Drone Surveys in Mayo
Drone Services Ireland provides drone surveys, LiDAR mapping, and aerial inspections across County Mayo. We have completed numerous operations in Mayo in recent years, including large-scale LiDAR surveys along the Croagh Patrick greenway corridor and in Louisburgh, industrial roof inspections, and telecoms planning. We work both directly with Mayo-based clients and as subcontractors for survey companies that require aerial data capture in the county.
Mayo’s landscape – from the Atlantic coastline and Clew Bay islands to Croagh Patrick, Nephin Beg, and the Sheeffry Hills – presents some of the most technically demanding terrain for drone operations in Ireland. Our team has the experience, equipment, and EASA-specific Category authorisation required to operate safely and deliver survey-grade data in these challenging environments.
Our Services in Mayo
We deliver the full range of drone surveying and mapping services across County Mayo, tailored to each project’s specific requirements.
LiDAR surveying is particularly valuable in Mayo, where dense vegetation, forestry, bogland, and rough terrain make traditional surveying slow and photogrammetry insufficient. Our drone LiDAR penetrates tree canopy and ground cover to produce bare-earth Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) essential for infrastructure design, greenway route planning, and environmental assessment. We have completed two major LiDAR projects in western Mayo alone.
Topographic and aerial mapping provides engineers, architects, and planners with survey-grade orthomosaics, contour data, and point clouds. Our survey platforms achieve ±5cm accuracy using RTK/PPK positioning, with deliverables formatted for direct import into AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and GIS software.
Building and roof inspections eliminate the need for scaffolding, cherry pickers, or rope access when assessing industrial and commercial roofs. Our high-resolution drone inspections quickly and safely identify defects, water ingress points, and deterioration – we have completed four industrial roof inspections in Mayo.
Telecoms planning support provides aerial photography, verified views, and topographic survey data for planning applications relating to telecoms mast installations and upgrades. We have completed three telecoms planning operations in the county.
Mayo Projects and Case Studies
LiDAR Survey – Croagh Patrick Greenway Corridor
We completed a large-scale drone LiDAR survey along the greenway corridor at the foot of Croagh Patrick, supporting the Clew Bay Greenway project being developed by Mayo County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The survey area covers complex terrain, including river floodplains along the Owenwee, elevated farmland, forestry, and slopes rising above 60 metres.
LiDAR was the critical survey method for this project. The dense vegetation and tree cover along the corridor make photogrammetry alone incapable of producing an accurate bare-earth model. Our LiDAR data penetrates the canopy to deliver the elevation data that design engineers need for gradient assessment, drainage planning, and route alignment. Operating on the slopes of Croagh Patrick – with Atlantic wind exposure, variable terrain, and limited road access – required careful mission planning and terrain-following flight profiles to maintain consistent data quality across the full survey area.
LiDAR Survey – Louisburgh
We completed a second large-scale LiDAR survey in the Louisburgh area of western Mayo. Louisburgh sits on the R335 between Westport and Roonagh Pier, in terrain characterised by Atlantic-exposed farmland, river corridors, and the transitional landscape between the Sheeffry Hills and the coast.
Two separate large-scale LiDAR projects in western Mayo demonstrate that our presence in the county is not a one-off engagement. For clients in Mayo evaluating drone survey options, this represents a proven operational footprint in the region, with teams and logistics already established for deployments in west Mayo.
Industrial Roof Inspections
We have completed four industrial roof inspections in County Mayo. Using high-resolution imagery captured from our drone platforms, we provide building managers and facilities teams with detailed condition assessments covering membrane condition, flashing integrity, drainage, and penetration points. Thermal imaging can also be deployed as needed to identify insulation defects or moisture ingress that are not visible to the naked eye. For industrial buildings with large roof areas, drone inspection is significantly faster, safer, and less disruptive than traditional access methods.
Telecoms Planning Operations
Three telecoms planning operations were completed in Mayo, providing aerial photography and survey data to support planning applications for telecommunications infrastructure for our long-term client. These projects typically require verified views showing the proposed mast or structure in its landscape context, site photography from multiple angles, and topographic data formatted for inclusion in planning submission packs.
Survey Company Subcontract Work
In addition to direct client engagements, we have completed drone operations in Mayo as subcontractors for professional survey companies. When survey firms need aerial data capture in Mayo – whether photogrammetry, LiDAR, or inspection imagery – they commission DSI because they trust our data quality, operational standards, and ability to mobilise to western locations efficiently. This is a strong endorsement of our technical capability from the professionals who understand survey data best.
Flying Drones in Mayo
Ireland West Airport Knock (EIKN) is located near Charlestown, close to the Mayo–Roscommon border. As Ireland’s fourth-busiest airport, Knock has a Class C Control Zone (CTR) extending approximately 10 nautical miles from the airport, with additional controlled airspace stubs along the runway centreline. Drone operations within the Knock CTR require coordination with Knock ATC. The CTA was extended in November 2025, so operators should check the latest airspace map before planning any flights in the Charlestown–Knock–Swinford area.
Outside the Knock CTR, the vast majority of County Mayo sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace, which generally permits Open Category drone operations up to 120 metres above ground level. This includes Castlebar, Westport, Ballina, Belmullet, Louisburgh, Achill Island, and the broader rural and coastal areas.
However, the real operational challenge in Mayo is not airspace but terrain and weather. Western Mayo’s mountainous landscape – Croagh Patrick (764m), Mweelrea (814m, Ireland’s highest point in Connacht), Nephin (806m), and the Nephin Beg range – creates demanding conditions for drone surveys. Terrain-following flight modes are essential to maintain consistent data quality on steep slopes. Atlantic wind exposure, particularly along the coast and on islands, requires careful weather-window management. Our mission planning process accounts for all of these factors before any Mayo deployment.
Our EASA Specific Category authorisation enables operations beyond standard Open Category limits, including flights near sensitive infrastructure, above standard altitudes where terrain requires it, and in conditions that demand enhanced safety cases. IAA geographical zones also apply around sensitive locations in the region.
Areas We Cover in Mayo
We operate across the full extent of County Mayo. Our projects have taken us to Westport, Louisburgh, Murrisk, Croagh Patrick, Lecanvey, Newport, Mulranny, Achill Island, Castlebar, Ballina, Ballyhaunis, Claremorris, Swinford, Foxford, Knock, Kiltimagh, Belmullet, Bangor Erris, Ballinrobe, Cong, Tourmakeady, Clare Island, Inishturk, and the broader Clew Bay and Nephin Beg areas. For projects in neighbouring counties, we also service Galway and Roscommon from our Mayo deployments.
Whether your site is on an exposed Atlantic headland, a mountainside greenway corridor, or an industrial estate in Castlebar, we have the experience and equipment to deliver.
Why Choose Drone Services Ireland in Mayo
We are the only drone operator with a demonstrated portfolio of large-scale LiDAR and inspection projects specifically in County Mayo. Our Croagh Patrick greenway survey and Louisburgh LiDAR work required precisely the operational capability that Mayo’s terrain demands – terrain-following LiDAR in vegetated, mountainous, Atlantic-exposed conditions that few operators have experience managing.
We hold EASA Specific Category authorisation, carry €6.5 million public liability insurance, and have been operating commercially since 2016 – one of Ireland’s longest-established drone operators. Our full equipment fleet includes the DJI Matrice 300 RTK with L1/L2 LiDAR and P1 photogrammetry payloads, giving us dual-sensor capability for the most demanding Mayo survey projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We have completed large-scale LiDAR surveys on the slopes of Croagh Patrick and in Louisburgh. Our platforms use terrain-following flight modes that automatically adjust altitude to maintain a consistent height above ground, even on steep gradients. This is essential for data quality on the kind of terrain found throughout western Mayo.
Drone flights within the Knock Control Zone (approximately 10 nautical miles from the airport) require coordination with Knock ATC. Outside this zone, most of Mayo is in uncontrolled Class G airspace where Open Category flights up to 120m are generally permitted. Our Specific Category authorisation enables operations beyond these standard limits where required. Always check the latest airspace map before any flight.
Weather is a significant factor in any Mayo drone operation. We monitor conditions continuously and plan deployments around suitable weather windows. We will not compromise data quality by flying in unsuitable conditions – wind above 12m/s, rain, and low cloud base all affect survey accuracy. Our mission planning process includes a detailed weather assessment specific to each site.
Yes. We operate on Achill Island, Clare Island, Inishturk, and across the Clew Bay coastline. Island operations require additional logistical planning (ferry schedules, equipment transport, contingency for weather delays), which we factor into our project planning and pricing.
We operate across the entire county – from Ballina and Belmullet in the north, through Castlebar and Westport, down to Louisburgh, Claremorris, and Ballinrobe in the south. We also frequently combine Mayo operations with work in neighbouring Galway and Roscommon.