Ballycroy set for influx of stargazers this weekend

THE first all-day event at the Mayo International Dark Sky Park at Ballycroy National Park takes place on Saturday, writes Tom Gillespie.

The International Dark-Sky Association has granted Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park status to Ballycroy National Park and Wild Nephin Wilderness.

This classification is an honour reserved for the most exceptional of dark skies and stunning nightscapes.

This recognition completes the ‘360-degree experience’ that this stunning region has to offer.

The award is the first International Dark Sky Park in Ireland and is a recognition for the region’s pristine skies, enhancing its existing protected landscapes and wilderness regions.

The Mayo Dark-Sky designation follows a lengthy period of night sky surveying and quality monitoring by students of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. Assisted by Professor Brian Espey of Trinity College Dublin’s astrophysics department, the research resulted in collaboration among communities in Newport, Ballycroy and Mulrannny together with Ballycroy National Park, Coillte Forestry, Mayo County Council, Mayo South West Development and Galway Astronomy Club.

Many signature viewing sites have been designed. They are located at Claggan Mountain Boardwalk, Letterkeen Bothy and Ballycroy National Park Visitor Centre, where visiting astronomers and stargazers will benefit of easy access and 24-hour parking facilities.

Brid Calhoun, the head guide at Ballycroy National Park, said: “A lot of the dark sky parks are in America and the UK. We are the first of our kind in Ireland.

“Saturday (August 6) is our first all-day event where you can walk into an outdoor planetarium with a light show.”

Huge interest has been shown in the Dark Sky Park and astronomy clubs have been set up in Newport and Ballycroy, while stargazers from as far away as Japan have already booked to visit the Ballycroy Dark Sky Park.