Kildare forest third most popular in State
Heather Humphreys, TD - Minister of Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands,, Our Rural Future launch
Donadea Forest Park has been revealed as the third most popular in the country, and is set to receive a €50,000 grant towards anew trail as part of a €3m package for the improvement of Irish forests, as announced by Minister Heather Humphreys today (15 August).
Donadea welcomed an impressive 203,543 visitors in 2023, third behind Rossmore in Monaghan (357,834) and Ticknock in Dublin (244,011).
Surprisingly, these three forest parks in the State are the only ones to have welcomed more than 90,000 visitors in 2023 This €3m investment is part of a partnership between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Coillte to maintain and manage existing trails in Coillte forests, and to develop new recreation opportunities.
The funding will be used to deliver a range of projects such as new walking trails, carpark improvements, installation of footbridges and new toilet facilities.
“Adventure tourism continues to go from strength to strength in Ireland, and people want to be out and about enjoying our great outdoors whether it’s our beaches, lakes, mountains or of course our wonderful forests,” said Minister Humphreys.
“We have seen a huge surge in visitor numbers to our forest parks in recent years and I want to see that continue.
“I’m delighted that my Department is working collaboratively with Coillte so that we can upgrade and improve the experience for visitors.
“If you want to take a break and get some peace and quiet – there is nothing quite like a walk in the forest.
“There are so many hidden gems on our doorstep in Ireland and I would encourage people to get out and explore them.” The Department of Rural & Community Development has a partnership in place with Coillte that agrees to provide €3m each year for the period 2022-2026 to Coillte to enhance recreational facilities on Coillte land and to support increased tourism and economic activity in rural areas.
This builds on the previous five-year agreement which provided funding of €11 million over the period 2017-2021.
Coillte is the custodian of more than 440,000 hectares of forest and land, making it Ireland’s largest forest manager.
Coillte is the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Ireland with 260 forest recreational areas, twelve forest parks and six mountain bike centres nationwide.
