Ardmore in Co Waterford named Ireland’s Greenest Place for 2026

Ardmore, a seaside village of 500 people in Co Waterford, has been named Ireland’s Greenest Place for 2026, recognised for its broad range of community-led environmental initiatives. Judge Éanna Ní Lamhna praised the village’s high participation levels, citing widespread solar panel use, a goat-based system for managing invasive furze, and a restored stream called An Sruthán. Local farmers also plant wild bird cover and manage fields organically. The competition, run by The Irish Times with Electric Ireland, also honoured Treasure the Tolka in Dublin as Greenest Community, Rosewood Estate in Cork as Greenest Suburb, Jacinta Barrins from Galway as Net Zero Hero, and Cloughjordan in Tipperary as Greenest Town or Village.