Funded by the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and managed by Donegal County Council, this vital project involves the upgrading of a 3km upland path which leads from the existing car park to the summit of the mountain, and re-vegetation of the eroded and damaged ground.
Director of Community Development & Planning Services with Donegal County Council, Mr Liam Ward 'Restored the Sod' on Errigal during a ceremony on Friday 24 June.
Welcoming the progress of the project on site, Mr Liam Ward said: "It's great to see the progress that has been done by the contractors Mc Gowan Environmental Engineering Ltd since the work commenced in April. Donegal County Council are delighted to be involved in this project to protect this iconic landmark and we would like to thank the local community for instigating the project and the landowners on the mountain for giving permission for it to progress."
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Paul Roarty, Chairperson, of the local development committee, Forbairt Dhún Lúiche commented: "This Restoring of the Sod event marks a very important day in what has been a long journey. As more and more people are drawn to its slopes and the panoramic views from the summit, erosion has become a serious problem on the mountain. Errigal is very important to Dunlewey and the local area, it brings a lot of people to the area every year and it is important for us to get a balance between protecting the mountain and creating employment opportunities. We had our first meeting with Donegal County Council in 2011 as the local community were seeing that there were problems with the increased numbers of people climbing the mountain."
The Errigal Stakeholder Group was then established in 2012 to allow all interested parties to discuss and agree a method to develop Errigal and the Dunlewey area in a way that would deliver community benefits and address the environmental damage that was being done due to unregulated access to the mountain.
The Errigal Stakeholders include Donegal County Council, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Mountaineering Ireland, An Taisce, DLDC, Fáilte Ireland, Gartan Adventure, National Parks and Wildlife Service, ESB, Coillte and Forbairt Dhún Lúiche. One of its key goals was to develop a management plan to develop a sustainable solution for the future management of Errigal Mountain.
