A SIGNIFICANT section of a well-known walking route in Co Mayo was destroyed by fire over the weekend in an event which investigators are still trying to piece together.
The popular walkway on the Claggan Mountain Coastal Trail, which was purpose-built from bog oak in 2014, suffered extensive damage in a blaze last Friday night. It had been popular with both local and travelling naturists alike and is likely to impact the region’s local economy which relies heavily on tourism.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has said that the trail will remain closed until further notice. It also said that clean up and repair works will not be able to commence until the investigation into the fire’s cause is fully completed.
Posting on social media, the NPWS described the event as ‘heartbreaking’. Overall, the boardwalk extends over 2km in distance and leads into the Wild Nephin National Park, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Minister of State for Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said that every available resource would be provided by the Government to establish the cause of the fire. Mr O’Sullivan emphasised the loss of habitat which is likely to have resulted from the incident and which he called ‘devastating’.
There have also been incidents in other parts of the national park, which fire crews have been attending to today. One fire in particular, in the Letterkeen area of Co Mayo, started in the early hours of this morning.
Fire service personnel have been working to bring this blaze under control, though the extent of damage remains unclear. Investigators have said that the task ahead of them is extensive and the NPWS are awaiting further notice about how much of the park will be closed to the public.
