Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) has won a highly prestigious acoustics accolade at the John Connell Awards 2025 at Westminster Palace, London, (Wednesday, 22nd October).
The Council, in partnership with Noise Consultants Limited, were awarded Highly Commended in the John Connell Soundscape Award 2025 for their Castletroy Greenway Pilot Acoustic Study, funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.
The Pilot combined innovative sound measurement and analysis, and citizen engagement to investigate the Castletroy Greenway’s acoustic environment to inform recommendations for improvements such as strategic tree planting to enrich natural sounds.
The study was acknowledged for developing a new model for the assessment of tranquil and vibrant sound environments which is being used to investigate green spaces under the Council’s Limerick Agglomeration and County Limerick Noise Action Plans 2024-2028.
Mayor of Limerick, John Moran welcomed the accolade, saying:
"This is well-deserved recognition of the innovative work undertaken by Limerick City and County Council and Noise Consultants Ltd! It’s great to see such forward-thinking work being acknowledged and celebrated, especially when it’s about making our green spaces more peaceful and enjoyable for everyone."
At the awards, Gloria Elliott OBE, Noise Abatement Society CEO said:
“Quiet areas are vital for the cohesion and sanity of a community, somewhere to escape the stress and strains of everyday life. Many congratulations to Limerick City and County Council and Noise Consultants Ltd for their ground-breaking scalable soundscape model for quiet environments that may be replicated by other Councils.”
Príomh Chomhairleoir, Cllr Catherine Slattery extended congratulations to all involved, saying:
"Well done to everyone involved in the Castletroy Greenway Acoustic Study. You’ve shown how science, community input, and a bit of imagination can come together to improve how we experience our environment. This kind of work really matters, and it’s brilliant to see it getting the recognition it deserves."
Simon Jennings, Executive Scientist, Environment and Climate Action, LCCC commented:
“Our outdoor environment and access to pleasant natural sounds is ever more important for our mental relief as cities get noisier. The Council has developed a new approach to investigating the sound environment of tranquil and vibrant green spaces in Limerick for the purpose of identifying potential improvements and to highlight the benefits of positive sound environments to citizens health and well-being. It is wonderful for our work to have been acknowledged by the Noise Abatement Society.”
About the Castletroy Greenway Pilot Acoustic Study
Limerick City and County Council and Noise Consultants Limited won the Highly Commended John Connell Soundscape Award 2025 for their Castletroy Greenway Pilot Acoustic Study. The award acknowledges the introduction of a soundscape-led approach to Quiet Area designation. The project combines innovative acoustic measurement, psychoacoustic analysis, and citizen engagement to map and enhance Castleroy Greenway’s acoustic environment. Through nature-based interventions, such as strategic tree planting to enrich natural sounds, the study improves urban tranquillity, supports community wellbeing, and provides a scalable model for sustainable soundscape planning across Ireland.
About the John Connell Awards
These unique awards are named after the Noise Abatement Society’s far-sighted founder John Connell OBE, who lobbied the Noise Abatement Act through UK Parliament in 1960 when noise became a statutory nuisance in the UK for the first time. These unique annual awards, known as the ‘Noise Oscars’, are now in their 24th year. They acknowledge the importance of the quality of sound in our lives, and champion vital advances in reducing the negative impact of unnecessary noise for the public benefit. Over 350 recipients from local authorities, industry, organisations and individuals have now been honoured for the significant impact they have made to improve the aural environment.