GREENHEALTH at the 1st Ireland Outdoor Recreation Conference

On the 27th of June 2024, Ireland's first National Outdoor Recreation Conference was held in Sligo with the theme "Embracing Ireland’s outdoors - the future of Outdoor Recreation in Ireland".

The event was opened by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, T.D., who announced the expansion of the Mountain Access Project, which aims to build a sustainable management model for recreational access to the uplands. The latter would be based on permissive access to predominantly privately owned lands in a defined mountain area, where all parties agree on management issues (e.g. entry points, provision of stiles and parking etc.).

The event presented a unique opportunity for our Irish GREENHEALTH partner to connect with both national and county-level organizations involved in the outdoor recreation industry and was a core part of efforts to implement Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027.

Panel discussions were held on the topics of Leadership, Environment and Opportunities.

The panel discussion on Leadership addressed the collaboration at the County level and highlighted the importance of partnerships in managing our natural amenities and their enjoyment.

Stakeholders such as the Rural Recreation Officers, the Outdoor Recreation Committee and local development company representatives agreed on the importance of shared responsibilities in managing our outdoor spaces and showing leadership in combining Ireland’s Well-being Framework with the Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors strategy. These interconnected policy frameworks have shared actions across multiple policy areas, including the pursuit of sustainable well-being.

The panel on Environment addressed the responsibilities of all stakeholders in maintaining our landscapes. A key focus was the topic of improved visitor management and an agreed model for the sustainable management of recreation in the upland areas.

Last but not least, the panel on Opportunities discussed the need to keep providing chances for people to get active outdoors and capture the benefits. Responsible behaviours in the  outdoors promotion are to be fostered with different means. Notable examples include the ‘Leave no Trace’ campaign and inclusive inter-generational communication activities.

The Irish GREENHEALTH team and key stakeholders from the Local Living Labs did not miss the chance to promote the project and discuss further cooperation opportunities within this great venue.