Huge boost for east and west Clare as two projects share €7.5m

TWO Clare projects will share just under €7.5m in grants from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund it has been announced this morning.

Kilrush will benefit from a grant of €3,536,919 which will go towards the development of the Kilrush Maritime Training Centre; while the Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) Visitor Experience tourism project in Mountshannon will see an injection of €3,906,252 in funding.

The Kilrush grant will be augmented by a further €700,000 contribution from Clare County Council, according to Deputy Joe Carey.

The training centre in the west Clare town will provide a range of specialist mandatory maritime training courses, creating 28 jobs and catering for 1,200 trainees each year. 

The Creek Lodge in the marina area will be purchased and renovated, to include retrofit and upgrades to the layout.

Deputy Carey hailed the investment as bringing “an immediate and tangible boost to the local economy” in Kilrush.

“The development of a training and research base for the offshore renewable energy sector will position Kilrush as a major player in an industry that has the potential to deliver major socio-economic benefit to rural Clare and the western seaboard. 

“Due to its unique location in a Heritage Town, it is both a rural development project and a town centre regeneration initiative. This dual designation was a significant help in my efforts to secure RRDF funding for the project,” Deputy Carey explained.

“An economic impact report, submitted with the RRDF application, envisages a €3.2 million annual benefit to the Kilrush area but this could be significantly increased by earnings from the offshore energy sector.

“This is underlined in a major study commissioned by the Shannon Foynes Port Authority which concludes that the Shannon Estuary is on course to become an international floating offshore wind energy hub.

“It also found that the Shannon Estuary is best placed in Ireland and Europe to develop the Atlantic floating offshore wind industry to unwind dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports and accelerate the expansion of renewables.”

He noted that it had originally been envisaged that a Maritime Enterprise Zone, incorporating a training centre, would be based at the former Cahercon Convent in Kildysart and initial funding of €1.8 million had been allocated to Clare County Council for this project.

When it became apparent however that renovation costs would be several times initial estimates, the Cahercon proposal was deemed to be unviable. 

Officials from Clare County Council’s economic development unit sought an alternative location in Kilrush, however, and this morning’s announcement has justified their persistence. 

“This is a major boost for West Clare. I want to pay tribute to Clare County Council official Brian McCarthy who I engaged with extensively over the last 15 months. I also worked closely with Councillor Gabriel Keating and there was widespread political support from all the elected members of the Kilrush Municipal District as well. 

“I’m absolutely delighted that the significant funding awarded by my Fine Gael colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys will ensure that this vital scheme moves forward,” Deputy Carey concluded.

Fianna Famil’s Deputy Cathal Crowe also welcomed the allocation and noted, “It’s wonderful to see such significant allocations of funding coming to two rural areas in our county.

“What is particularly encouraging is that this initiative targets vacant historic buildings that have lain idle – buildings that it has been a crying shame to watch crumble.”

Regarding the Inis Cealtra project he said, “Mountshannon will see the Old Rectory repurposed as a visitor facility, which aims to take advantage of the village’s proximity to Inis Cealtra.

“The house will be repurposed as a community and visitor hub and there will also be some ancillary works such as upgrading the wastewater treatment plant and the surface of the main street.

“Mountshannon is a beautiful village and its location means it has huge potential in terms of a tourism stop-off.

“I hope, in time, this funding will see visitor numbers increase in Mountshannon and the surrounding area and help support employment locally.

Deputy Carey added that the Mountshannon allocation would build on a range of tourism infrastructure including the Lough Derg Blueway, the Lough Derg Amenity Trail and the Looped Walk Project to unlock the potential for sustainable growth in the Clare tourism sector, as well as the conservation and promotion of the county’s rich heritage.

He added, “Clare County Council estimates that the Inis CealtraVisitor Experience has the potential to sustain 12 full-time equivalent jobs and create an additional 116 jobs through stimulated employment.

“From a current base of a few hundred visitors a year, the estimates are for 20,000 visitors in the first year of operation, rising to 75,000 after five years generating an annual spend of €4.3 million.”

The RRDF allocation announced this morning will go towards the cost of repurposing the Old Rectory for visitor facilities; acquiring land for parking; delivering upgraded wastewater treatment in Mountshannon and providing upgraded public realm spaces in and around the village.

“The current wastewater treatment plant has very limited capacity,” Deputy Carey said, adding, “In the interest of public health and environmental protection, it is imperative that it has capacity to cater for future population growth as well as increased visitor numbers on an annual basis.

“This special place needs an iconic attraction to elevate it to a new level while respecting its sensitive environment and significant investment is needed to achieve this.

“Clare County Council has committed to invest a further €1 million to the project and this, along with almost €4 million from the RRDF, represents a considerable vote of confidence in the project and its long-term viability.”

Deputy Crowe added, “Kilrush is being funded under Phase 1 and Mountshannon under Phase 2, and I am hopeful we will see further injections of funding coming to our county under subsequent rounds of this scheme.”