Fáilte Ireland has welcomed the announcement of new government funding for tourism projects by the minister for rural and community development, Michael Ring, under his department's Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF).
Four of the projects that will receive funding from the RRDF have a strong focus on developing tourism and have been awarded a total of €16.3 million. Fáilte Ireland's director of product development, Orla Carroll, has described this funding as "a huge vote of confidence by the government in tourism's ability to drive economic growth in rural communities across Ireland."
Wexford And Waterford Projects
Fáilte Ireland partnered with Wexford County Council and Waterford City and County Council on two successful funding applications under the RRDF scheme. The New Ross Tourism Transformation in Co. Wexford and Ireland's Global Garden at the Mount Congreve estate in Co. Waterford have been awarded €5.5 million and €3.7 million, respectively.
The project in New Ross will see the development of a new visitor attraction that tells the story of Norman Wexford through the knight William Marshall. It will also create a new and immersive visitor experience at Dunbrody Famine Ship while adding improvements to the town that will drive tourism. Fáilte Ireland estimates that the New Ross project will deliver €11.3 million a year in revenue over a 10-year period and directly support 144 jobs.
Meanwhile, Waterford City and County Council is aiming to position the Mount Congreve estate as "one of the great gardens of the world". Fáilte Ireland predicts that it will deliver €23.6 million in revenue over the course of a decade and support 64 jobs.
Barrow Blueway And Clew Bay Greenway
The other two tourism-related projects that will receive funding from the RRDF are the Clew Bay Greenway Project in Co. Mayo and the development of a 46 kilometre stretch of the Barrow Blueway, located along the Grand Canal Barrow Line.
"Truly Transformative For Tourism"
Carroll stated, "The RRDF project proposals that Fáilte Ireland worked on in partnership with the local authorities in Wexford and Waterford will be truly transformative for tourism in this part of Ireland's Ancient East. Both projects will deliver significant growth in visitor numbers, revenue and job creation in their local communities, and we are delighted that they have been awarded major funding by the government. The four projects announced today with a strong tourism focus have been awarded a total allocation of just over €16.3 million. This reflects the ability of the sector and the confidence the government has in it to drive rural development and regional growth. Fáilte Ireland will continue to work closely with the department of rural and community development to deliver quality visitor experiences across the regions."
The government's Rural Regeneration and Development Fund is a key component of Project Ireland 2040. A total funding amount of €62 million has been announced for 26 projects.
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