Minister for tourism and sport Brendan Griffin and government chief whip and minister for the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the islands Joe McHugh officially opened a new visitor reception centre at Fanad Lighthouse in Donegal at 2pm on Monday April 23.
Identified as a signature discovery point along the Wild Atlantic Way, the refurbished lighthouse opened to the public in 2015. Alongside funding from the Special EU Programmes Body, Irish Lights, Donegal County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta, Fáilte Ireland invested €470,000 in the development of a new visitor centre and car park. The new reception centre is also home to a permanent exhibition to highlight the stories of Fanad Head.
Commenting on the opening, Fáilte Ireland’s head of the Wild Atlantic Way, Miriam Kennedy, said, “We are delighted to invest in the development of a visitor reception centre at Fanad Lighthouse. The funding is part of Fáilte Ireland’s strategy to improve the visitor experience at signature discovery points along the Wild Atlantic Way in a bid to spread tourism across the region and grow tourism in the ‘shoulder seasons’ each side of summer. Local input is essential in developing visitor experiences and the local community and all parties involved have really come together to make this project a success. One of three Wild Atlantic Way signature discovery points in the Northern Headlands, the new facilities at the lighthouse will enhance the visitor experience greatly, increasing dwell time and spend in the local area.”
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
