Kerry Women’s Centre in Tralee and Marianne Beasley from Ballybunion have been recognised for their work in sustanability
Two finalists from Kerry have been shortlisted for a national award that recognises those leading the way in establishing a circular economies within their local communities.
Kerry Women’s Centre in Tralee and Marianne Beasley from Ballybunion have been selected by Circular.ie as examples of outstanding role models in locally-based sustainability.
A circular economy is an economic model designed to eliminate waste and keep materials, products, and resources in use for as long as possible.
Circular.ie, funded by the Government of Ireland under the Circular Economy Fund, is Ireland’s national platform for circular economy.
The platform is hosting the second edition of the Full Circle Awards which celebrates the individuals and initiatives helping communities across Ireland reduce waste and reuse resources, and promote more sustainable ways of living.
Kerry Women’s Centre have been shortlisted for the ‘Repair and Reuse Champion’ award, with their clothes-library model that will put donated clothing back into use, while helping women access clothes and supporting repair and alteration skills.
Marianne’s decade-long work to promote zero waste, responsible consumption and clothing reuse through voluntary workshops, education and pop-up shops, has also been recognised and will vie for the ‘Circular Living Advocate’ award.
Other awards up for grabs include the Community Circular Champion, Creative Circular Design, Best Community Campaign and Circular Sports Champion, combining for a total of six awards.
Eibhlin Fitzpatrick, Community Manager at Circular.ie, said the platform was ‘incredibly impressed’ by the quality and diversity of nominations this year
“The shortlist showcases the creativity and practical action already taking place in communities across all the counties,” said Ms Fitzpatrick.
“It is fantastic to see the impact being made at a local level, and we are looking forward to celebrating all of our shortlisted finalists and their achievements at the Full Circle Awards in a few weeks.”
Each category winner will receive a €2,000 prize along with a one-of-a-kind handcrafted trophy created from upcycled materials.
Shortlisted finalists will also benefit from national media exposure, social media promotion and features across the Circular.ie platform.
The winners of the Full Circle Awards 2026 will be announced at the awards ceremony taking place in Carlow on 17th September 2026.
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