Special meeting sought to address Mayo island’s camping concerns

A special meeting of the Westport/Belmullet municipal district is to be convened to address mounting concerns over wild camping and the growing influx of campervans to Achill and surrounding areas.

At today's district meeting, Fianna Fáil Achill-based councillor Paul McNamara raised the issue, asking what bylaws are currently in place in Achill and Mulranny to manage camping.

He said urgent clarity was needed, particularly in relation to popular spots such as Keem and Keel, where the number of visitors has surged since the pandemic.

“We have three campsites in the area as well as a facility at Achill Sound, but at the weekend we had a situation at the Battle of the Lakes festival where people couldn’t get to sleep due to campers,” Cllr McNamara said.

“People are asking who is responsible for implementing the bylaws. Since Covid, campervan numbers have quadrupled.

We welcome them to the area, but we haven’t done anything to facilitate them. We need proper parking and waste facilities.

If we continue to ignore this, we risk losing our Blue Flag beaches. We simply can’t have 20 or 30 campervans pulling up without regulation.”

Cathaoirleach of the municipal district, Fine Gael’s Cllr Peter Flynn, backed the call, describing the campervan sector as a “huge opportunity” that requires dedicated focus.

“A special meeting on Achill and campervans is the right step. It’s a massive industry, and one we are keen to grasp onto,” he said.

Cllr McNamara added that while Keel campsite was only at one-third capacity over the weekend, dozens of campers still opted to pitch tents or park up elsewhere.

“At the moment, we are not catering for them properly,” he warned. “Campervans are now a core part of our tourism industry. Unless we put proper facilities in place, we risk undermining both our environment and our Blue Flag status.”