World-class visitor attraction to put West Cavan "on the map"
€6.4M tourism development for Blacklion and Galngevlin
A €6.4M tourism development at the Shannon Pot, Glangevlin and Cavan Burren Park in Blacklion has been given the green light this morning.
The announcement of funding under the Fáilte Ireland – Platforms for Growth Programme to Cavan County Council for the Shannon Pot and Cavan Burren Park will transform tourism in West Cavan and create a visitor attraction on a national scale.
Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland announced the funding at a special event at the visitors' centre in the Cavan Burren Park near Blacklion.
Fáilte Ireland is allocating €4.8M to the Cavan project, with Cavan County Council putting up €1.6M bringing the total investment to €6.4M.
In addition to the successful Cavan project, Fáilte Ireland is allocating €9.3M to Fort Dunree & Head, Buncrana, Co Donegal; €10M to 'This is Ireland’ North City Centre, Dublin 1 and a whopping €20.2M to Westport House Estate & Gardens, Westport, Co Mayo.
Artist impression of the new centre at The Shannon Pot
The centre will follow the history of the Shannon with the installation of the elevated viewing platform and augmented reality in order to embrace fully the history and heritage of the site including lore tracing back to the legendary Finn MacCool and na Fianna.
Local Cllr John Paul Feeley said, "A flag-ship visitor attraction at the Shannon Pot will bring together many parts of the tourism product in the area. The story of the Shannon, from the geology of water disappearing high on Cuilcagh to reappear at the Pot, the unspoilt landscape of the Shannon, the mythology, and the impact of the majestic river on the history and commerce of Ireland from the Pot, through the first village of Dowra and onwards to Limerick will be told at the source.
"This level of funding, to tell the story of the River Shannon from its source in the slopes of Cuilcagh to the Atlantic through the provision of a large-scale visitor centre together with improved access, several walks around the Shannon Pot will create a fantastic visitor experience that can put this part of County Cavan and the region ‘on the map’ from a tourism perspective.
The goal of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, a partnership between Cavan County Council and Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, bringing together the Marble Arch Caves, Cuilcagh Mountain Park and all the other sites of this shared landscape has been to preserve the geology, archaeology and ecology whilst opening up the region to tourism fits very much into the goal of this investment.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan & North Meath, Niamh Smyth,commented, “Today’s significant funding announcement will ensure that a world-class visitor attraction is created in Blackloin which will not alone benefit County Cavan but the wider region also.