€1.2 million in funding has been announced to support recreation facilities and outdoor tourism in forest parks and other Coillte sites.

The investment includes the upgrades of pathways, trails, access roads, boardwalks, carparks and toilet facilities at 33 Coillte sites nationwide.

Over 18 million individual visits are made to Coillte forests every year with the visitor numbers increasing by 40% during the pandemic, according to a report published by the Department of Rural and Community Development today (Friday, September 10).

Between March and December of last year (2020), some 2.2 million people visited the top 50 Coillte forests.

Projects to receive funding today include the following:

Announcing today’s funding, Minister Humphreys said:

“For so many of us in rural Ireland, the pandemic has taught us just how fortunate we are to have big open spaces on our doorsteps.

“By investing in our wonderful forests and parks, we are making rural Ireland a destination for outdoor pursuits and adventure tourism, as well as supporting rural economies.”

Coillte is Ireland's largest landowner and provider of outdoor recreation in Ireland.