A meeting with Minister of Culture Heritage & the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan regarding the future of Luggala estate has been desribed as promising by the Wicklow Uplands Council
Following the meeting, Brian Dunne, Coordinator of the Wicklow Uplands shared:
“We are grateful to Minister Madigan for holding the meeting to discuss the importance of the Luggala estate both as a centre of recreational activity and as an iconic film location”
“We were greatly encouraged to discover that the issue of retaining recreational access to Luggala remains high on Minister Madigan’s agenda. We were reassured that her department remained fully engaged with the process and that she clearly understood the value and potential of the upland estate.”
‘Wicklow Uplands Council continue to advocate that the Luggala estate be purchased by the state in order to preserve and protect its significant built and natural heritage features and also to secure public access for future generations’.
“We thank Minister Doyle for organising this significant meeting and Deputy Casey for his attendance along with a number of of stakeholders. We are also thankful for the support of all of Wicklow’s political representatives who continue to bring the importance of the sale of the estate to the government”
Minister of State & local TD Andrew Doyle confirmed that talks on the future of the Luggala estate are ongoing between the owners and the Minister for Culture Heritage & the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan and that stakeholder input will be considered as discussions continue about the sale of this unique and prestigious property.
‘It was hugely important and extremely beneficial to get the main stakeholders together with the minister for the purpose of discussing the sale of this estate and to highlight it’s importance in a national and cultural heritage context.
‘Representatives from Wicklow Partnership, Wicklow Uplands Council, Mountaineering Ireland and the film and music industry met with Minister Madigan to each emphasise the value of this estate and the unique asset it is to Wicklow. All were agreed on this and outlined the importance of the Luggala estate from their particular perspective.
‘The different groups expressed their own concerns , with a common theme being that of future public access to Luggala for recreational purposes, for hill walkers and for tourists with further emphasis on its role as a filming destination with the Vikings filming for 6 years now in this iconic setting. Another contributor talked about Luggala’s potential as a music concert venue.
‘It was a timely juncture at which to convene the stakeholders and to allow them to convey their thoughts and concerns. I am thankful to the Minister for agreeing to take the time to meet with the group. Luggala estate with it’s surrounding lands has all the ingredients to become even more of a tourist,heritage and amenity destination and it is encumbent on the State to engage in the sale process, preserving this amenity and recognising it’s strategic importance as part of our national and cultural heritage’
Present at Wednesday’s meeting at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht were:
Members of Wicklow Uplands Council.
Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle.
Deputy Pat Casey
A representative from the office of Minister for Health, Simon Harris.
Bryan Fennell – Rural Recreational Officer with County Wicklow Partnership
Representatives from:
Mountaineering Ireland, National Parks & Wildlife Service & the Irish Film Industry
