Mayo Dark Skies

04/09/2026

🌟 Be Part of the Mayo Dark Sky Festival 2026 Fringe Programme! 🌟

Do you have an event planned in County Mayo that celebrates science, wellness, culture, biodiversity, creativity, or the natural dark sky environment?

The Mayo Dark Sky Festival 2026 is inviting businesses, community groups, artists, venues, and organisations to submit events for inclusion as part of our Fringe Festival Programme.

✅ Events must take place in County Mayo ❤️💚
✅ Events should run between 23th and 29th October 2026 🗓️
✅ Events should complement our celebration of Mayo's incredible dark skies 🦇

The festival takes place from 30 October to 1 November 2026 across Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy, and we'd love to help showcase your event in the run up to the 10th Anniversary of the Mayo Dark Sky Festival!

📋 Submit your event here: 🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeia-k7BeJ4rB1Ach4fWI-oCNbOnWq7oReL7ZHU6jgKwA9frQ/viewform

⚠️Closing date for submission - Midday September 30th⚠️

Find out more: 🌐 www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie



Community Foundation Ireland Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine Fáilte Ireland Newport Mayo Ballycroy Community Council Mulranny Tourism

03/09/2026

🌌✨8 weeks away! ✨🌌

🌌✨ Celebrating 10 Years of the Mayo Dark Sky Festival ✨🌌

For the past decade, the Mayo Dark Sky Festival has brought people together to experience the wonder of the night sky in one of Ireland's most spectacular stargazing destinations.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, take a look back at some of the magical moments from last year's festival. From breath taking views of the stars and expert astronomy talks to family-friendly activities and unforgettable community experiences, the festival has inspired thousands to look up and explore the universe above us.

This year promises to be a special celebration of everything that makes the Mayo Dark Sky Festival unique. Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or simply curious about the cosmos, there's something for everyone.
Take a look back at some unforgettable moments from last year's Mayo Dark Sky Festival as we prepare to celebrate our biggest festival yet! 🏮

Share your favourite festival memory with us in the comments below!



Community Foundation Ireland Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine Fáilte Ireland Mulranny Tourism Newport Mayo Ballycroy Community Council

02/09/2026

🎉 The countdown begins! 🎉

The Mayo Dark Sky Festival returns on 30th October to 1st November as we celebrate our 10th anniversary. 🎂

🌙 Join us as we celebrate 10 years under the stars.
🔭 Explore, discover and be inspired.
✨ Experience the magic of Mayo after dark.
📅 30th of October through to the 1st of November
📍Ballycroy Community
📍Newport
📍Mulranny

Early bird tickets are now on sale!
Buy yours here 👉 mayodarkskyfestival.ie/

🌌 Save the date.
🔭 More programme details coming soon.


Community Foundation Ireland Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine Fáilte Ireland Ballycroy Community Council Mulranny Tourism Newport Mayo

02/09/2026

📣 Call for Submissions: 2027 Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar

🌌 Do you have a dark sky image from Co. Mayo? Maybe an image of the recent solar eclipse, The Perseids meteor shower, aurora, or starry skies?

👉 Well we want to hear from you! (see below for entry details)

This past year, the 2026 Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar was in popular demand, and featured Aurora images from photographers and locals from around Co. Mayo.

📆 For 2027, we are encouraging the public to submit photos of their interactions with Co. Mayo dark skies for a chance to once again be featured in the upoming Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar (free to the public).

📄To submit a photo or multiple photos, please fill out the following form. If you have trouble submitting the form, please email your name, photo(s), photo title(s) and details to [email protected].

⚠️ Photographs can only be accepted from the original photographer/owner and should be of high quality for print production.

‼️Submission Form (Deadline: 13th of September 2026): follow forms.gle/RFuPgiYSYuc63Cwj9

📷 Image: by Joshua Nueva used in the 2026 Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar
Photo Title: Dún Briste

01/09/2026

Congratulations and thank you to the wonderful Dr Kate McAney on her retirement from Vincent Wildlife Trust. Kate’s expertise on light sensitive bats and support for dark skies, along with all her other work and knowledge, is hugely appreciated across the country.
Enjoy a wonderful retirement and we will meet again in the dark ✨🙌🎉

After an extraordinary 35 years with Vincent Wildlife Trust, Dr Kate McAney, our Ireland Mammal Programme Manager is retiring today.

Kate’s contribution, not only to the Trust but to mammal conservation across Ireland, has been truly outstanding, and not just for VWT Ireland’s priority species — lesser horseshoe bats, Irish stoats and pine martens. A founding member of Bat Conservation Ireland, an author and steering group member of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat Species Action Plan, and a Dark Skies Ireland committee member, these roles represent just a few examples from a long list of accomplishments. Kate’s science communication is second to none, captivating thousands of people at her talks and inspiring multiple generations to get involved in wildlife conservation. In recognition of Kate's accomplishments, she was awarded the from in 2024.

We will miss Kate’s immense knowledge and sharp sense of humour at our meetings. She is not only a fantastic conservationist, but an all-round wonderful human being to be around — and we look forward to coming together next month to celebrate Kate’s incredible career and achievements.

We wish her every happiness in this exciting new chapter and know she will continue her fantastic work in mammal conservation — but without the admin!

28/08/2026

Congratulations to all the team at Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine on the works completed and officially opened yesterday by Minister Christopher O'Sullivan TD and Minister Dara Calleary TD.

We can't wait to experience a night sky at this new dark sky viewing location in Mayo Dark Sky Park ✨🌌🔭. It's such a beautiful spot - both day and night



Mayo North Tourism, Ireland Mayo.ie

26/08/2026

📣 Call for Submissions: 2027 Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar

🌌 Do you have a dark sky image from Co. Mayo? Maybe an image of the recent solar eclipse, The Perseids meteor shower, aurora, or starry skies?

👉 Well we want to hear from you! (see below for entry details)

This past year, the 2026 Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar was in popular demand, and featured Aurora images from photographers and locals from around Co. Mayo.

📆 For 2027, we are encouraging the public to submit photos of their interactions with Co. Mayo dark skies for a chance to once again be featured in the upoming Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar (free to the public).

📄To submit a photo or multiple photos, please fill out the following form. If you have trouble submitting the form, please email your name, photo(s), photo title(s) and details to [email protected].

⚠️ Photographs can only be accepted from the original photographer/owner and should be of high quality for print production.

‼️Submission Form (Deadline: 13th of September 2026): forms.gle/RFuPgiYSYuc63Cwj9

📷 Image: by Joshua Nueva used in the 2026 Mayo Dark Sky Park Calendar
Photo Title: Dún Briste

15/08/2026

Did you know Ireland’s only Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park is only 10 km from Newport town? Here you will find some of the darkest skies in Europe, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and a chance to get some big sky country and enjoy the celestial views over Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine. Best viewed in shoulder/Winter seasons as our lovely long summer evenings keep the stars from shining until late at night.
Mayo Dark Skies Park has 3 official viewing locations; Robert Lloyd Praeger Centre (Letterkeen Bothy) is the nearest to Newport and is accessible by car – see directions here. https://goo.gl/maps/ee7L1mSf1bbz9GYB9
Beginners stargazing kit list:
Binoculars (if you have them), Blanket to sit on or reclining camp chair, always wrap up warm with good footwear, bring a hot drink, Red torch light only (white light spoils your night vision!)
Check out www.mayodarkskypark.ie for self-guided info or www.terrafirmaireland.com for guided dark sky experiences.

13/08/2026

A really exciting opportunity to learn more about Irish bats!

This particular course has a cost and there is prerequisite course which is FREE and we cannot recommend it enough! Irish bats are fascinating. Up until 1997 we thought we had 7 species of bats in Ireland, but then 2 more common species were found to have breeding grounds in Ulster, with detectors finding them across the entire island after this.

FREE course can be found here - https://training.batconservationireland.org/courses/irish-bats-beginners/

13/08/2026

Beautiful shots from Louisburgh Astronomy Club yesterday!

Keep your pictures and videos coming!