Cork beauty spot gets funding boost
A scenic area of Cork known for its outdoor activities and walking trails is set to benefit from major Government funding.
Leamlara, which is near Lisgoold in county Cork and is part of Ballyhoura, will receive €92,160 for the construction of a number of new walking trails as well as a new multi-use trail.
Known as the crossroads of Munster, Ballyhoura stretches across the borders of counties Tipperary, Limerick and Cork, and is famous for its unspoilt landscape and abundance of significant heritage sites.
The funding was announced last week by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and allocates €3 million for the development and upgrading of over 300 forest parks, walking trails and outdoor amenities around Ireland.
Some €2 million will be invested in improving and maintaining 280 recreational facilities on Coillte-owned lands across the country. A further €1 million will be used to deliver 25 new outdoor projects such as walking trails, loops, boardwalks, ecotrails, and carpark facilities.
The investment is part of a strategic partnership between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Coillte that is designed to boost rural tourism and local economies.
Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said: “Ireland’s outdoors, including our forest parks, walking and cycling trails, uplands, and blueways are among the best in the world. The benefits they provide in terms of our physical and mental wellbeing are huge. They are also such important assets in terms of attracting tourists to Rural Ireland and supporting our local economies.”
The funding is part of a 5 year strategic partnership between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Coillte which will see a €15million investment between 2022 and 2026.
Coillte recorded a significant increase in visitor numbers to its forest parks and recreation sites over the past number of years, with a doubling of visitor numbers at some of its most popular sites, including Rossmore in county Monaghan which saw visitor numbers increase from just over 80,000 in 2019 to almost 350,000 in 2022.
Daithi de Forge, Coillte’s Head of Recreation, said: “With the department’s ongoing support, Coillte will continue to deliver the highest quality outdoor forest recreation experiences for our communities nationwide. We have an open forest policy and we’re proud to support local businesses such as café operators, bike hire providers and many others who partner with us and add the services that make a trip to Coillte’s forests so enjoyable for our visitors.”