Sustainability award for Fernhill Park and Gardens

DÚN Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s Parks Department and ARUP have been chosen as the first recipients of the Engineers Ireland Sustainability Award for Fernhill Park and Gardens in Stepaside.

The Sustainability Award, sponsored by Irish Water, champions engineering and environmental industries that have embraced the core pillars of sustainability throughout the planning and delivery of initiatives for communities.

Purchased by dlr in 2015, Fernhill Park and Gardens is Dublin’s newest public park. It forms an important component of the historic landscape on the fringe of Dublin City and is an impressive example of a small estate dating back to around 1823.

The former estate is a unique collection of heritage buildings, gardens, parkland, woodland and agricultural land.

The elevated nature of the site, overlooking Dublin Bay on the threshold between the city and the Dublin Mountains, lends a particular magic to the place.

Fernhill is also home to a unique plant collection, made up of plants such as Rhododendrons, Camelias and Magnolias, among others.

Ruairí Ó Dúlaing, Senior Parks Superintendent with dlr, said: "dlr and ARUP are delighted to be the first recipients of the Engineers Ireland Sustainability Award for Fernhill Park & Gardens.

“We have set out an ambitious Sustainability Strategy for the park, which is particularly relevant in today's climate emergency and the council's own Climate Action Plan.

“From power generation to the growing of food, from community led tree planting to light touch stone work restoration and natural woodland play, Fernhill will be a model of sustainability for future generations.”