Members of the Skerries Eco Team in the community garden at Skerries Wind Mills. Photograph: Alan Betson/Irish Times
In September, Skerries received the accolade of the Greenest Town in Ireland 2025 in The Irish Times / Electric Ireland Greenest Places Awards.
The judges praised Skerries for its community-driven environmental action, its creativity and the way sustainability is woven into everyday life. From biodiversity and waste reduction to renewable energy and education, Skerries stands out as a town that leads by example.
Just consider the biodiversity-friendly planters, bee gardens, bike stands, water refill points, rainwater collection systems and the Skerries Eco Town Wall – all perfect examples of a town that understands the importance of sustainability.
In the Irish Times, it was noted that “the people of Skerries have created a pollinator corridor that runs from Skerries Mills to Ardgillan. It organises groups of local children to gather and remove plastic from the beaches. Here, as in other communities such as Inagh in Co Clare, community buildings including town halls and GAA centres have put in solar panels, replaced pitch lighting with LED, and installed water refill stations”.
The “simple but brilliant idea of creating a Beach Toybox” also received high praise from the Irish Times. The Beach Toybox does what it says on the tin: it’s a big box of all the essentials that children love to play with at the beach, it’s free to all, and it saves people from buying more toys every summer. Use them as you please, just make sure to return them to the box when you’re finished.
Behind every project in Skerries is a passionate network of volunteers and community groups working together with purpose and pride. These include Sustainable Skerries, the Skerries Community Association, Skerries Cycling Initiative, Skerries Tidy Towns, the Skerries Community Garden, Skerries Autism Friendly Town and the Skerries Sustainable Energy Community Initiative and Skerries Men’s Shed.
If you’re interested in becoming more sustainable in your daily life, email sustainableskerries@gmail.com.