Westmeath river project wins Ireland's Greenest Community award

The Dysart River Project in Westmeath has been crowned Ireland’s Greenest Community 2025. The judges said this project shows what can be achieved when various local groups work together towards a common goal.

Edel Ennis who nominated the project pointed out that water quality was an issue in Lough Ennell, Co Westmeath for a number of years. “Poor water quality can have an effect on an entire community, and it takes community action to fix it.”

Judge Eamon Ryan, former leader of the Green Party who visited the project, said, “in 2019, the designated inland bathing location at Lilliput in Lough Ennell was failing to meet its water quality standards due to ongoing pollution issues, one of which related to runoff from farming activities on the river Dysart, which is part of the Brosna catchment running in and out of the lake.”

Thanks to collaboration with the local farming community, the Lough Ennell trout preservation association, local authority water programme scientists, Teagasc experts and local representatives a plan was drawn up to address the water pollution issue. The project was a success and last year Lough Ennell was classified as achieving good water quality.

The other finalists in the Community Category were Taplin’s Fields (Bridgefoot Street Park Community Garden), Dublin, Coolmine Lodge, Dublin, The Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry and Ambrosetown Cemetery, Co Wexford.

Over 120 nominations were received from across the country with the overall winner and category winners being chosen from a shortlist of 14 entries. In the other three categories, Skerries in north County Dublin won Ireland’s Greenest Town, Inagh in Co Clare won Ireland’s Greenest Village while Dún Laoghaire in south Dublin won Ireland’s Greenest Suburb.