This article is from page 12 of the 2013-04-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE opening of a new cycling route in North Clare this Thursday is being heralded as the first step towards creating a new type of tourist product in Clare.
The cycle way, which connects Lahinch and Ennistymon, will be officially opened by Minister of State Alan Kelly (FG) on Thursday.
The two-mile route, which will be named in honour of former local businessman, Gilla Skerrett, will connect up with the 200-mile long Wild Atlantic Way route, which is currently being mapped out by Fáilte Ireland.
Local businessman and head of the Irish Hotel Federation Michael Vaughan believes that extending this new route to Ennis along the route of the West Clare railway could make Clare the cycling tourism capital of Ireland.
“This is a great addition to the tourist product in the area and will be much used. I think this could be the start of a cycleway or a greenway connecting Lahinch and Ennis,” he said.
“If you were to continue on the logical route along the route of the West Clare railway I think you could easily get enough interested parties to make it a really good tourism project.
“Clare County Council have gone a great job in getting this started and we now need to keep the ball rolling.
“The biggest tourism boost coming down the road in the West of Ireland is the Wild Atlantic Way.
“This passes right through Lahinch and if we had this greenway from Ennis that would be a brilliant way of making this area into a real tourist hub.
“This is the way that tourism is going. We have to give people more of a reason to stay in Clare and spend more time in the area.
“Walking and hiking is probably the biggest tourist activity in the country now, and we are not doing enough to capitalise on that in Clare.”
A bench and plaque has been erected on the route in memory of Gilla Skerrett, who operated a garage and work studio on the Lahinch Road in Ennistymon for more than 50 years.