Irish Examiner view: Ray Coyle leaves lasting legacy

The farmer-entrepreneur turned Tayto Park into one of Ireland’s top 10 tourist attractions

Ray Coyle, founder of Tayto Park, died last week at the age of 70. Picture: Moya Nolan

It takes a special kind of genius, vision, and determination to create a white-knuckle ride theme park in Co Meath, name it after a crisp, and attract millions of visitors since 2010.

That is what Ray Coyle, farmer-entrepreneur, did with his Tayto Park project, which he turned into one of Ireland’s top 10 tourist attractions. Mr Coyle, 70, who died last week, was born within a few hundred metres of the location of Tayto Park, to a family that grew barley and reared cattle.