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Stone round tower and some ruins of a monastic settlement originally built in the 6th century in Glendalough valley, County Wicklow, Ireland

Wicklow, Ireland

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Stone round tower and some ruins of a monastic settlement originally built in the 6th century in Glendalough valley, County Wicklow, Ireland
6th century round tower, Glendalough monastery, Co Wicklow| © Evgeni | Adobe Stock

Wicklow, Ireland

Known as the Garden of Ireland, Wicklow has rich natural landscapes, with Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains being the fourth most popular free tourist attraction in Ireland in 2019 with almost three quarters of a million visitors. It also has a long coastline with numerous beaches. More than 270,000 overseas tourists visit Wicklow each year, generating over €80 million for the local economy. The county has a rich cultural heritage, both of the natural and built environments.

Examples of projects and initiatives supported by the EU

Blanket Bog Restoration

In 2022, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced cooperation with the Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service to accelerate restoration of peatlands across the country, including the Blanket Bog Restoration Project in the Wicklow Mountains. This will be done through the Natural Capital Finance Facility, a joint European Commission-EIB instrument for biodiversity and climate adaptation.

Avonmore River in Wicklow

The Avonmore River in Wicklow is one of six catchments in Ireland selected to receive €9.5 million from the EU-funded Waters of LIFE project. The project will address the significant pressures in the catchment from forestry and agriculture. The aim is to ensure the river system achieves and maintains high ecological conditions with support from the EU’s LIFE programme. 

WiFi4EU: Free Wi-Fi access for citizens in public spaces

Three towns in Co. Wicklow - Arklow, Baltinglass and Wicklow - were awarded EU grants to install free WiFI hot-spots under the WiFi4EU Initiative which promotes free access to Wi-Fi connectivity for citizens in public spaces including parks, squares, public buildings, libraries and health centres.

LEADER: Rural development projects in Wicklow

The EU’s Rural Development Programme, LEADER, gave €1.3 million to Wicklow for the 2021-2022 transition period. The initiative is run by the County Wicklow Partnership. Priority projects helped local communities and businesses recover from the fallout of the pandemic. For the new LEADER funding period, 2023-2027, a total of €5.3 million is assigned for rural development projects in Wicklow.

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