ABOUT US - OUR STORY

Clifden Eco Beach Park has evolved over more than fifty years through family stewardship, a close relationship with the natural environment, and a long standing commitment to responsible land management.

Established in the early 1960s by Kris’s parents, Chris and Kathleen, the park began as a small campsite alongside a traditional Connemara farm. From the beginning, farming and tourism existed side by side within a sensitive coastal environment. Managing these two activities required careful consideration of land use, biodiversity, water, soil and the impact of visitors on the surrounding landscape.

During the early 1980s, Kris’s education at Clifden Community School further strengthened this connection with the natural environment. His geography teacher, Ann Marshall, brought extensive international experience to the classroom and developed a strong understanding of ecosystems and the relationship between people, land and place. This early influence has continued to shape the environmental philosophy behind the park.

A defining transition came in 1990, when the family farm adopted certified organic practices and eliminated chemical inputs. The farm became the first certified organic bovine farm in Connemara under DAFM and IOFGA standards. The decision reflected a deliberate commitment to protecting soil quality, biodiversity and the wider coastal environment.

Participation in the EU Rural Environment Protection Scheme further developed this approach, with structured environmental measures supporting habitat conservation, responsible land management and chemical free farming. Compliance was subject to annual inspection, providing an independently monitored framework for environmental stewardship.

Farming ceased entirely in 2015. From then onwards, the land was dedicated exclusively to tourism, with the emphasis placed on low-impact visitor accommodation within its existing natural setting rather than intensive development.

Since 2013, Kris and Tatjana have continued to develop Clifden Eco Beach Park as an eco-tourism destination within the Natura 2000 network. The park’s approach has been informed through engagement with Ecotourism Ireland, the Sustainable Tourism Network and Fáilte Ireland, alongside practical experience of managing tourism within a sensitive coastal habitat. The park is now recognised by Fáilte Ireland as a national case study in sustainable tourism.

In 2026, this long-term environmental journey reached another significant milestone when Clifden Eco Beach Park achieved the EU Ecolabel for Tourist Accommodation, the European Union’s independently verified environmental certification scheme based on ISO 14024 principles. The certification was independently audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland.

Environmental responsibility also extends beyond the park’s immediate boundaries. The carbon footprint associated with each guest stay is offset through certified climate projects delivered in partnership with South Pole. Recycling initiatives provide a further direct environmental benefit, with proceeds from the deposit return scheme directed towards marine conservation, including seal rescue work in Connemara through Seal Rescue Ireland.

More than fifty years after the first tents arrived beside the family farm, Clifden Eco Beach Park remains rooted in the same principle: tourism should work with the landscape rather than against it. The park’s environmental approach has developed progressively over generations, from organic farming and habitat protection to independently certified sustainable tourism.