Loughrea to come alive with wildlife discoveries as Biodiversity Festival and Bioblitz comes to town
MKO, Galway County Council and a host of local groups are joining forces for a free 24-hour species count and biodiversity festival on the shores of Loughrea Lake on 21st–22nd May. The festival will be officially opened by An Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Cllr David Collins.
Loughrea is set to become a hub of natural discovery next week as teams of ecologists, local schoolchildren and members of the public take part in the annual Bioblitz and Biodiversity Festival – one of the most popular community science events in the county. Organised by MKO and Galway County Council, in partnership with the Galway Bay South East Catchment Community Forum, Loughrea Tidy Towns and Loughrea Angling Club, the event will see experts and volunteers count as many species as possible in a single 24-hour period, from 7:30pm on Thursday 21st May to 7:30pm on Friday 22nd May.
Activity will centre around Loughrea Lake and the Fair Green, where a public event hub will host a range of free guided walks, talks and demonstrations throughout the day. Children attending must be accompanied by an adult.
The event forms part of National Biodiversity Week Ireland, which runs from 15th to 24th May 2026.
Commenting on the event, Rosina Joyce, Biodiversity Officer at Galway County Council, said: “What makes events like this so special is the strength of the community behind it. The Galway Bay South East Catchment Community Forum, Loughrea Tidy Towns and Loughrea Angling Club have all played a vital role in making this event possible, and their involvement really reflects how much local people care about the natural environment on their doorstep. I am also absolutely delighted that local schools will be bringing their students along to take part. Giving young people the opportunity to get out into nature, to learn from ecologists and to see the incredible biodiversity around Loughrea Lake first-hand is so important – these are the conservationists and environmental champions of the future.”
Pat Roberts, Principal Ecologist at MKO, added: “I am absolutely delighted to be bringing our team of expert ecologists to Loughrea to study and document the biodiversity of the town and its lake. One of the things we are most looking forward to is giving the public a behind-the-scenes look at how ecologists work, from underwater drones exploring the lakebed to our conservation detection dogs putting their remarkable skills on display. This Bioblitz also forms part of a CIEEM competition in which ecology teams from across Ireland and the UK go head-to-head to record as many species as possible within 24 hours, so there will be a very competitive spirit on the lakeshore. We hope as many people as possible will come out and see what extraordinary wildlife is living right on their doorstep.”
Among the highlights of the public programme will be demonstrations of aerial and underwater drones throughout the day, as well as a stand from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) featuring educational biodiversity displays. Hedgerows Ireland will run guided walks at Mad Yolk Farm on the 22nd May, departing at 11am and 1pm, each lasting approximately 1.5 hours.
This year’s event highlights what can be achieved when community groups, educational institutions, public bodies and environmental organisations come together with a shared purpose. With the involvement of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Atlantic Technological University, University of Galway, Galway Rural Development, Coillte, Hedgerows Ireland, Mad Yolk Farm, the Local Authority Waters Programme, Galway City Council, Loughrea Anglers Association, The Barn Owl Project and Detection Dogs for Conservation Ireland, the scale of collaboration behind the Bioblitz reflects a growing commitment across Loughrea and beyond to celebrating and protecting local biodiversity.
Building on the success of previous events in Rinville Park, Portumna and Mountbellew, organisers are encouraging people of all ages to get involved and discover the wildlife living on their doorstep.