Clare Tourism Sector Unites To Target The Primary School Tour Market

Ireland’s first county-orientated primary school tours publication has been launched in County Clare.

The Clare ‘Live the Life’ brochure encourages teachers and students to visit locally-based attractions including the Cliffs of Moher, Holy Island on Lough Derg, Clare Museum, Bunratty Castle, Scattery Island, the West Clare Railway and the Poulnabrone Dolmen.

The brochure, which is supported by 61 attractions and tourism providers throughout the County, has been distributed to schools in Clare, Limerick, Galway, Tipperary and Kerry. The initiative has been developed by the Clare Tourism Forum, with the support of Clare County Council and Shannon Development.

Promoted day activities include an educational workshop at the Irish Seedsavers Association in Scarriff, dolphin watching in the Shannon Estuary, nature walks in the Burren, water sports along the Atlantic coast, aviation and meteorology workshops in Shannon, guided tours of the West Clare Recycling Plant and a tour of locations from the Father Ted TV series.

Speaking following the brochure launch at Kilrush National School, Forum Chairperson Rebecca Brew stated: “The school tours market is a significant market and the Forum sees potential to build on existing activity in this area. This unique, informative brochure is a testimony to the strong and extensive offerings of attractions and activities County Clare has on offer. I encourage all primary school teachers to tour in Clare and take advantage of a diverse range of fun, educational and affordable options.”

Ms. Brew noted that 2010 is forecasted to be an extremely difficult year for tourism in Ireland. “The brochure will no doubt result in an increase in economic benefits for attractions and activities in Clare”, she added.

Kilrush N.S. Principal Paddy McInerney says that the brochure will serve as a wonderful platform for Clare tourism attractions to promote their wares and encourage the younger generation to have a better understanding and appreciation of what their own County has to offer.

The Clare Tourism Forum was established in November 2005 with the objective of mobilising a collaborative strategy to sustain and develop tourism within the county. Its membership includes representatives of the principal agencies involved in tourism promotion in Clare in partnership with representatives of the hotel, vintners, tourism retail and B+B sectors, as well as the main local tourism attractions.

According to Maureen Cleary, Forum Marketing Executive: “The newly launched brochure presents primary school teachers with a wide range of school tours for all ages in County Clare. The Forum aims in 2010 to design and print a brochure suitable for secondary school students and an updated primary school brochure. This will be made available to all schools in Ireland.”

For more on the Clare Tourism Forum and the Clare ‘Live the Life’ brochure visit www.clare.ie, call 065-6846537 or email ctf@clarecoco.ie.

Water Situation Improves In County Limerick

Limerick County Council says that water demand due to pipe bursts and leaks has been reduced in recent days and is currently in balance with production.

Water has been fully restored to most parts of the County, although isolated individual housing estates and areas are continuing to experience low water pressure. The local authority has warned that reduced water pressure and occasional shut-offs of water supplies can be expected at various locations throughout the County in the coming days.

Donal Brennan, Senior Engineer, Limerick County Council commented: “Over the coming weeks, the Council will continue to tackle remaining bursts and leaks in order to minimise wastage of water. The repair of bursts will require short term water outages in the vicinity of the repair. Water levels in service/distribution reservoirs remain low and consumers are requested to continue to conserve water”.

Further information is available from Limerick County Council’s website www.lcc.ie.

Clare Farmers To Receive Farm Waste Management Scheme Payments

Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has confirmed that the Department has authorised payment of EUR190 million in respect of the second tranche of grant payments of 40 per cent under the Farm Waste Management Scheme.

Payments will commence this week with the majority of payments being made today.

Minister of State Killeen said the scheme was the most significant on-farm investment scheme in the history of the State. He added that the substantial payment of grant-aid under the Scheme represented a vote of confidence in a vital indigenous industry with a huge export presence.

The Clare Fianna Fail Deputy pointed out that, when the final tranche of 20 per cent is paid out under the Scheme in early 2011, total expenditure under the Scheme since its introduction would amount to over EUR1.2 billion and all this grant aid is funded by our own Exchequer. “By providing the necessary platform for ensuring compliance by the agricultural sector in Ireland with the requirements of the Nitrates Directive, the importance of the Scheme to the sector generally could not be over-estimated”, he stated.

The expenditure of EUR190 million under the Farm Waste Management Scheme is in addition to the EUR49 million already paid out by his Department by way of the second tranche of grant-aid under the Scheme towards the end of 2009. In all, a total of EUR293 million was paid under the Scheme in 2009, which compared with an original allocation of EUR220 million, and by the end of this month, total Exchequer funding for this Scheme will have exceeded EUR1 billion.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:
- High-resolution images of Tony Killeen, Fianna Fail TD for Clare, and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with special responsibility for Forestry, Fisheries and the Marine, may be downloaded from www.dunphyprimages.com
- For further information please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy PR at media@dunphypr.com or 086-8534900

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