County Council rewarded for its technological ‘app’-titude

CLARE County Council has shown a real ‘app’-titude for innovation having been named among the winners at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards held at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, last week.
Clare County Council were the winners of the Innovation in Technology category for its heritage information booklet that has been converted into a free, downloadable iPhone/iPad application (app) for visitors. The app features 33 early Christian, Medieval and Celtic ecclesiastical heritage sites across four trails throughout county Clare, which are supported by text and photographs.
The awards on the night were presented by Minister for Environment, Community & Local Government, Phil Hogan.
Congratulating all those involved in securing this prestigious award, the Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes said, “This award winning project is helping inform visitors of the rich ecclesiastical history that exists in the county and although it serves as a tourism/heritage guide for both tourists and locals, it also importantly outlines the sensitivity of these buildings”.
“Rian na Manach (Pathway of the Monks) – A Guided Tour of Ecclesiastical Treasures in Clare” was originally launched in early 2007 following a comprehensive audit of more than 80 Early Christian, medieval and Celtic ecclesiastical buildings. Many of the buildings included in the book are supported by text and photographs, whilst others are included only as mapped reference points.
As well as text and photographs the app provides an interactive mapping facility. This provides site locations, in realtime, with route planning and site distances which the visitor will find beneficial when visiting or planning to visit any of these trails.
Senior planner, Gordon Daly explained, “The aims of the project are to raise awareness of Clare’s rich history, culture and heritage, reach out to a wider audience, boost tourist numbers and provide the basis for future roll-out of similar ICT projects.
“The sites are some of the best examples in Ireland and are of huge heritage value as sites of archaeological and architectural interest, as well as wildlife habitats and as repositories of local genealogy, sculpture and art.”
The application features detailed information on some of Clare’s best known ecclesiastical sites, such as Ennis Francisan Friary, Dysert O’Dea Romanesque church near Corofin, Inis Cealtra near Mountshannon on Lough Derg, Kilfarboy Church near Miltown Malbay, St Cronán’s 10th century church at Tuamgraney, Kilchreest Church in Ballynacally, and North Clare’s Corcomoroe Abbey.
The app is available to download free via the Clare Tourism Forum website (clare.ie) and the Clare County Council website (www.clarecoco.ie) and is the first initiative of its kind to be launched in the county.