Four green flags have been awarded to County Louth parks for the third year in a row.

This year's Green Flag Awards recognised Louth's Blackrock Park, St Helena's Park, St Dominic's Park and Ice House Hill Park.

The four parks retained the award, confirming Louth as the only county outside Dublin to achieve four Green flags.

The Green Flag Award is the benchmark international standard for publicly accessible parks and green spaces. The scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces around the world.

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An Taisce, The National Trust of Ireland, runs the scheme, which aims to encourage the provision of good quality public parks and green spaces that are managed in environmentally sustainable ways.

The Green Flag Awards scheme is judged by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant parks / sites and assess them against eight strict criteria. These criteria include horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, health and safety presentation of place, conservation, biodiversity and heritage, and community involvement.