Minister O’Sullivan marks achievements at Mayo Dark Sky Park
- Published on: 4 April 2025
- Last updated on: 14 April 2025
- community event celebrates achievements of Mayo Dark Sky Park at Wild Nephin National Park, including an international award
- award recognises collaboration and leadership in conservation, education and advocacy on dark skies
- park to co-host international conference on the theme of artificial light pollution later this year
The Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, today (4 April) joined communities in Wild Nephin National Park, Co Mayo at a special event celebrating the International Dark Sky Place of the Year award for Mayo Dark Sky Park. The award was given to the Park by DarkSky International in December 2024 and recognises outstanding leadership on the importance of dark skies for nature, climate and communities. Wild Nephin National Park is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). At night, the Park becomes Mayo Dark Sky Park.
Minister O’Sullivan said:
“Our natural night sky heritage here in Mayo includes some of the darkest, most pristine skies in the world and draws many visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the Milky way or even a meteor shower. But Dark Sky Parks are also places where we can learn about the importance of nightscapes, and their positive impact on biodiversity, climate, and on our own health and wellbeing.
"This award recognises that protecting our dark skies is a community effort, and is the result of a long standing partnership and engagement between Wild Nephin National Park, its surrounding communities and the local authority. I’m delighted to see that Ireland, through Mayo Dark Sky Park, has taken a strong leadership role to protect and restore our night skies. With over 230 dark sky locations around the world, this is a very significant achievement for dark skies in Ireland and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved.”
NPWS works in partnership with community groups within and around the Park to raise awareness and understanding of dark skies. Activities in recent years include:
- a lighting project in Newport Co. Mayo which reduced light pollution by 50% for this gateway town to the Dark Sky Park
- Mayo Dark Sky Festival – a flagship off season initiative which attracts a growing number of visitors and stargazers
- Dark Sky Champions and Ambassadors programmes involving approximately 500 people
- “The Pale Blue Dot” - a Mobile Planetarium with a focus on education on dark skies and their relevance to conservation
The Park was also successful in a bid with Dark Sky Ireland to cohost the International Conference “Artificial Light at Night” (ALAN 2025) which will take place in Westport at the end of October.
Other speakers at the event included Tia Crowley, Mayo. Co. Council. Dr. Frank Prendergast, Archaeoastronomer and Emeritus Research Fellow at TU Dublin, a long-time supporter of the dark sky project in Mayo gave a guest lecture on the cultural significance of the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster, a sight he has often enjoyed viewing from the Ballycroy Visitor Centre.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General with the National Parks and Wildlife Service said:
“The National Parks and Wildlife Service is grateful for the community support behind Mayo Dark Sky Park. We want to see collaboration and partnerships like this flourish and thrive in our National Parks. The night sky heritage here really adds to the existing habitats and biodiversity at Wild Nephin National Park.”
Denis Strong, Divisional Manager, Western Division, National Parks and Wildlife Service said:
“Our education and engagement offerings here at Wild Nephin National Park continues to grow thanks to ongoing engagement and collaboration with the local community. These include enhanced opportunities for visitors to experience the dark sky, through a sensory nature trail or from one of the many viewing points in the Park. While today’s event is about marking our achievements, the future for Mayo Dark Sky Park is looking bright.”
Notes
Mayo Dark Sky Park at Wild Nephin National Park was Ireland’s first Dark Sky Park and has been awarded a gold tier for the quality of its night sky, free from light pollution. Located between the remote Nephin Mountain Range and the unspoiled Atlantic coastline, the Dark Sky Park extends across an area of 150 square kilometers and its borders encompass the lands of Wild Nephin National Park. The site is completely free to access anytime, day or night and with three signature viewing sites to choose from. Further details are available on the Mayo Dark Sky Park website.
Dark Sky Ireland’s mission is to protect and celebrate Ireland’s valuable Dark Sky Heritage through raising awareness of light pollution in Ireland and promoting and preserving Ireland’s Dark Skies. They are funded by the Heritage Council, the Community Foundation of Ireland and the National Lottery Funds. Further details are available on Dark Sky Ireland’s website.
Friend of Mayo Dark Skies is a community group working to support the goals of Mayo Dark Sky Park. Founded by the communities of Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy, the group is the host and organiser of the Mayo Dark Sky Festival funded by Fáilte Ireland, which takes place from 31 October to 2 November 2025. Further details available here: www.MayoDarkSkyFestival.ie
The ALAN conference series is dedicated to examining all aspects of artificial light at night. The broad scope of the conference includes how light is produced (for example: technologies, industry, and lighting design), where it is present (for example, remote sensing); what effects it has on humans and the environment (e.g. ecology); how it is perceived by the public (for example, perceptions of safety and security), and how the benefits and detriments of lighting may be balanced by regulation.
The ALAN Conference will take place in Westport Mayo from 28-30 October 2025 and is being presented by Dark Sky Ireland and Mayo Dark Skies. Full details of themes and topics are available on the ALAN Conference website.