Scuba diving is permitted, subject to permit from the National Parks & Wildlife Service at 2 locations, namely Lough Hyne and the Upper Lake, Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains National Park.
Glendalough
Diving at Glendalough is restricted to the months of October - May and may not take place at any time after 11.00 hours. Diving must take place underwater only (no snorkelling permitted) in groups of not more than 6 people at any one time and also not more than 3 people diving in any one area at the same time. Divers are restricted to 2 diving visits per month and are prohibited from using compressors or boats. Divers must not create any visual or audible nuisance and must notify the park staff prior to commencement of their dive.
The conditions under which diving is permitted at Glendalough are under review by the National Parks & Wildlife Service.
Lough Hyne
Because of the potential for damage to the sensitive flora and fauna of the Nature Reserve, a quota system limiting the number of person dives is in place. Preference is given to diving for research rather than recreational purposes. The amount of diving permitted is reviewed on an ongoing basis by the National Parks & Wildlife Service. To use a boat with an engine of more than 10 hp requires a permit. As most divers use such boats the permit covers both diving and use of a boat with an engine greater than 10 hp. Two types of permit are issued, Recreational or Research Diving Permits.
1. Recreational Diving Permit
Application
Applicants are required to furnish the following information:
- Name, address and telephone number of applicant
- Nature of facility applied for - to use the Reserve for scuba diving and/or to operate a vessel with an engine greater than 10 hp in or over the Reserve
- Purpose of facility
- Area of Reserve in which facilities will be exercised
- Craft details - number, type, length, horsepower and engine type
- Organisation to which applicant is affiliated
- Qualifications and experience of applicant
- Ratio of trainees/qualified divers for the dive
- Details of insurance cover, i.e., insurance company, policy no., valid dates and type of cover
- Medical Certificate confirming fitness of applicant to dive
- Dates and times for which permit required.
Permit Conditions
An applicant must sign a form indicating compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit and must undertake:
- To comply with the Nature Reserve Regulations S.I. 207 of 1981
- To accept that permission may be withdrawn at any time
- To remedy, if requested, any matter which is considered to breach the conditions of the permit
- To indemnify the Minister, his/her servants and agents, against any claims for loss or damage to property or injury to persons arising out of the granting of the permission
- To present him/herself to the Caretaker of the Reserve prior to the dive time, produce the relevant permit and sign the Lough Hyne dive log
- To operate from the North Pier only and minimise disturbance to other car park users
- Not to use compressors in the Reserve environs
- To adhere strictly to the 5 nautical mph limit, to avoid the use of anchors anywhere in the Reserve and to remove all craft from the Reserve when the dive is completed
- To comply with all reasonable requirements of the Ranger at the Reserve
- To make good or pay the cost of making good any damage caused by the applicant to the Reserve
- To use the Reserve only for the purpose or purposes specified in the permit and for no other purpose unless so authorised by the Minister or his/her authorised representative, and to seek prior written approval for any proposed change in the applicants activities at the Reserve
- To produce the permit on request from a member of the An Garda Síochána or a person authorised under section 72 of the Wildlife Act, 1976
- To comply with other terms and conditions which the Minister or his/her representative may see fit to attach to the permit and which is notified to the applicant in writing
- To refrain from entering any private land adjoining the Reserve without the permission of the owner or occupier thereof.
2. Research Diving Permit
Application
The research diving application form seeks similar details to the sports diving application plus the following:
- Nature of Facility applied for - removal of fauna or flora for identification purposes, to move or restrict fauna, to introduce new structures into the Reserve or use research equipment in or over the Reserve
- Purpose of study, objectives and duration
- Particulars of fauna or flora or structures or equipment
- Area of the Reserve concerned
- Organisation/Institution to which applicant is affiliated - department, position of applicant, name of supervisor
- Qualifications and experience of applicant.
Permit Conditions
An applicant must sign a form indicating compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit and must undertake:
- To comply with the Nature Reserve Regulations S.I. 207 of 1981
- To accept that the permission may be withdrawn at any time
- To remedy, if requested, any matter which is considered to breach the conditions of the permit
- To indemnify the Minister, his/her servants and agents, against any claims for loss or damage to property or injury to persons arising out of the granting of the permit
- To contact the Caretaker of the Reserve at the commencement of the visit
- To comply with all reasonable requirements of the Ranger at the Reserve
- To make good or pay the cost of making good any damage caused by the applicant to the Reserve
- To use the Reserve only for the purpose or purposes specified by the permission and for no other purpose unless so authorised by the Minister or his/her authorised representative, and to seek prior written approval for any proposed change in the applicants activities at the Reserve
- To produce the permit request from a member of the An Garda Síochána or a person authorised under section 72 of the Wildlife Act, 1976
- To comply with other terms and conditions which the Minister or his/her representative may see fit to apply to the permit and which is notified to the applicant in writing
- To refrain from entering any private land adjoining the Reserve without the permission of the owner or occupier thereof
- To acknowledge the co-operation of the Minister in any reports, published papers, etc., resulting from activities undertaken at the Reserve
- To forward a copy of all publications, articles, papers and theses to the Ranger for Lough Hyne
- To forward a report of the applicant's activities at the Reserve to the Ranger at the end of the study period covered by permit from the National Parks & Wildlife Service
- Not to take sea fish which are deemed to be undersized for the purposes of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959
- To submit dive plans involving scuba diving, if any, to the Ranger in advance and to submit a Dive Log with report of activities at the Reserve at the end of the study period covered by permit from the National Parks & Wildlife Service
- To adhere to the 5 nautical mph speed limit and to avoid the use of anchors within the Reserve if the applicant's research involves the use of boats
- Not to interfere with (except where covered by permit), or damage flora and fauna of the Reserve and to take particular care to avoid damage to habitats while diving and/or using research equipment underwater
- To get the agreement of the Ranger prior to introducing research equipment, markers, buoys, transect lines, etc., and to remove all such equipment at the end of the study period.