20/08/2026
It is really heartening to see the publicity that the importance of dark skies is getting - the Eclipse really benefited awareness of astronomy and dark skies in general. The Irish Times has done a great job showcasing dark skies in Ireland in this feature article with interviews with Aoibheann Lambe of the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve and Georgia McMillan of Mayo Dark Skies and Dark Sky Ireland
Remember - light pollution is the easiest of any pollution to reverse. We can all play a part. Turn off the lights!
✨ Ireland's dark skies are having a moment — and The Irish Times just gave us the spotlight we deserve! 🌌
We're thrilled to see the incredible growth of dark sky tourism across Ireland featured in last week’s Irish Times, timed perfectly with all of the solar eclipse excitement.
WHAT MAKES US PROUDEST?
This piece isn't just about one place — it's a celebration of a movement. From Kerry's gold-tier reserve to Mayo's beloved dark sky park to the newest addition at OM Dark Sky Park in Tyrone, the article captures something we've always believed at Dark Sky Ireland: protecting our night skies is a team effort. Guides, astronomers, community groups and volunteers across the island are all pulling in the same direction, and it's working.
Our own Director, Georgia MacMillan, spoke to the importance of managing this growth responsibly:
"It's important we have growth, but we do need to manage that... hence the reason we're trying to get different communities who are in dark locations to start working with us."
She also put words to something many of us feel every time we look up:
"Something really touches people in a way I don't think anything else does."
With hopes now growing for new dark sky status in Connemara, Wicklow, Donegal and west Cork, this really is just the beginning. 🌠
Huge thanks to journalist Cian O'Connell and everyone interviewed — Georgia MacMillan, Aoibheann Lambe and the wider dark sky community — for shining a light (or rather, protecting the lack of one!) on why this work matters.
🔗 Read the full piece in The Irish Times
https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Irish-Times-August-2026.pdf
Georgia MacMillan Mayo Dark Skies Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine Kerry Dark Sky Reserve Kerry Dark Sky Tourism Rock Art Kerry OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory Leave No Trace Ireland Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment The Heritage Council Irish Environmental Network
