COILLTE HAS REVEALED that visitor numbers to its forests increased by almost 40% during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures released by the State-owned forestry company show that 2.2 million people visited the country’s fifty most popular forests from the beginning of March to the end of December last year - a 38% increase 1.6 million for the same period in 2019.

Visitor numbers to some of the most popular forests in Dublin, Kildare and Monaghan were two or three times higher than they were before the first lockdown began in March.

The Dublin Mountains (the majority of which is comprised of Ticknock Forest) was the country’s most popular forest last year, doubling its visitors from around 30,000 in February to almost 61,000 in December.

It was followed by Rossmore Forest Park in Monaghan, which more than doubled its visitors from 10,399 in February to 24,713 in December.

The number of people visiting Donadea Forest Park in Kildare, the country’s sixth-most popular forest in February with 4,773 visitors, more than tripled to 14,335 by December to make it the third-most popular forest in the country that month.

Tintern Abbey in Wexford, Jenkinstown Wood in Kilkenny, Hazelwood in Sligo, Curragh Chase in Limerick, Mullaghreelan in Kildare, Belleek in Mayo and Killykeen in Cavan rounded out the top ten most popular forests in December 2020.

Coillte CEO Imelda Hurley suggested the trends were due to more people visiting forests as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown.

“It’s widely agreed fresh air and green outside spaces enhance people’s mood, happiness and overall health,” she said.

“This is particularly important right now. We’re glad people’s local forests are a healthy and positive outlet for them.”