DIPLOMATIC efforts are being made to get the Princess Royal – better known as Princess Anne – to visit Loophead Lighthouse in 2013, as part of the Clare contribution to ‘The Gathering’ initiative that aims to bring 300,000 extra tourists into Ireland. The Clare People learned in August that Clare County Council, local West Clare representative, Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) and Deputy Pat Breen (FG) were spearheading this campaign after the Princess Royal wrote to the local authority in praise of the groundbreaking tourist initiative that has operated at Clare’s most westerly point over the past two summer seasons.
Princess Anne’s correspondence was sparked by a letter she received from Clare County Council last month, with Director of Service, Ger Dollard revealing “We wrote to Princess Anne and told her about Loophead and its success. We did this because Princess Anne is a pharologist, which is someone who takes a special interest in lighthouses and she was invited to come to Loophead,” added Mr Dollard. The Clare People has seen Princess Anne’s reply, which was written on her behalf by her private secretary, Captain Nick Wright. In the letter, Captain Wright said Princess Anne “was glad to hear that the opening of Loophead Lighthouse was an outstanding success”.
He added, “All visits overseas, including of course to the Republic of Ireland, are co-ordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. As such, there are no plans at present for the Princess to visit. Should matters change, we shall bear your kind invitation in mind.”
Now, the campaign to bring Princess Anne to the lighthouse is being taken up by Deputy Pat Breen, on behalf of Loophead-based councillor, Gabriel Keating.
Through his chairmanship of the Dáil Foreign Affairs committee, Deputy Breen is to approach British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott about beginning the diplomatic process of extending an official invitation for Princess Anne to come to Ireland.
“Enda Kenny officially opened the lighthouse to start this year’s tourist season at Loophead on May 18,” said Cllr Gabriel Keating, “and the aim is to have Princess Anne to do the same in 2013 when we have ‘The Gathering’, because she has taken an interest in what we are doing with the lighthouse,” he added.