Grant announced for north Mayo Gaeltacht tourism hub

A GRANT of €501,160 has been announced to develop the tourism hub Áras Scéal an Atlantaigh Fhiáin in an Eachléim in the Iorras Gaeltacht.

The tourism centre in Eachléim - at a total cost of €2.5 million - will present the story of the wild Atlantic as a cultural tourism project.

It is expected to attract 30,000 visitors to the region each year and will create 27 full-time jobs.

As part of the development a 303 m2 extension will be added to Ionad Oidhreachta Deirbhile in an Eachléim to make space for an interpretative centre, a craft area/café, offices, an emigration hub and an innovation space.

Restoration work will also be carried out on An Fód Dubh Lighthouse in order to install interpretative equipment at the site.

The Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin, and government chief whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers, announced the €501,000 grant.

The Department of Rural and Community Development will provide the balance (c.1.9m) of the total cost of €2.5m, and Údarás na Gaeltachta is investing €125,290 in the project.

It is thought that it will be open to the public at the beginning of the 2022 tourism season.

Said Minister Martin: “This worthy project will support additional growth in cultural tourism in the Iorras Gaeltacht. More visitors will be drawn to the area to experience the beauty and the uniqueness of the region as a result of the state investment which has been approved for this project.”

Added Minister Chambers: “This project is an excellent example of the way in which the state can assist with a project, a project which will help with community development and the development of tourism in a Gaeltacht area in a practical way. This ground-up project is in line with the government's objectives for the Gaeltacht as a whole as set out in the government's Action Plan 2018-2022 for the Irish Language.”