Funding boost for works at two local tourist attractions
Fáilte Ireland has confirmed that €142,000 funding has been made available for Athlone Castle and a planned interpretative centre at the Hill of Uisneach Interpretative Centre through its ‘New ideas in Ancient Spaces’ Capital Grants Scheme for attractions within the Ireland’s Ancient East initiative.
Deputy Robert Troy welcomed the funding, which includes €77,000 intended to enhance the visitor experience in Athlone Castle and will support innovations such as a new multi-lingual audio guide in five European languages and with a costumed guided tour by heritage interpreters.
The funding will also support the provision of a downloadable guide and mobile App as well as outdoor information panels which will highlight buildings and landmarks that have historical and cultural significance to Athlone and the greater region of Ireland’s Ancient East.
Meanwhile, €65,000 is being granted for a Hill of Uisneach Interpretative Centre, located at the site between Athlone and Mullingar. The Hill of Uisneach is a mythological and sacred landmark of ancient Ireland which currently has no dedicated visitor interpretation or basic services on site.
The 150 acre Hill comprises two national monuments and the development of Ireland’s Ancient East has brought a new focus on its tourism potential. The funding will assist the conversion of a cottage on the site into a new visitor centre to improve the interpretation of the Hill of Uisneach.
The funding is part of Fáilte Ireland’s ‘New ideas in Ancient Spaces’ Capital Grants Scheme to encourage the development of compelling visitor experiences throughout the Ireland’s Ancient East region. The grants to Athlone Castle and the Hill of Uisneach Interpretative Centre followed a call for submissions from interested parties across the region to apply under the scheme.
Fáilte Ireland is still assessing a number of further applications from that call and will be announcing additional funding for other projects before the end of the year. It is envisaged that projects in every county within Ireland’s Ancient East will eventually be supported through the scheme.