Ireland’s most sustainable wedding venues have been revealed

For those looking to opt for somewhere green as well as something blue for their wedding day.

If you’re a sustainable-conscious couple looking to celebrate your big day in a way that reflects your green lifestyle, there are plenty of venues across the country that pride themselves on offering more eco-friendly celebrations. Whether you’re looking for a woodland wedding, an urban farm, an organic garden, a countryside estate or an eco-friendly retreat, there’ll be something for you on this list compiled by SaveMyDay.ie.

Airfield Estate

Dundrum, Dublin 14 | 35 to 110 guests  | Civil Ceremony licence

Nestled in the South Dublin suburb of Dundrum you’ll find an oasis of calm in Airfield Estate, which offers both indoor and outdoor ceremony options and a tasty seasonal menu prepared using produce organically cultivated on its own working farm.

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Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat

Mullagh, Leitrim | 3 to 50 guests

Hidden in the hills of North Leitrim is boutique venue Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat, where couples can opt to work with a local eco event designer who will use natural, seasonal and sustainable flowers, plants, fabrics, art etc. to personalise the space. Ard Nahoo can also recommend local caterers who share their environmental vision and respect their environmental policy.. Delicious vegan options and menus are also available.

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Ballintubbert Gardens & House

Stradbally, Laois | 3 to 220 guests | Civil Ceremony licence

In addition to Ballintubbert’s beautiful grounds and eclectic, festival feel,  the extensive gardens have always been a core highlight of the venue with their ethos always based on clear sustainability practices. The 14 acres of Organic gardens provide a beautiful space for a civil ceremony or drinks reception, and Ballintubbert is also currently nearing completion of the certification process to be Ireland’s first organic or ornamental garden.

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Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa

Tralee, Kerry | 50 to 350 guests | Civil Ceremony licence

This Tralee wedding venue with panoramic views of the Sliabh Mish Mountains is dedicated to providing a more responsible and eco-friendly environment.

According to SaveMyDay, Ballygarry Estate Hotel has created a number of sustainable approaches to ensure that they are minimising any negative effect on the environment. This includes re-wilding over eighty acres of former farmland, creating an integrated wetlands, re-introducing wild hedgerows which provide food and shelter to wildlife. The venue have also planted fifteen acres of native woodlands. Ballygarry House also houses a number of beehives and has planted a number of wildflower meadows to help re-establish lost colonies of bees and offset the natural decrease in pollination by wild bees. In addition to their dedicated ‘Green Team’ which ensures that they have good recycling procedures in place to minimise their carbon footprint, they also believe in sourcing and buying produce responsibly and reducing their food miles.

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Clontarf Castle

Clontarf, Dublin 3 | 40 to 300 guests

Located on Dublin’s beautiful northern coastline, Clontarf Castle has the ‘Green Hospitality Award Eco-label’, with the wedding venue’s main eco-aims being to reduce carbon emissions by decreasing energy consumption, preserving water resources and minimising waste production.  Ireland’s Best Castle Wedding Venue is also focused on recycling and has partnered with Bord na Mona and its advanced environmental solutions.

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The Barn at Hotel Doolin

Doolin, Clare | 60 to 300 guests | Civil Ceremony licence

Hotel Doolin, an alternative boutique wedding venue and Ireland’s first certified Carbon Neutral Hotel, provides couples with all they need for a stress free and environmentally low impact wedding.

With a list of sustainable accolades to its name including a platinum award winner with Green Hospitality Ireland, weddings at Hotel Doolin and its Eco Barn have been sustainably designed so that they can limit the impact their weddings have on the environment. Each of their packages includes an eco wedding consultation with their ‘Green Manager’  and for each wedding booked they also plant ten native trees on the land at Moyhill Community Garden in support of the www.hometree.com charity. They are focused on using as many local, home-grown, homemade and organic foods as possible on their wedding menus –  70% of the food on the menus is sourced in a 30km radius, reducing carbon footprint and helping the local community.

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The Wicklow Escape

Donard, Wicklow |  18 to 50 guests | Civil Ceremony licence

Voted as Ireland’s Best Eco Wedding Venue in the 2021 SaveMyDay.ie Wedding Venue Awards, The Wicklow Escape provides an idyllic woodland setting for a sustainable celebration secluded in nature.

Ideal for nature lovers and foodie couples, and those who love the idea of getting married with a small group in an environmentally-minded venue.  Their locally sourced seasonal menu is created using ingredients grown, farmed or made within a 3-mile radius. Their hyperlocal network of growers and farmers is within a few minutes from their door including Ridgeway Wagyu beef, local lamb, organic fruit and veg, milk and eggs, along with free-range pork and sustainable fish. The Wicklow Escape’s sustainable and zero waste ethos is at the heart of everything they do and that includes always supporting their local community.

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Slieve Aughty Centre

Loughrea, Galway | 20 to 80 guests | Civil Ceremony licence

As a certified Ecotourism provider, a wedding at Slieve Aughty provides couples and their guests with an enjoyable, low impact and sustainable experience with opportunities to explore the beautiful natural landscape of Ireland, learn about the local culture and history of its people, eat home grown, fresh food, and sleep in comfort, all with a minimal carbon footprint and maximum immersion in the community and outdoors. Their Three Towers Organic Restaurant is certified by the Irish Organic Association, with them using certified organic ingredients from local suppliers and abroad, as well as fruit, vegetables and herbs from their own certified organic garden.

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