€246,000 Forest Park funding welcomed

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (30^th June 2023) announced funding of €3 million to develop and upgrade over 300 forest parks, walking trails and outdoor amenities, including €144,000 for Killykeen Forest Park, and €57,600 for Deerpark Forest Park for car park and access refurbishments.

The investment is part of a Strategic Partnership between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Coillte that is designed to boost rural tourism and local economies.

Minister Humphreys announced the €3 million investment during a visit to Killykeen Forest Park in County Cavan, which recorded the seventh most visitors in 2022, and which is set to receive €140,000 towards maintenance of its car park under the announced funding. €56,700 will go towards access and parking improvements in Deerpark Forest Park, while Coillte properties across the county will also receive maintenance funding totalling €45,504.

Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said, “Ireland’s outdoors, including our forest parks, walking and cycling trails, uplands and blueways are among the best in the world. The benefits that they provide in terms of our physical and mental wellbeing are huge. They are also such important assets in terms of attracting tourists to Rural Ireland and supporting our local economies. I’m therefore delighted today to announce €3 million in funding to develop, support and enhance over 300 outdoor projects the length and breadth of the country.

“Some one million euro in funding will be used to deliver new outdoor recreation projects at some of our most beautiful forest parks and woodlands.

“And I’m also really pleased to announce that a further two million euro will be invested in maintaining and upgrading 280 different facilities nationwide – with every county set to benefit. “This investment is further proof of how we are delivering for rural communities under our landmark rural development policy, ‘Our Rural Future’, as well as our National Outdoor Recreation Strategy, ‘Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors’.

Daithi de Forge, Coillte’s Head of Recreation added “As Ireland’s largest provider of outdoor recreation, Coillte is delighted to continue its partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development, to build, upgrade and maintain our forest parks, recreation sites and thousands of kilometres of walking and cycling trails across the forest estate.

“With the Department’s ongoing support, Coillte will continue to deliver the highest quality outdoor forest recreation experiences for our communities nationwide. We have an open forest policy and we’re proud to support local businesses such as café operators, bike hire providers and many others who partner with us and add the services that make a trip to Coillte’s forests so enjoyable for our visitors.”

Hailing the latest funding announcement, Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Philip Brady said, "I welcome today’s signficant investment in the maintenance of two of Cavan’s most important sites, Killykeen Forest Park and Deerpark. Indeed, as the seventh most visited Coillte site, it’s clear that Killykeen is an amenity of national significance. Cavan County Council and Coillte have worked closely together in relation to developing our natural recreation resources, and with the support of Minister Humphreys, her Department, and her Government partners, I am confident that we can further develop what is, I believe, the jewel in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.”

The funding is part of a 5 year strategic partnership between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Coillte which will see a €15m investment over the five year period 2022 to 2026.

Coillte recorded a significant increase in visitor numbers to its Forest Parks and recreation sites over the past number of years, with a doubling of visitor numbers at some of its most popular sites e.g. Rossmore, Co. Monaghan had visitor numbers increase from just over 80,000 in 2019 to almost 350,000 in 2022. 

Today’s funding announcement will assist Coillte in continuing to upgrade facilities to meet the increased demand for access to these amenities.

The top 20 most visited Coillte sites in 2022 were: