The Irish Times is on the hunt to find ‘The Best Place To Go Wild’ in Ireland and is inviting people in County Galway to nominate their favourite place to experience nature.
The aim is to find the best places in the country to experience nature, from guided walks, tranquil cruises on our rivers and nature watching on the wetlands, to extreme sports like surfing, caving, or coasteering on our rocky shores. The Irish Times wants to hear which location trumps them all.
Residents and visitors can nominate their favourite place by going to irishtimes.com/gowild and writing a short pitch for the judges to consider. Entry is free and every week The Irish Times will publish a selection of nominations in the review section of the paper. The closing date for entries is midnight Thursday May 1, and the winning wild spot will be announced at the start of June.
Each week in the paper and online, The Irish Times will feature a selection of readers’ nominations along with photos and videos of destinations. All of the nominations will be reviewed by a special judging panel, chaired by Conor Goodman, features editor of The Irish Times. The panel is made up of four national experts from different walks of life - Fionn Davenport, columnist with The Irish Times and author of The Lonely Planet Guide to Ireland; Roisin Finlay, editor of Outsider Magazine; Arminta Wallace, Irish Times journalist and walker; and Dawson Stelfox, Northern Irish mountaineer and the first Irishman to climb Everest. The judging sessions will be chaired by Conor Goodman, who will cast a vote only in the event of a tie.
Regarding the competition Mr Goodman said: “Ireland has a vast array of stunning nature spots and outdoor activities. The Irish Times invites you to share your favourite place by nominating somewhere you love as ‘The Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland’. We're curious about what you consider to be the best place to lose yourself in the Irish wilderness, whether it’s somewhere you live or somewhere you like to escape to on a break.”