I recently hosted a meeting on the hill of Knockma to consider future plans for one of the fastest growing tourist attractions in the Tuam area.
Attendees included Mark McGovern, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands manager at Fáilte Ireland and representatives from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the National Monuments Service, Caherlistrane Kilcoona Community Council, Knockma Development Committee and Caherlistrane Kilcoona Heritage Society.
It was important to bring together key local stakeholders and representatives of national bodies to see the work that has been done and to consider what is needed for the future.
The new pathway around the back of the hill has been a great success, offering a new experience for local people and tourists alike.
There have been an estimated 150,000 visitors over the last 12 months and the potential for Knockma to become a major attraction within Fáilte Ireland’s marketing drive for Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands was clear for all to see.
Pictured with me left to right at the meeting are: Tom Craddock, Chair, Caherlistrane Kilcoona Heritage Society; John Higgins and Willie Cormican National Parks and Wildlife Service; Billy Connelly, Chair, Knockma Development Committee; Enda Monaghan, Chair, Caherlistrane and Kilcoona Community Council; Terry Allen, National Monuments Service; myself; and Niall Ó’Donnchú, Assistant Secretary General, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Also in attendance was Mark McGovern, Manager, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Fáilte Ireland.