The Big Interview

‘It’s going to be up there with the best theme parks in Europe’ – Charles Coyle takes on Tayto Park

Charles Coyle, whose father, Ray, founded Tayto Park, has ambitious plans for the attraction that include increasing its yearly visitors – currently at 700,000 – building more roller coasters and establishing a new brand

Charles Coyle, managing director of Tayto Park: ‘It was great. I got to know my father more, got to respect him more, and we grew closer as a result of our love for this park.’ Picture: Bryan Meade

Walking around the soon-to-be renamed Tayto Park, Charles Coyle is literally following in the footsteps of his father Ray, the farmer-turned-entrepreneur, who died last month at the age of 70.

Coyle had founded Largo Foods in 1982. In 2006, he bought the Tayto brand and, four years later, he would build on its national institution status by opening Ireland’s first theme park. In 2013, Tayto Park became a family business, when he appointed Charles to ...