The Loop Head Peninsula has been designated as a Decarbonising Zone (DZ) by Clare County Council. Home to just under 2,900 people, the DZ spans the three westernmost parishes of County Clare: Kilballyowen, Carrigaholt, and Kilkee.
In 2018, total greenhouse gas emissions in the area were estimated at over 136,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. The highest sources were agriculture, land use, and buildings, with transport and waste contributing to smaller amounts. These figures reflect the rural nature of the peninsula and the importance of supporting local climate action.
Clare Climate Action Plan Summary
The vision for the DZ aligns with the mission of Loop Head Together and Clare County Council’s wider Climate Action Plan:
“Creating a viable and vibrant future for everyone across the Loop Head Peninsula through transformative and equitable climate action.”
Community Engagement & Recognition
Community engagement is at the heart of the DZ’s achievements. Local groups and individuals are leading the initiatives, with the Climate Action Team acting as a partner to help facilitate and support their work.
The DZ benefits greatly from the efforts of Loop Head Together, which acts as an umbrella group for a number of smaller community groups, including the Carrigaholt Community Development Association and local Tidy Towns teams. Clare County Council, through its Community Climate Action Programme funded Carrigaholt Community Development Association to deliver a community Project. Elements of this project included an accessible walkway and a floodgate in the village.
Sustainable Practices in the Kilkee and Loop Head Peninsula DZ
Awareness to Action
A standout individual contributor is Sharmila Bano, a postgraduate student who led a local climate action project, ‘Awareness to Action.’ As part of her work, she organised peer-to-peer and learning workshops in schools across the area, including several within the DZ, helping students understand sustainability, renewable energy, and ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Sharmila’s leadership was recognised with the Climate Ambassador Award from An Taisce. Following the workshops, she briefed the Climate Action Team on her findings, sharing insights and recommendations for future engagement. Full story here.
Sharmilla was supported in carrying out this project by the Community Development Group, Loop Head Together CLG.
Hemp4Soil
One of the most exciting initiatives to take place in the DZ to date is Hemp for Soil, which was administered by Loop Head Together. This was a European Innovation Project. This project explored how hemp can be used in regenerative farming to restore soil health, improve biodiversity, and help farmers move toward more sustainable practices. The pilot has encouraged local farmers to experiment with soil enrichment and carbon-friendly cultivation techniques.
Building on this work, the Soil Crates project is led by Loop Head Together with the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) as a research partner, Cloughjordan Community Farm, Wild Atlantic Hemp and Ballyhoura Development CLG as partners with support from Clare County Council. This project is in its early stages, engaging local farmers to trial sustainable solutions such as biochar, while keeping the community actively involved.
Learn more: loopheadtogether.ie/soilcrates
Soilcrates
The Loop Head Peninsula was catapulted onto the European Stage yet again, by becoming one of only three Irish Communities geographically selected to facilitate the European ‘Living Labs’ Soilcrates Project in the mid-west of Ireland.
With support from Clare County Council and in conjunction with TUS, alongside two other Living Lab locations – Cloughjordan Community Farm and Ballyhoura Development CLG, pilots are being implemented across these locations addressing topics such as organic living mulches, cover crops, soil fertility enhancement, microbial bio-stimulants, biochar applications and grassland soil health.
Learn more: loopheadtogether.ie/soilcrates
Kilkee Waterworld
Kilkee Waterworld, a community-owned swimming pool, has become a flagship example of sustainable community infrastructure. The facility has undergone a major energy upgrade, including solar panels and other efficiency measures. The upgrades were supported through various funding streams including; SEAI Better Energy Communities Scheme, Community Sports Facility Fund, Community Recognition Fund and the Community Climate Action Programme. These improvements reduce emissions and energy costs, showing how local amenities can take a leading role in climate action.
Sceene EIP
Following the success of the Hemp for Soil and Soilcrates projects, Loop Head Together has secured funding for the SCEENE-EIP project. The objective of SCEENE-EIP is to explore innovative approaches to utilising on-farm resources, particularly cattle slurry, and applying them to land in ways that enhance soil health, increase soil biodiversity, protect water quality, and improve nutrient use efficiency. By developing and demonstrating improved slurry management practices, the project aims to reduce environmental impacts while maximising the agronomic value of farm nutrients. This work will contribute to more sustainable farming systems, supporting both farm viability and environmental stewardship
The project is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Union under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
Kilkee Green Business Hub
Kilkee is one of Ireland’s first MyWaste Green Business Hubs. By becoming a Green Business Hub it will make it easy for both business and visitors to Kilkee to take the necessary steps to protect and improve our environment. This is a partnership with the Environment Section, Clare County Council working in conjunction with the Southern Waste Regional Management Office , Kilkee Chamber of Commerce and Kilkee Tidy Towns. https://yoursay.clarecoco.ie/kilkee-green-hub
Sustainability Workshop – Kilkee
In December 2024, staff from Clare County Council participated in a Loop Head Tourism Sustainability Event in Kilkee, which included presentations on the Clare Climate Action Plan, Local Enterprise Office Sustainability Support, Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the Kilkee Green Business Hub.
Green-Schools Participation in Loop Head DZ
The An Taisce Green Schools programme is a student-led initiative that engages the whole school and wider community in creating structured action plans to reduce environmental impact. Operating under an environmental management system, it focuses on core themes, Litter and Waste, Energy, Water, Travel and Biodiversity, followed by Global Citizenship themes. Each theme is explored over a two-year cycle. By promoting teamwork, leadership and problem-solving, the programme empowers students to take meaningful action while fostering a culture of sustainability and lowering the school’s carbon footprint.
Several schools in Loop Head Decarbonising Zone are participating in the An Taisce Green Schools programme. These include: Carrigaholt National School, Doonaha National School, Kilkee Community College, Moveen National School, Scoil Realt Na Mara and St. Cuan’s National School.
Future Aims
Looking ahead, a key focus for the DZ will be improving energy efficiency in social housing through the energy efficiency retrofitting programme for social houses led by the housing section of Clare County Council, ensuring that low-carbon solutions benefit all residents and support a just transition.
Get Involved
If you would like to participate in initiatives in the Kilkee and Loop Head Peninsula Decarbonising Zone, you can contact: 📧 climate@clarecoco.ie
Visit our library of community stories
Search Community Stories By Map
