a genuinely greener environment.
In their original pitch, Rosewood residents Mabel Hernandez, Maria Young and Eithne Lynch said: “This estate is leading the way and forging a trail for other urban communities to follow.
“We feel they are a wonderful example of a community coming together for the benefit of wildlife, the planet and people and we are proud to nominate them for this important award.”
Judge and sustainability consultant Shannen Fenton said: “The area was previously an unused section of the estate, but with work and dedication over the last few years, it’s now a huge addition to the biodiversity in the estate.
“This is a wonderful example of what can be done in a small area and the big impact it can have on the local community!”
Each of the 90 or so entries in the contest was judged on specific criteria including their beneficial environmental impact, level of ongoing collective engagement by the community and evidence of behavioural change by people.
The coastal village of Ardmore in Waterford was crowned overall winner of Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026, while Kinsale made it onto the longlist of Ireland’s Greenest Town or Village.
The panel of six judges consisted of Eamon Ryan, former leader of the Green Party; environmental consultants and authors Éanna Ní Lamhna and Kevin O’Sullivan; Lisa Browne from Electric Ireland; Irish Times senior features writer Rosita Boland and Shannen Fenton.
App?
