Castle Tower and Carnlough lead Mid and East Antrim’s Green Flag success story

Eco-School of the Year – Castle Tower School, Ballee Campus

Fifteen schools across the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area have been honoured with the internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag, as part of a landmark year for environmental education in Northern Ireland.

A total of 305 schools across Northern Ireland were awarded Green Flags this year, bringing the number of active Eco-Schools to 563—just over half of all schools in the region. This positions Northern Ireland as only the second country in the world to reach this significant milestone within the global Eco-Schools programme.

Schools celebrate their Green Flag win at the Eco-Schools awards ceremony at Ballymena Showgrounds

Locally, the achievements were celebrated during an awards ceremony at Ballymena Showgrounds on 17 June, marking the culmination of two years of dedicated work by pupils and teachers.

Celebrating local champions

Special accolades were awarded to individuals and schools from Mid and East Antrim, highlighting the borough’s leadership in sustainability initiatives.

• Eco-Teacher of the Year was awarded to Ashleigh McIlrath of Carnlough Integrated Primary School.

• Eco-Pupil of the Year went to Esme, also from Carnlough Integrated Primary School.

• Eco-School of the Year was awarded to Castle Tower School, Ballee Campus.

Eco-Teacher of the Year – Ashleigh McIlrath

These honours are part of the broader Eco-Schools initiative, a seven-step framework that empowers pupils to take a lead role in assessing and improving their school’s environmental impact.

Each school must form a pupil-led Eco-Committee, carry out a detailed environmental review, implement a long-term action plan, and adopt an official Eco-Code. Green Flags are valid for two years before schools must reapply.

Endorsements and praise

The beautiful wildflower meadow at Castle Tower School, Ballee Campus

Charlene McKeown, Environmental Education Manager at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, praised the commitment of schools amid wider pressures on the education system.

“Reaching 50% of schools flying a Green Flag is a huge milestone for environmental education and is a testament to the hard work of pupils, teachers and wider school communities across Northern Ireland,” she said.

“We all know that our education system is under pressure with tight budgets and limited resources. That is why it is so heartening to see so many schools investing time and effort into this programme—it’s a clear indicator that schools see the value of environmental education.”

St Brigid’s Primary School receiving green flag

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, although unable to attend the event, offered his congratulations to the winning schools.

“Eco-Schools is an international programme that brings the environment into the classroom. Getting pupils outdoors to learn about their environment is a great boost for their wellbeing and has many positive outcomes for their community,” the Minister stated.

“It is encouraging to see the strong environmental knowledge and awareness within these school communities, as younger people will play a vital role in shaping a sustainable future for us all.”

Northern Ireland’s legacy with the Eco-Schools programme dates back to 1994, when Downpatrick Nursery became the first school in the world to earn a Green Flag.

Local authority support

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, commended the ongoing partnership between the Council and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

“Mid and East Antrim are delighted to be part of this fantastic achievement. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and the rest of the delivery partners have done a tremendous job helping to embed environmental education and learning in our school classrooms.

“We’ve proudly supported this programme since 2015 and fully appreciate the connections the team make with our children and young people, enhancing their learning environment and supporting sustainability initiatives across all the eco topics. Many congratulations!”