Winning Gold for Going Green
When Irish natives Michael Galway and Anthony Clarke aren’t serving authentic Irish fare, they’re helping keep Chesapeake Country green.
Every year, the Chesapeake Bay Trust — a nonprofit grant-making organization — honors local environmental stewards with awards or scholarships. Galway and Clarke won this year’s Commercial Stewards Award for their outstanding environmental work throughout Chesapeake Country.
“We encounter so many dedicated individuals and organizations who are making an impressive effort on behalf of our natural resources,” said Jana Davis, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “It is our pleasure to celebrate some of them and shine a light on their work to make our communities cleaner, greener and healthier.”
The previous commercial award recipient was Shockley Honda in Frederick County. The family-owned community dealership increased their sales of Bay Plates, one of the Trust’s initiatives, by more than 60 percent in 2018.
Galway and Clarke haven’t sold any Bay Plates, but they’ve been earth-conscious since founding their first restaurant, Galway Bay, in 1998. Next came Killarney House in Davidsonville, Brian Boru in Severna Park and Pirates Cove in Galesville.
“They strive to reduce their carbon footprint through numerous initiatives,” wrote the Trust’s Erin Valentine. “They’ve nearly eliminated all plastic used in service and packaging.”
The owners of four restaurants are also committed to saving water through low-flow sprayers and efficient water heaters.
Their green achievements are on full display at their pub in Davidsonville.
“The Killarney House property is a showcase for their environmental ethos,” Valentine said. “The restaurant features solar panels and a large-scale stormwater practice, funded in part through a Trust grant program, which prevents substantial polluted runoff from reaching Beards Creek.”