An information board blasted with a shotgun, an old well severely damaged with stones left strewn around, and land cut up by scramblers were among the incidents of vandalism in national parks and conservation areas over the past two years.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said they had logged thirty-four cases where parks, natural heritage areas, or special protection areas were damaged deliberately by visitors.
Details of ten of the incidents have been withheld by the NPWS who said they were the subject of ongoing criminal investigations.
The Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow was a hotspot for anti-social activity with multiple incidents of illegal dumping, graffiti, damage to gates, and vandalism of its Octagon building after a €280,000 conservation project.
At Mullyvea in Co Donegal, an interpretive board was blasted with lead shot some time last autumn, according to the log of incidents provided by the NPWS.
Another interpretive board was stolen from the Duntally Wood Nature Reserve, also in Donegal, a few months earlier.
There were five separate incidents at the Coole-Garryland Nature Reserve in Gort, Co Galway, with precise details of one case redacted from the records.