Shannon Development welcomes the announcement today (Monday 28th April ’08) by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Seamus Brennan, T.D., of a €3.8 million grant package to support a range of tourism projects around the Shannon Region. To benefit are; Lough Derg Twomilegate with a €1.8 million grant, Terryglass is getting a €400,350 grant, Shannon Harbour is receiving a €1.19 million grant, and Lough Gur has been granted €417,746.
“We are delighted with the Minister’s announcement which assists project promoters to put in place a range of key projects around the Region collectively costing €5.1million. These projects are important elements of Shannon Development’s 2008 tourism strategy for the Shannon Region which will bring significant capital investment to locations in Clare, Tipperary, Offaly and Limerick. Shannon Development has worked closely with Failte Ireland, the Local Authorities in Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary and Offaly, and Waterways Ireland, to bring these projects to this stage,” says John Crowe, Tourism Product Development Executive, Shannon Development.
“We are particularly pleased that €3.8 million out of the total national grant package of €5.6 million for 12 tourism projects around Ireland was awarded to Shannon Region projects, this is a testament to the proactive approach undertaken by Shannon Development and its partners to deliver visitor infrastructure at key visitor locations around the Region. Shannon Development would like to acknowledge the significant capital investment by the Local Authorities and Waterways Ireland in each of these projects. Construction work on each of the developments will commence later this year and work will be substantially complete by the end of 2008, with projects expected to be up and running for the 2009 tourist season. All the projects form part of an integrated strategy, for example the Lough Derg Study, and they will have a spatial spread throughout the Shannon Region,” says Mr. Crowe.
Three of the projects relate to the Shannon River and Lough Derg and the final project relates to Lough Gur in Co Limerick. The Shannon River Lough Derg proposals are a continuation of the integrated tourism development strategy for Lough Derg which has already seen developments in Terryglass (Phase 1), Garrykennedy, Domineer and Ballina in Co Tipperary and in Mountshannon in Co Clare.
Twomilegate, Ballycuggeran is located approx 2 miles outside the southern Lough Derg hub of Killaloe Ballina and on the Clare shoreline. This location is the primary public visitor facility in this area and caters for visitors, sightseers and touring holidaymakers. The total project cost is €2.47 million and the €1.8 million grant will go towards plans for the area which will see the provision of new visitor facilities, changing areas, showers and toilets, expanded and improved beach area, picnic and barbeque facilities, improved walks, lookout tower and other associated works.
The development will complement the University of Limerick Activity Centre located immediately adjacent to the site and to the other tourism projects and infrastructure in the area.
Terryglass located on the northern Tipperary shore of Lough Derg is a former National Tidy Town’s competition winner and is one of the most important tourism destinations on Lough Derg. Its visitor profile includes holidaymakers on hire boats, visitors to the area and visitors who come for the annual Terryglass Arts Festival each year. North Tipperary County Council has just completed a major visitor improvement scheme which includes new visitor facilities. The total project cost is €544,000 and the €400,350 grant will go towards the completion of second phase of the work is the completion of a new visitor amenity block which will include showers, toilets, laundry and facilities for disabled visitors.
Shannon Harbour is situated on the Grand Canal/River Shannon junction and is an important part of the overall inland waterways navigation system. The location is also within the Mid Shannon Corridor Tourism Infrastructure Area, a scheme which was proposed to the Government by Shannon Development in 2005.
The proposal for Shannon Harbour which is part of an overall scheme for the regeneration of Shannon Harbour will involve a number of different phases. The total project cost €1.19 million and the €1.6 million grant will go towards the first phase will see the development of public realm works and visitor enhancements along the quayside in Shannon Harbour. In addition new visitor facilities in the form of showers, toilets, visitor signage will be developed immediately adjacent to the public realm works. The promoters Offaly County Council and Waterways Ireland together with the Regional Tourism Authority Shannon Development are currently evaluating follow on proposals for subsequent phases.
Lough Gur is an outstanding heritage and natural resource of international significance. Museums and collections from all over Britain and Ireland contain pieces from this area. Inhabited for over 5000 years the zone contains over 130 listed sites (28 of which are designated as National Monuments) ranging in date from late Neolithic / early Bronze Age through to post Mediaeval times. Surviving monuments include stone circles, ring forts, standing stones, a megalithic tomb, holy wells, churches, and castles. It is also designated as a Natural Heritage Area and Birdlife Sanctuary.
A management strategy for Lough Gur, taking into account the unique archaeological and ecological needs of the area, is being completed by Limerick County Council. The €417,746 grant will enable the first phase of this strategy to proceed in 2008, the core of which is to upgrade some of the informal paths currently used by visitors into trails of a high quality standard, thus ensuring sensitive access to important archaeological sites. The total project will cost €557,000. The development of the first of these trails, also supported by Shannon Development, will be completed by the end of the Summer 2008. The visitor experience will be further improved through an integrated signage and monument interpretation programme as well as new picnic areas and facilities for disabled visitors.
Lough Gur, together with ongoing developments at Kilfinnane/Ballyhoura and Killmallock Mediaeval Town, form the main elements of a tourism cluster strategy being pursued by Shannon Development for South East Co. Limerick. Shannon Development will continue to work with Limerick County Council and local stakeholders to develop tourism products of significance and economic impact in this peripheral part of Shannon Region.
Nandi O’Sullivan
Public Relations Manager
Tel: +353 61 710259
Mobile: +353 86-2371510
Fax: 061 363180
E-mail: Click Here