Portlaoise schools lead the way in sustainable school travel
By The Newsroom
Published 30th May 2026, 15:40 GMT
The Portlaoise Cluster Project Awards | Alf Harvey
Groundbreaking Laois cluster project celebrates two years of student-led climate action
Students, teachers and community leaders gathered at Holy Family Senior School for the Portlaoise Schools Cluster Project Awards, marking the successful completion of a pioneering two-year initiative that has transformed how young people travel to school across the town.
Delivered as part of the Portlaoise Low Carbon Town Initiative, the project brought together 10 primary and secondary schools in collaboration with Laois County Council and An Taisce’s Green-Schools Programme. Through a shared effort, the initiative aimed to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and enhance road safety by encouraging more students to walk, cycle, scoot, park and stride and use public transport.
Gaelscoil Phortlaoise. Cathy Baxter: Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce, Niall Kavanagh: Chairperson, Portlaoise Town Team Active Travel Working Group, Michèle Castiaux: Green Schools Travel Officer, An Taisce; Pat Delaney: Director of Service - Integration, Community & Environment, Laois County Council; Green Schools Committee Gaelscoil Phortlaoise, Anne Lennon: Climate Action Officer, Laois County Council; Allison Phillips: Green-Schools Travel Programme Manager; Diarmuid Donohoe - Senior Executive Engineer in the Active Travel/Roads Department; Leas-Cathaoirleach Councillor Paschal McEvoy, Laois County Council; Ionel Sumanariu: Manager at City Direct; Suzanne Dempsey: Climate Action Coordinator, Laois County Council; Rita Nà Aoláin: Green Schools Coordinator Gaelscoil Phortlaoise; Gardai Aran Grehan & Ronan Maher; Chiara Hanrahan; Team Lead Leinster, Green-Schools Travel, An Taisce, Dominic O’Braonain , Principal Gaelscoil Phortlaoise, Steven Mullally: Environmental Awareness Officer, Laois County Council. | Alf Harvey
Survey data collected as part of the Green Flag application process showed that over 1,226 students regularly walked or participated in Park & Stride, while the 10 participating schools recorded a 14% reduction in car-based school journeys. Active travel modes increased by 12%, alongside a 2% rise in sustainable transport options such as bus, train and carpooling.
Over the 2 years project students walked over 143,442 kilometres (including return journeys). The equivalent to walking 400 times the length of the River Shannon or travelling 3.5 times around the Earth. That is more than 94 million steps.
Holy Family Junior School, Silver Award. Steven Mullally: Environmental Awareness Officer, Laois County Council; Dr Faye Carroll: Principal Officer in the Active Travel and Greenway Division of the Department of Transport; Michèle Castiaux: Green Schools Travel Officer, An Taisce; Pat Delaney: Director of Service - Integration, Community & Environment, Laois County Council; Anne Lennon: Climate Action Officer, Laois County Council; Cathy Baxter: Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce; Allison Phillips: Green-Schools Travel Programme Manager; Mairead Booth: Green Schools Coordinator Holy Family Junior School; Leas-Cathaoirleach Councillor Paschal McEvoy, Laois County Council; Ionel Sumanariu: Manager at City Direct; Suzanne Dempsey: Climate Action Coordinator, Laois County Council; Chiara Hanrahan; Team Lead Leinster, Green-Schools Travel, An Taisce; Diarmuid Donohoe - Senior Executive Engineer in the Active Travel/Roads Department; Kara Burbage: Green Schools Coordinator, Holy Family Junior School; Green Schools Committee Holy Family Junior School. | Alf Harvey
Participating schools reduced emissions by approximately 8,614 kilograms of CO₂. That’s a whole year of carbon consumption for 400 trees or nearly 2 million charges for your average smartphone.
The project also provided students with a platform to shape local initiatives through Travel Forums held in the Council Chamber, where their ideas helped inform campaigns such as the “Keep Your Distance” cycle safety initiative and improvements to local infrastructure.
St.Marys C.B.S.. Anne Lennon: Climate Action Officer, Loais County Council; Niall Kavanagh: Chairperson, Portlaoise Town Team Active Travel Working Group; Rebekah McSpadden: Green Schools Coordinator St.Marys C.B.S.; Green Schools Committee St.Marys C.B.S.; Leas-Cathaoirleach Councillor Paschal McEvoy, Laois County Council; Diarmuid Donohoe - Senior Executive Engineer in the Active Travel/Roads Department; Gardai Aran Grehan & Ronan Maher; Michèle Castiaux: Green Schools Travel Officer, An Taisce; Allison Phillips: Green-Schools Travel Programme Manager | Alf Harvey
“Over the past two years, this project has shown what can be achieved through collaboration and partnership” said Pat Delany Director of Services Community, Enterprise & Integration, Laois County Council. “What began as a pilot has now evolved into a proven model of best practice.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Leas-Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Cllr Paschal McEvoy praised the students’ role in driving change: “It is clear that you are not just learning, you are leading … You bring energy, great ideas and creativity. You’re showing us that positive change really is possible.”
Dunamase College. Allison Phillips: Green-Schools Travel Programme Manager; Siobhan Holland: Green Schools Coordinator, Dunamase College; Leas-Cathaoirleach Councillor Paschal McEvoy, Laois County Council; Green Schools Committee Dunamase College; Suzanne Dempsey: Climate Action Coordinator, Laois County Council; Steven Mullally: Environmental Awareness Officer, Laois County Council. | Alf Harvey
Participants were presented with Green-Schools Travel and Global Citizenship Travel Flags, recognising their achievements and commitment to sustainable lifestyles.
The Portlaoise Schools Cluster Project represents a first-of-its-kind initiative in Ireland, demonstrating the impact of a coordinated, town-wide approach to sustainable school travel.
Maryborough N.S.. Michèle Castiaux: Green Schools Travel Officer, An Taisce; Anne Lennon: Climate Action Officer, Loais County Council; Susie Barry: Green Schools Coordinator Maryborough N.S.; Cathy Baxter: Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce; Green Schools Committee Maryborough N.S.; Leas-Cathaoirleach Councillor Paschal McEvoy, Laois County Council; Ionel Sumanariu: Manager at City Direct; Pat Delaney: Director of Service - Integration, Community & Environment, Laois County Council; Diarmuid Donohoe - Senior Executive Engineer in the Active Travel/Roads Department; Suzanne Dempsey: Climate Action Coordinator, Laois County Council; Steven Mullally: Environmental Awareness Officer, Laois County Council; Dr Faye Carroll: Principal Officer in the Active Travel and Greenway Division of the Department of Transport; Chiara Hanrahan; Team Lead Leinster, Green-Schools Travel, An Taisce; Allison Phillips: Green-Schools Travel Programme Manager. | Alf Harvey
The programme aligns with wider investments in active travel infrastructure, including new cycle routes, expanded bus services and community-focused initiatives such as the Play Way.
By combining behavioural change with infrastructure development, the project has positioned Portlaoise as a national leader in active travel and created a model that can be replicated in towns across the country.
