Glendalough & Wicklow Mountains Visitor Experience

In 2020, Fáilte Ireland, in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Office of Public Works, the National Monuments Service, and Wicklow County Council, appointed Consarc as lead consultant for a multidisciplinary team. The team was tasked with developing a comprehensive Visitor Experience and Management Masterplan for Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains National Park, alongside visitor orientation recommendations for County Wicklow.

The project balanced conservation and heritage priorities with growing tourism pressures. Extensive stakeholder engagement informed a phased €50 million plan, including concept designs, indicative costs, and timelines. Key measures include improved parking and circulation to protect sensitive heritage zones, upgraded visitor facilities, and integrated management strategies to encourage longer stays and deeper engagement with the park’s history. The proposals aim to safeguard one of Ireland’s most visited landscapes while shaping visitor movement and experience for the future.