Senator Aisling Dolan - Strong Voice, New Vision.
Senator Aisling Dolan welcomed funding of 845,500 for County Roscommon under Outdoor Recreational Funding of 14 million across the country. Minister Heather Humphreys launched Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors - an ambitious and transformational National Outdoor Recreation Strategy and announced funding for 3 projects in Roscommon.
Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors is a strategy developed together with Comhairle na Tuaithe.
This significant boost of 845,000 for three great projects in County Roscommon is part of the Our Rural Future strategy to promote investment in our region.
Well done to Rathcroghan Visitor Centre for winning 445,000 to develop archaeological looped trails around Cruachain the ancient royal site. Ráth Cruachain is the ancient capital of Connacht and brings people back in time to the Neolithic, Bronze & Iron age, a wealth of history and heritage. Cruachain is famous as the opening scene in Táin Bó Cualigne the story of Queen Maeve. It covers an area of 6 square kilometres with over 240 sites and 60 protected national monuments and this funding will open up new looped trails and experiences for visitors to explore & learn about our rich history
Dr Daniel Curley and his team at the Visitor Centre have worked on this project with local landowners to promote this area all around Tulsk to make history come alive. Last year people living in the area and visitors had an opportunity to take part in a survey co-ordinated by Rathcroghan Visitor Centre and Farming Rathcroghan to look at the benefits of a looped walk in the area and this work has resulted in fantastic funding close to half a million for the area.
It will bring more visitors to explore the region and this Centre is already winning ‘Travellers Choice’ awards. The Heritage Centre and Café showcase local artists and crafts and a great place to catch up with friends for lunch.”
Mote Park in Roscommon has also won funding of 199,800 to further develop the trail experience. With over 650 acres, this is a real treasure in the county. And a great initiative to develop water based activities with easy kayak and canoe launch funded for the Lough Key and Boyle Canal/ River area. This is a tribute to community groups developing these initiatives to encourage all of us to enjoy all the outdoor activities on our doorstep. Especially in winter time, great to get out for a morning walk can really set us up for the day so do take time with your family to discover hiking and adventure trails on walkways, greenways and blueways in Roscommon and neighbouring counties”
To thank the Rural Recreational Officer based in Roscommon Leader Partnership and Roscommon County Council for working with community groups. There is so much opportunity to develop our region for outdoor activity and bring investment into our towns and villages. This will be of great benefit for families living in the area and really showcases all the reasons to live and work in Roscommon!”
Launching Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, Minister Humphreys said:
“The pandemic awakened a new discovery to explore amongst the Irish public. When we were confined to our counties or we could only meet friends and family outdoors, we gained a new found appreciation for the unique amenities we have on our doorstep whether it’s our forest parks, our mountain trails, our rivers, our greenways or our stunning beaches.
“Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors is about building on this momentum. It is about the strategic development of Ireland’s Outdoor Recreation sector so we can deliver maximum benefits to communities across the country.
“Those benefits are huge. Spending time outdoors supports our mental and physical health and it improves our quality of life. There also huge economic benefits, particularly for rural communities, with over 2.7m overseas visitors taking part in outdoor activities every year in Ireland. Through this Strategy – I believe we can make Ireland the destination of choice internationally for outdoor recreation and adventure tourism.
Building on this ground-up, locally led approach, the Minister is today announcing €14m for the development of 59 outdoor recreation amenities and to support outdoor pursuits such as hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, and cycling.
