about this place...
Hi Frank,
We have never met, but I have seen on the Shannonside Astronomy Club website that you are interested in finding dark sky places to set up telescopes. I wonder if you have ever tried Gragan’s Wood Picnic Area.
The picnic area is located about 4 miles north of the mini-roundabout in Lisdoonvarna on N67, about 2 miles before Corkscrew Hill. It is a public area that is open 24 hours a day and is out of the way of headlights from the nearby road. It is on high ground with a good view of the sky in all directions but northwest.
There’s a small brown and white “Picnic Area” sign on the opposite side of the road and a wooden sign marking the area itself. Follow the gravel road up to the right for a hundred feet or so to where it opens up into a circular graveled parking area large enough, I’d guess, to comfortably park a half dozen cars and set up as many telescopes. There is also a picnic table and a few benches.
I hope this information is useful to you
I scanned along on Google Earth and found it...
It has big potential!
Good skys except for NW - Grand!
It's sheltered and elevated and off the road...
looks like a gem.
Recon is required!
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=53.0 ... 9&t=h&z=17