Newgrange, a prehistoric monument built during the Neolithic period, located in County Meath, Ireland. One of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lock down has prevented most overseas travel so many have taken to journeys and holidays through the British countryside. Here a car drives during summer along a British road.
File image
View of Westport House, Westport, Co Mayo
Photo: Darragh Kane
Tayto Park, Co Meath
Sea Life Bray Aquarium
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Gold sailing ship artefact, National Museum of Ireland
Cell rows at Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol, an OPW site
Newgrange, a prehistoric monument built during the Neolithic period, located in County Meath, Ireland. One of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A bag of cheese and onion Tayto crisps may not scream sustainability, but the snack’s sponsored theme park appears to be leading the pack as Ireland’s greenest tourist attraction.
Using 100pc green energy and commendable water conservation efforts and practising a zero-landfill policy, Tayto Park’s sustainability efforts truly pack a crunch.
The park says its biggest energy saver is its seasonal approach to opening times, meaning its operation and energy consumption are directly linked to visitor demand. Its water conservation efforts include a water pipe network fitted with a series of meters to alert staff to leaks or taps left running. Its self-sufficient supply is harvested from natural water sources and treated on-site.
Tayto Park is in the process of phasing out standard bins. These are to be replaced with a solar-powered compactor bin, reducing the site’s fuel use for transport and the probability of attracting pests.
“We have switched to more sustain- able alternatives on a number of our most-used single-consumption items,” said Rachel Molloy, the learning and discovery manager at the park. “We promote and incentivise reusable rather than disposable where possible.
“We don’t use any pesticides and we’re very proud to be supporters of new eco-friendly, non-lethal pest-elimination technology, which helps us to manage and relocate wasps.
“This wasp management system is a world-first for creating a pest-free environment without trapping or killing or the use of harmful toxins against wasps. They’re important pollinators within our ecosystem.”
We’re determined that we will manage our heritage estate in as sustainable a manner as possible
Fota Wildlife Park’s green efforts have also proved to be a huge success. As one of the country’s leaders in wildlife conservation, it prides itself on its sustainable practices and environmentally friendly ethos.
Since 2011, the reserve has introduced a series of sustainable practices that has reduced its contribution to landfill by two-thirds. Its recycling rates have soared since it introduced visitor green zones.
Food waste from its cafe and restaurant is now separated and used for composting. By next year, the park is aiming to generate as much electricity as it uses, and by 2030 aims to be entirely carbon- and electricity-neutral. It participates in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme for many animals.
“This will promote continuous growth and allow for a more active changeover. There’s a need for similar projects in Ireland. It would encourage more natural eco-systems than falsified eco-systems,” said Fota director Sean McKeown.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) operates a number of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions, including Kilmainham Gaol and the Newgrange Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre. It has said it is “committed to minimising impact on the environment in as far as possible and ensures this through its engagement with on-site concessionaires”.
Kilmainham Gaol is protected by legislation that prevents the installation of solar panels or wind turbines. However, the OPW said it was “determined that we will manage our heritage estate in as sustainable a manner as possible and have instigated a range of initiatives to that end”.
At Newgrange, the staff maintain the wildflower meadows and the “bug hotels” and educate visitors on the thriving biodiversity and wildlife. The grounds are managed in line with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan – a five-year roadmap that encourages pollinating insects and wider biodiversity to thrive.
Herbicides and pesticides are not used, and fences are mended using coppice, hazel and willow wattle.
The OPW has a series of measures in place to ensure its attractions are operating sustainably.
“All of our cafe operators are required to take steps to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, single-use plastics, disposable, non-compostable cups and other packaging,” press officer Dorothea Depner said.
“This is a requirement in all of our tender documents for cafe operators.”
If we don’t have a healthy ocean, we don’t have a healthy planet
Operating within the sustainability sphere has been a challenge for some of our surveyed group, but their attempts to be as green as possible should be noted.
Sea Life Bray Aquarium does not own the aquarium building and is therefore unable to install facilities to generate its own on-site power or harvest rainwater. However, it has navigated these hurdles successfully.
It organises regular beach clean-ups, has replaced all of its incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs, and has water recirculation systems in place. It does not use single-use plastic packaging in the gift shop and most of its items are made from recycled materials.
“If we don’t have a healthy ocean, we don’t have a healthy planet. You can do all you want on the land, but if you don’t look after the sea you shoot yourself in the foot,” said general manager Pat Ó Súilleabháin.
The National Museum of Ireland does not maintain the grounds of its sites, but is in the process of improving its sustainability practices.
Last year, single-use plastics were totally removed from its sites. It has segregated bins for recyclable and general waste and is currently working with waste service providers to introduce compostable segregation.
It said it was now investigating the use of electric car-sharing services to reduce its reliance on the use of personal vehicles, taxis and couriers, and is in the process of assessing the feasibility of installing electric vehicle charging points at a number of its sites.
Encouraging clean transport was a recurring theme across the surveyed group, and Westport House, Co Mayo, was no exception. The Georgian-era resort offers bike hire, a bike-to-work scheme for its employees, bike repair stations, overnight laundry facilities for cycling tourists and secure bike-parking facilities across the estate.
It is a renowned destination for cycling tourism and was officially certified as Ireland’s first cycle-friendly destination by the European Cyclists’ Federation.
Electric vehicle charging points are available at Hotel Westport, and it is in the process of switching its fleet to electric power.
It has not used pesticides at all in the past year, which is a significant achievement across 400 acres of parkland and gardens.
Some of Ireland’s newer tourist attractions are already sustainability-savvy.
Comprising 17-and-a-half acres of land, Wildacres in Co Wicklow is a nature reserve, sustainable honey farm and biodiversity educational experience. Run by husband and wife Brian O’Toole and Gilly Taylor, its mission is to create a home for some of Ireland’s “beleaguered” native wildlife.
The habitats we have created are thriving and wildlife is responding so positively
Since the reserve’s establishment in 2017, the couple have devoted their time to biodiversity restoration, protection, monitoring and education.
Under the advice of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, the reserve allows its four-acre flowering meadow to regenerate naturally.
This means they do not plough, harrow, spread large amounts of seeds or disturb the soil.
Trees and shrubbery have been planted on the riverbanks, which had disappeared as a result of erosion. These “riparian zones” create a habitat for wildlife, encouraging it to thrive in a natural environment.
“The habitats we have created are thriving and wildlife is responding so positively. We are monitoring a wide variety of species so that we can measure results,” Ms Taylor said.
“What we hope to achieve going forward is to inspire others to do what we are doing so that there are thousands of wild acres throughout the country from areas rewilded in people’s back gardens and outdoor spaces, to larger tracts of land given over to nature.”
At K2 Alpacas, Joe Whelan – otherwise known as Alpaca Joe – has been running an alpaca experience in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, since 2017. His aim is to run the business “as efficiently and environmentally friendly as possible”.
Alpaca treks, alpaca therapy, alpacas-for-hire and self-catering cottages are all included in Mr Whelan’s business model. The newly-opened cottages are built with repurposed stone and roofing slates from the old buildings they have replaced.
They feature an air-to-water heat exchange system, underfloor heating that operates at low usage times, and triple glazing for enhanced sustainable insulation.
Alpacas require yearly shearing, and the hair collected is used to create pillows, mattress toppers and yarn.
“It’s a very sustainable business, it’s good for the animals, it’s good for us, and it’s good for the environment. The alpacas themselves are very environmentally friendly,” Mr Whelan said.
While we reached out to Dublin Zoo and Guinness Storehouse to ask for their input, no one was available to take our survey.
■ Its cottages feature air to water heat exchange systems, underfloor heating which operates at low usage times, and triple glazing for enhanced sustainable insulation
■ The alpacas are efficient grazers, so there’s no need for pesticides and herbicides
■ The alpacas do not require heating, and can be left outside year-round.
