Friday, 16th August—Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will be in Kenmare at 4pm tomorrow (Saturday) to launch the Kenmare Heritage Trail as part of National Heritage Week (17th–25th August).
The Kenmare Tidy Towns Committee have rejuvenated the town’s original heritage trail, which was established in the 1970s, as part of a three-year Tidy Town Plan. The project involved the upgrading of all existing interpretive panels, signage, pathways and tourist leaflets, and the addition of Reenagross Woodland Park to the route.
The 1.5km trail loops around the town centre and can be completed in 45 minutes. The route takes in major historical and natural landmarks within the town, including Holy Cross Church, the Poor Clare Convent, Killowen Church, the Lansdowne Arms Hotel, the Old Market House and the Bronze Age stone circle, before diverting to Reenagross Woodland Park and Kenmare Pier.
As well as the improvements to the trail itself, the project has addressed biodiversity enhancement and the eradication of Japanese Knotweed and wild Rhododendron in Reenagross Wood, which is part of a proposed Natural Heritage Area. Speaking in advance of the launch, Minister Deenihan said: “This trail is about the protection of our natural environment as much as heritage and tourism. Reenagross Wood is part of a proposed Natural Heritage Area and I am delighted to see that funds were obtained to deal with biodiversity and to eradicate alien invasive species.”
This is the first instance of Kerry County Council and LEADER co-funding a community-based development project. The project also received funding from Tidy Towns and the Heritage Council.
National Heritage Week is part of the European Heritage Days initiative, celebrated in over 49 countries across Europe. Heritage Week 2013, the theme of which is ‘Discover the Past–Build the Future’, is expected to be the biggest to date, with over 1,700 events planned.
Minister Deenihan commented: “Heritage tourism is vitally important to Ireland. The Kenmare Heritage Trail is not just about improving interpretation for visitors but it will also help increase the understanding of local heritage, and in so doing will set the standard for other historic towns to follow.”