Theme Parks are a common attraction in American states, but did you know there is only one theme park in Ireland! Tayto Park opened to rapturous applause in 2010, situated in the townland of Kilbrew, Co. Meath. The nearest town is Ashbourne in Meath and traffic permitting, you can get to this park from Dublin in about 30 minutes on the motorway. Bus Eireann, Ireland’s national bus service also offer a direct route from Dublin to Tayto Park.
What’s in a name? At the time, the businessman who opened the theme park also owned nearby Largo Foods who produced the popular Tayto crisp range. In a clever marketing ploy, he decided to marry the amusement park with Ireland’s favourite snack and the idea of Tayto Park was born! Mr Tayto is the famous animated image which adorns packs of the snack, and his image is dotted throughout the Park.
The opening was hugely successful and a welcome addition in an Ireland which had been lacking in amusement parks up until that point. 55 acres of farmland was transformed into an impressive American themed park, complete with a Zoo, themed rides, an Indian village, and adventure playgrounds.
The Park grew and expanded successfully and in 2015, added Europe’s largest inverted wooden rollercoaster to its attractions. Later on, it became home to Ireland’s only water flume ride, the Viking Voyage. For those interested in the delicious potato snack, there is also a self-guided tour of how Tayto crisps are made.
Being Ireland’s only amusement park has meant schools have travelled from all over Ireland to enjoy school tours, fun trips, and educational zoo experiences.
The Zoo offers a home to a diverse and exotic array of animals including the Amur tiger, primates, and birds of pretty from around the globe. Tayto Park have become vocal supporters of conservation efforts and have supported The Golden Eagle trust who are dedicated to conserving Ireland’s native birds and wildlife. The park also supports conservation initiatives involving leopards, tigers, bumblebees, and butterflies. They offer a genetics course to Leaving Cert (High School) biology students who want to learn about the role genetics plays in biodiversity.
The colourful park will be looking forward to a busy 2022 summer season having suffered a lull in business during the 2020/2021 Covid pandemic. The park has welcomed over 5 million visitors since it opened in 2010 and provided a huge boost to the local economy in Meath.
In February 2022, Tayto Park released a statement indicating the title sponsorship for Tayto Park will come to an end in December 2022, meaning the partnership with Tayto Crisp will end. The Park now has potential to grow and flourish in a new direction as there will be a new name and identity given to the award-winning park.
Just who will now step in as title sponsor remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure they will have their work cut out for them following in the footsteps of beloved Mr. Tayto.
