This article is from page 33 of the 2009-07-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
VISITORS to Killaloe will be able to follow in the footsteps of Brian Boru on a signposted trail that will help them enjoy the historic sites of the town.
County councillors who gathered last week for the first meeting of the new Killaloe Electoral Area Com- mittee of the council were told that funding has been made available under Bord Failte’s Historic Towns initiative for the scheme.
As part of a nationwide push to 1m- prove tourism facilities, each county was asked to nominate an historic town where a trail could be marked out to lead visitors to the historic
sites.
In Killaloe, trails which give visi- tors two options have been selected.
Both will start between the waters and 11 points of interest, including Brian Boru’s fort and St Flannan’s Catherdral, will be signposted and have information boards erected next to them.
Officials at the meeting told coun- cillors that the full walk will be 4.5km, with an option to cut across for a shorter circuit.
Historians have already researched all the necessary information for the routes and the project is now going to tender for the manufacturing of the signs.
There will be a pubic consultation
on which information should be in- cluded on the boards, the meeting was told.
Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) said that he hoped that footpaths and hedg- ing would be kept in order along the route and he asked whether it was possible to make it all wheelchair accessible.
ClUlr Pascal Fitzgerald (Labour) complimented the officials on hav- ing the route “very well laid out” and Cllr Pat Hayes (Labour) said it was “very welcome to get a bit of funding to improve our tourism facilities but we need to follow on to see if there is any funding for Twomilegate.”
Independent councillor, Michael Begley said he hoped the trails and
signs would be maintained “so they will look as good in ten years time as they do now”.
The councillors were told that the place-names on the fingerboards will be printed in Irish as well as English and Cllr Crowe also asked that par- ticular care be taken to get the cor- rect Irish spelling of place-names as mistakes have already been made in some areas.
Senior Executive Engineer, Sean Lenihan, said that he “cannot say that every part of the trail will be Wheelchair accessible. We’re look- ing at ways to improve accessibility in the towns and villages but Kil- laloe by its nature 1s not fully wheel- chair accessible.”