Tourism focus is tilted to west of the county
Fáilte Ireland has come under fire amid claims that the state agency has ignored the north and east of the county while continually focusing in Connemara.
The criticism of the organisation came when it was announced that €1.8 million was to be invested in a tourism project for West Galway.
But members of Galway County Council from the other side of the county were openly critical of Failte Ireland who they blamed for a lack of investment in tourism projects. The charge was led by Cllr Jimmy McClearn from Killimor who said that north and east Galway had been ignored by Failte Ireland over the years.
“We are being forgotten about time after time. The buzz words at the moment seem to be the Wild Atlantic Way and if you are not on that route, then forget about it.
“They have failed miserably to invest in potential tourism projects in this part of the county. We have become the poor relation when it comes to Tourism,” Cllr McClearn said. He added that Lough Derg had huge potential for South East Galway but there was no investment or development from a Fáilte Ireland point of view.
“They are getting away with it. In Ballinasloe there is one of the finest waterways in Ireland but yet it is largely ignored by this body,” Cllr McClearn added.
Cllr Timmy Broderick pointed out that there was a greenway being provided between Athlone and Galway city along the old N4 national primary route. But he said that similar proposals had not been mooted for areas north of the national greenway and added that East Galway had been forgotten about when it came to tourism.
However, Director of Services Liam Gavin said that it was envisaged that there would be ‘looped cycle pathways’ off the national cycle route and that this was part of the strategy.
But Cllr Anne Rabbitte from Portumna said that the Council needed to sit down with Bord Fáilte and the National Roads Authority so that facilities that are available in East Galway could be harnessed and promoted from a tourism point of view.
According to Cllr Pete Roche from Abbeyknockmoy, every town and village in the county had something to offer visitors and he agreed that Bord Fáilte were not doing enough for other parts of Galway.