Minister Calleary announces over €3m in funding for Coillte recreational sites
Minister Dara Calleary has announced more than €3m in funding for Coillte recreational sites in 2026, including over €100,000 for Beleek Woods in his home county of Mayo.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht confirmed that €3.13m will be invested in new trail infrastructure and ongoing maintenance works across 224 sites nationwide.
The allocation marks the final year of a five‑year strategic partnership between the department and Coillte, during which more than €16m has been spent on recreational amenities.
Announcing the latest round of funding, Minister Calleary highlighted the conclusion of the current partnership, which has been provided to “support and maintain Coillte’s wonderful recreation forests and amenities around the country.”
“As well as being used to maintain and develop Coillte’s trail network and recreation amenities, this funding has also supported Coillte’s engagement with local communities and recreation groups right across the country,
“These forests are great assets that visitors and local communities enjoy on a daily basis, and they are a hugely important element of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland,” he said.
The 2026 allocation includes €2m for ongoing maintenance and associated supports at more than 200 sites, while €1.1m will go towards developing new recreation amenities and upgrading existing facilities at 20 locations.
In Mayo, Beleek Woods has been awarded €105,000 for the installation of play features as part of a new woodland play trail.
Other major allocations include €280,000 for Curragh Chase Forest Park in Limerick for the renewal of the Forest Park entrance road, and €82,000 for Dún an Rí Forest Park in Cavan to modernise toilet facilities.
A further €94,000 has been provided for Woodpark in Clare, while €76,000 has been allocated to Monivea Forest in Galway for car park improvements and trail upgrades at both sites. Sopwell in Tipperary will receive €60,000 for the renewal of the Bog Bridge.
“We cannot overstate the positive impact recreation in the outdoors has on our physical and mental wellbeing,” Minister Calleary added. “Our partnership with Coillte is one of the most important, and I look forward to working with the organisation in the coming months to develop a new strategic partnership from 2027.”
“Alongside strategic partnerships such as this, my Department is also providing direct investment through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS),” he added.
Coillte CEO Imelda Hurley welcomed the announcement and thanked the Minister and his department for their continued support.
“We continue to see strong growth in visitor numbers year-on-year across our most popular recreation forests, demonstrating just how valued these amenity forests are by communities throughout Ireland,
“This €3.13 million investment from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG), is critical to ensuring we can continue to develop and enhance these important recreation sites nationwide, and in doing so support rural economic development, and provide high-quality, accessible spaces for people to enjoy,” she said.
“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the DRCDG to develop the next strategic programme from 2027 onwards and to supporting even more people in enjoying the many benefits of our forests nationwide.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.