Once obligated to shut down his adventure centre in Co Meath due to skyrocketing insurance premiums, a businessperson is currently operating an eco park on the property at a much lower insurance cost than he faced half a decade ago. Dave Robinson found himself having to lock up Rathbeggan Lakes Family Adventure Park near Dunshaughlin in 2019, due to an excessive insurance quote of €40,000 yearly for the premises, double the fee from a year earlier. The deductible of his policy also rose from €300 to €10,000, leading to the facility’s closure and a loss of 28 jobs, both full and part time. Nevertheless, Mr Robinson took advantage of the downtime during the Covid-19 outbreak to reinvent and relaunch it as an eco-park for the over-18s that allows motorhomes and campervans to stay, with an annual public liability insurance costing a mere €2,500 for Meath Eco Park. He says that his new, less crowded park has quickly become a sanctuary for all sorts of living creatures. Accomplishing daily tasks while viewing kingfishers and dragonflies has been a delightfully breathtaking experience. The pace of life at the park is less hurried, and he finds more time for his guests, including those attending the educational biodiversity seminars offered at the park. The eco-friendly park has a 48-panel solar array, which yields as much as 90% of the daily power utilities. In addition to this, a collaborative project sees Mr Robinson partnering with a local window and gutter cleaning business to collect and repurpose rainwater from the park’s buildings, a clean source of water ideal for streak-free window cleaning.
Mr. Robinson is set on supplying nearly 30 local window washing businesses with pure water at a lower cost than self-treating their mains water would entail. He has contemplated this idea for an extended period, acknowledging that ordinary tap water is not sufficient for cleaning windows due to its tendency to streak and leave poor finishes. Window cleaning companies typically expend around €70 monthly on systems for water filtration, deionisation, and treatment. Mr Robinson believed it feasible to collect rainwater, abundant in the region, and offer it for a minor charge.
The operation is now underway, with the plentiful rainfall in the recent spring ensuring a steady supply of purified rainwater. Reflecting on the closure of the adventure park, a continual source of stress, he expresses no regrets.
With his current industry, he revels in the tranquillity and deeper appreciation it affords him. As the manager of the adventure park, his days were consumed with frenzied activity, leaving no room for personal interactions.
Currently, he relishes the opportunity to converse with guests hailing from Ireland and beyond, savouring their fascinating narratives. Mr Robinson regards running this kind of business as an honour, noting how many people toil and worry to earn a livelihood without truly experiencing life.