Ballycroy National Park granted Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park status

gizmo555

Mayo has been awarded a glittering new string to its tourism bow – the stars above. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has granted Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park status to Ballycroy National Park & Wild Nephin Wilderness, to be jointly recognised as Mayo International Dark Sky Park, it was announced today (Thursday).

A Gold-Tier classification is an honour reserved for the most exceptional of dark skies and breathtaking nightscapes. This recognition completes the ‘360 degree experience’ that the north Mayo national park has to offer, boasting pristine beauty underfoot, all around and up above.

Ballycroy is the first national park in the country to be named an International Dark Sky Park, building on the success of Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula, which the Arizona-based IDA named Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Reserve in 2014. The major difference lies in accessibility: the Iveragh Peninsula reserve encompasses privately owned land, whereas the Ballycroy National Park & Wild Nephin Wilderness is State-owned, offering open public access for everyone to enjoy.

(Read More)




The night sky at Rockfleet Castle, near Newport. Pic: Steven Hanley

Mickeroo

Nice one, I grew up near there and would have always had very little light pollution. Now there's 4 or five streetlights next to the house.....still no actual street though of course :rolleyes: