A BRAND identity for the Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience was unveiled this week as the landmark projects continues to advance. At the end of next month, a further funding application will be made to progress the project beyond the design stage.
The work of consultants, Design Works, was showcased at a presentation on Monday last (March 14). The brand identity focuses on the symbolism of the archways of the island’s ecclesiastical buildings and highlights the theme of transformation linked with stepping through these portals.
At the briefing, chaired by Tourism Officer Joan Tarmey, Project Manager Tom MacKey, from Tobin Consulting Engineers briefly outlined some of the work to-date. Mr MacKey coordinates a team that includes Design Works, McCullough Mulvin Architects and Tandem Partners. “We’re currently focusing on on detailed design for the re-purposing of The Old Rectory building,” he said. “In general, we’re hoping to be in a position to have a contractor on site mid-summer to start working with a view to having it up and running in Q2 of 2023.”
Rocky Grennell of Design Works said the process of creating a visual identity for Inis Cealtra was “very much a collaborative process”. “We’ve very much enjoyed working with Joan, Tom and the team,” he said.
Martin Gaffney of Design Works outlined how four-out-of-five tourists surveyed said they would visit Inis Cealtra. “It is a privilege to work on work on a project related to such a special and important place,” he said. “Inis Cealtra was known as a place between heaven and earth and that’s a lovely myth to develop.”
Louise Nicholas of Design Works said that the ideas of enlightenment, internal experience and pilgrimage are at the heart of the brand. “The arch is a powerful way to link the past to the present,” she said.
Responding to the presentation, a representative of Tuamgraney Development Association stressed the need to focus on longer stay tourism.
Ms Tarmey agreed. “We want people to come to the area and to stay in the area,” she said. “There is significant investment going in from Clare County Council and none of this would be possible without the funding from the Department of Rural and Community. We certainly don’t want a scenario where people are not staying, because we want a benefit for the local community. There’s a certain amount the local authority and the other agencies have control over, but the private sector comes in a well. If there’s investment like this, the private sector needs to step up to the plate as well. There’s huge opportunities there and I think the private sector is seeing that.”
Mr Grennell thanked everyone for their feedback. “So far the response has been great,” he said.
“It’s becoming a lot more real,” Ms Tarmey said. “We’re putting a funding application to the Department that will go in at the end of April. We hope that it will be successful to bring to fruition what we’ve been working on.”