Ireland’s Tourism Minister Pascal Donohoe has announced the initial funding for attractions known collectively as ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’.
Ireland’s Ancient East is the name of a campaign aimed at highlighting a number of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions on the East of the country.
Some of these include Brú na Bóinne, the Hill of Tara and the Rock of Cashel, among several others. The campaign is split into four fascinating categories – Ancient Ireland, Early Christian Ireland, Medieval Ireland and Anglo-Ireland.
The government has announced the first phase of funding – known as ‘New ideas in Ancient Spaces’ – comes to €1.2m that will be split among 12 projects.
The projects to receive funding under the first phase are as follows:
• Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park Ltd – enhanced visitor experience, County Kildare (€29k);
• Titanic Connections, Cork (€50k);
• Uisneach Interpretative Centre, County Westmeath (€65k);
• Tholsel Visitor Centre, Fethard, County Tipperary (€198k);
• Redevelopment of Powerscourt Visitor Interpretation Experience, County Wicklow (€80k);
• Athlone Castle – Enhancing the Visitor Experience, County Westmeath (€76k);
• Hook Lighthouse Guided Tour Experience, County Wexford (€80k);
• Journeys of Exploration, Anglo Irish Heritage at Blackrock Castle, Cork (€160k);
• Dunleckney Maltings, Carlow (€200k);
• Birr’s Anglo Irish & Early Christian Heritage, County Offaly (€84k);
• Boyne Valley: Waterway through Time, Trim, County Meath (€86k);
• Ancient Stones, Untold Stories – St Canice’s Cathedral & Round Tower Interpretation Project, Kilkenny (€80k).
The government hope that the Ireland’s Ancient East campaign will become as successful as the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ which was launched a couple of years earlier.
The Wild Atlantic Way is a drive along the west coast of the country that takes in several famous cities and attractions such as the Ring of Kerry and Galway Bay.
It has proved hugely popular with tourists since the attractions were packaged as the Wild Atlantic Way and joined together by the scenic drive along the coast.
Mr Donohoe said he believes that Ireland’s Ancient East: “will prove as effective and popular as the Wild Atlantic Way and will ultimately deliver significant additional numbers of visitors, revenue and jobs to the region.”
Junior minister Michael Ring said that Ireland’s Ancient East has the potential to: “deliver an additional 600,000 overseas visitors to the region and increase visitor revenue by almost 25% by 2020.”
Take a look at the latest promotional video below from FailteIrelandTV.
Take a look at the original promo video for Ireland’s Ancient East.
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