Sale of Luggala Estate a once in a generation opportunity for the state

Labour spokesperson on the Arts, Joan Burton TD, has called on Minister Madigan to take action and bring the Luggala Estate into public ownership.

Speaking today Deputy Burton said:

“Following the passing of Garech de Brún earlier this year, the 4000-acre Luggala Estate has come onto the market. Under the stewardship of the de Brún family, Luggala was kept open to the public to access. The estate is a gem of Wicklow hillwalking.

“The Luggala Estate is currently up for sale and already there are concerns from organisations representing mountaineers and hillwalkers about barriers to future public access for locals and tourists alike. Some signage marking areas as private property and closure of previously public access routes suggest that future public access will be limited, or potentially cut off altogether.

” Given the popularity of the estate for both local and visiting hillwalkers, and the immense cultural history of the estate which has been used by the movie and music industry many times, this sale offers the state a once in a generation opportunity to bring Luggala into public ownership.

“In response to my questions in the Dáil on the issues the Minister has expressed her hope that the estate will continue to be open to the public. I am calling on the Minister to take immediate action and purchase Luggala for the use of the public for generations to come.”