Kilkee meeting to invigorate tourism?

Kilkee Chamber president Johnny Redmond is hopeful that a meeting of business and community groups held in the town last Friday, might kick-start a number of West Clare-based tourism and businesses initiatives.
Amongst the groups present were Kilrush Chamber, represented by their president Mark Reidy; Doonbeg Development; individual business people including Patrick Bourke, Rebecca Brew and Luke Aston, various community groups and local county councillors Patrick Keane, Gabriel Keating and Christy Curtin.
Mr Redmond believes exploiting West Clare’s tourism potential could save the region’s economy, which has been badly hit by the recession.
“If we can direct the tourists back to Loop Head, it will be good for everybody. We have nothing else back here at the moment and as far as I’m concerned, West Clare is dying on its feet. With the downturn in the economy, there’s no jobs back here,” he stated.
“I’m a publican in Kilkee and I can see that there’s no people around and that business has died. The young people don’t have money anymore and I think that we need a new focus in trying to develop something,” he added.
The Kilkee Chamber president is convinced that West Clare must strive to attract more visitors to Loop Head.
“We have a natural resource back here in West Clare in the Loop Head peninsula. It’s one of the most beautiful sites on the west coast of Ireland yet nobody knows about it. If you can get it into people’s minds and show them the natural beauty of West Clare, they’ll be back here in their droves. It’s never ending how many people come into me after I have directed them back to Loop Head and they say ‘how come nobody told us about that?’” he revealed. 
As for the meeting held last Friday in the Stella Maris Hotel, Kilkee, Mr Redmond believes it could lead to new ideas.
“The idea was to have a chat and start doing a bit of networking. You’d never know what kind of channels this might open up. There’s a lot going on. For example we’re trying to get new signage in here to show the tourism market all about Loop Head and the tourism market back here. We discussed projects that are going on in the area. I felt that it was time that people came together as opposed to all working in their own corners. If we liase to make things better in West Clare, it will benefit everyone,” he said.
“For example, moving ahead of the lighthouse project could happen. People have their own bits and pieces going on. In Doonbeg the development association are doing their best to develop Doonbeg, village,” he added.
The meeting was organised by Kilkee Chamber, which also includes John Williams, Elaine Haugh – Hayes, Robert Hayes and Kevin Haugh.