A businessman who was forced to close his adventure centre in County Meath Due to rising insurance costs, he now operates an eco-park on the site for a fraction of the premiums he was charged five years ago.
Dave Robinson reluctantly closed the doors of Rathbeggan Lakes Family Adventure Park, near Dunshaughlin, in 2019 because the only insurance quote he could get was €40,000 to cover the facilities for the year – double what he had paid the year before.
Its surplus bonuses also soared from €300 to €10,000, contributing to the decision to close the 22-acre facility with the loss of 28 full-time and part-time jobs.
However, Mr Robinson – who describes himself as “always a man with a plan” – says the shutdown has been a blessing in disguise.
It has taken advantage of the downtime during the Covid-19 pandemic to redevelop and reopen as an eco-park offering campervan and motorhome stopovers with facilities for over-18s only. Annual liability insurance for Meath Eco Park costs just €2,500.
“The new, quieter park has quickly become a haven for all sorts of creatures,” says Robinson. “It’s amazing to watch the kingfishers and dragonflies as we go about our daily lives. The pace of life here is much less hectic and I find I have time to spend with visitors, those who stay here and those who join us for the biodiversity education days we hold regularly.”
The park has a fleet of 48 solar panels, providing up to 90% of daily electricity needs.
In another cooperative initiative, Robinson has partnered with a local gutter and window cleaning company to collect and use rainwater that falls on the park’s buildings. It’s a source of pure water, ideal for cleaning windows without leaving streaks.
Mr Robinson hopes to offer the service to 30 window cleaning businesses operating locally, providing them with pure water at a lower cost than it would cost them to treat their own mains water.
“I thought about it for a long time. Window cleaning companies can’t use regular tap water because it streaks the glass and leaves a bad finish,” Robinson says. “They often spend up to €70 a month on filtration, deionisation and water treatment systems, so I thought, we have plenty of rainwater here. Why not harvest it and make it available more cheaply?”
“It is now operational and thanks to the very wet spring we had, pure rainwater is flowing well.
He says he does not regret the closure of the adventure park, which was a source of constant stress.
“My work life is much more serene now and I can enjoy things much more,” he says. “When we had the (adventure) park, I spent the day running around and checking everything. I didn’t actually have time to talk to anyone.”
“I now have time to talk to our customers in Ireland and around the world and listen to their incredible stories. It’s a privilege to run a business like this. It makes you realise that there are so many people out there struggling and stressing out to make a living without realising they’re not living at all.”
