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What we do International Dark Sky Places

Mayo Dark Sky Park

The Milky Way rises over the Letterkeen bothy in the Wild Nephin Wilderness. Photo by Stephen Hanley.

About

Mayo Dark Sky Park, encompassing Wild Nephin National Park, comprises about 15,000 hectares of protected lands in the Owenduff/Nephin Mountains area of the Barony of Erris in northwest County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. The Park protects one of the largest expanses of peatland in Europe and supports a diversity of species in a unique habitat; it is especially important in this regard as it is one of the largest remaining examples of a blanket bog habitat remaining in Western Europe.

The low population density of Mayo and a territory largely unsuitable for agriculture have left the area devoid of major cities, rendering its night skies very dark. The defensibility of the Park’s dark skies is enhanced by its situation near the Atlantic coast. The prospects for maintaining dark nighttime conditions into the future are therefore very good. The applicants have seized on the value of this local resource as a means of promoting regional tourism, and have undertaken efforts to educate residents of nearby villages on the dark sky issue and ways they can help protect the Park. They have produced very encouraging results that raised the profile of dark skies in northwest Ireland.

Designated

2016

Category

Dark Sky Park
Gold-Tier

Ballycroy National Park & Wild Nephin Wilderness IDSP map

Address

County Mayo
Republic of Ireland
Google Maps

Contact

Ms. Georgia McMillan
Website

Land Area

150 km2

Documents

Application
Lightscape Management Plan
Announcement
Annual Reports

Weather

Click here to find ideal environmental conditions for viewing the night sky at Mayo Dark Sky Park (54.04464, -9.62917). Don’t forget to plan your trip during the new moon and astronomical twilight to enhance the viewing experience!