Tag Archives: Cillian Murphy

LOOP HEAD tourism is to be the Clare representative in the Get Involved sustainable communities initiative, developed by 51 local newspapers, including The Clare Champion, throughout Ireland. Get Involved is a way for communities to work together to improve their own lives, create local jobs and protect the environment. Local newspapers, with the support of the SEAI, help to drive voluntary sustainability projects, where citizens will collectively play a more pro-active, inclusive and coherent role in shaping the future of their local environs. The initiative brings clear benefits to the local economy and the In 2015, Clare was represented by Moy Hill Community Farm near Lahinch. This year, Loop Head Tourism, which was established in late 2009, will represent the county. The group has 45 members, all of whom are tourism operators on the peninsula. “There is a great Irish saying: Ní neart le cur le céile. We can go and market the place in a way that any one …

PRELIMINARY census figures, which have been issued in recent weeks, have revealed that the permanent population of Kilkee has fallen by exactly 500 people since 2006. Ten years ago, the population was 1,414, while the 2016 census figures indicate that the current population stands at 914. That is a fall of 123 people since the last census in 2011. In the late 1950s, Kilkee was the third largest town in Clare but it is now the 16th largest. Ironically, the town is currently experiencing its busiest time of the year but on census night, 1,115 houses were unoccupied, which is 72% of the total housing numbers. Loop Head Tourism chairman and Kilkee businessman Cillian Murphy said Clare County Council has not supported its own development plan, which had sought a population of 1,800 in Kilkee come 2017. “I’m in shock. This is a result of 20 years of poor planning. There is lots of holiday accommodation but no commitment to …

LOOP HEAD Tourism chairman Cillian Murphy will be among the speakers at the World Bank Tourism Forum, which will be held at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC next Tuesday and Wednesday. The theme of the forum is Driving Development Through Tourism and among the speakers will be Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank; Aireen Omar, CEO Air Asis and Mauricio Ventura Aragon, the Costa Rican Minister for Tourism. “I did an assignment for my masters on tourism and local economic benefit. One of my tutors puts together part of the programme for the World Travel Market  discussions and was impressed with the Loop Head story and invited me to present it at World Bank Tourism Forum,” Mr Murphy explained. Mr Murphy’s discussion on Wednesday will be moderated by journalist and author Elizabeth Becker and he will be joined by Gabriella Crescini, head client and partner relationships, Swiss Contact; Brian Said, executive director of Visit Philadelphia …

THE tourism and economic sectors in West Clare received a seismic boost on Wednesday when the Loop Head Heritage Trail won the Best Cultural Heritage Attraction at the World Responsible Tourism Awards in London. The awards are staged each year as part of World Travel Market. Launched in November 2014, the Loop Head Heritage Trail was created by a network of 47 local businesses, now the Loop Head Tourism Network, which is based in the area. Loop Head Tourism Network chairman Cillian Murphy attended the World Travel Market and, speaking to The Clare Champion on Wednesday, expressed his delight at the global award. “I’m very proud of what a group of people have achieved back in Loop Head. Some of the people are involved in the tourism industry but some aren’t and are just involved because they are interested in our heritage. It’s a great validation of where we live and the people we live with and how they view …

Loop Head Peninsula is the only Irish destination to be named in the inaugural Sustainable Destinations Global Top 100. A joint initiative of TravelMole.com, Vision on Sustainable Tourism, Totem Tourism and Green Destinations, the awards and recognise destinations around the world that have adopted sustainable tourism practices. Nominated by Ecotourism Ireland, Loop Head Tourism joins a host of well-known global destinations in the Top 100 List, including the New Forest and Lake District National Parks (United Kingdom), Rapa Nui – Easter Island (Chile), Vancouver (Canada), La Palma (The Canaries, Spain), Etosha National Park (Namibia), Svalbard (Norway) and Wild Coast (South Africa). Chair of Loop Head Tourism, Cillian Murphy said, “Loop Head’s inclusion in this prestigious list is a great honour for everyone concerned. It is the result of of a concerted voluntary effort to take responsibility for ensuring the long term sustainability of our community. We have set ourselves the target of becoming a best practice example of how tourism …

LOOP HEAD Tourism chairman, Cillian Murphy says that a recent LEADER-sponsored study has calculated that geological group visits to the peninsula are worth up to €1.5m to the West Clare economy. He says that geological visits have increased by approximately 30% this year. “We had a study done with the help of LEADER funding to look at putting a geology centre on the peninsula. Part of the study looked at where the companies were coming from and how much they spent. The estimate was that each trip is worth somewhere in the region of €50,000. That’s direct spend in here. That’s not left in an office in Houston. That’s bills paid on the peninsula. Definitely we have seen between 20 and 25 trips this summer,” Cillian Murphy revealed. “Anecdotally, I would think that we’re up about 30% this year. That’s group visits. Loop Head is now a very attractive proposition for the petro-chemical industry to come and look at the …

A ‘tractors only’ sign is still greeting tourists and local residents who want to use an important link road on the Loop Head Peninsula. Frustration is growing among householders living on the Ross Road, which connects the Loop Head Lighthouse with the Bridges of Ross, over the delay in making this route passable for cars. Despite numerous pledges from local politicians that this road would be repaired before the Local Elections on May 24 last, Clare County Council will not be in a position to start work until July 7. The roads at Ross Bay and Rinevella were extensively damaged during the January and February storms, when coastal protection gabions were washed up during extreme weather conditions. While the works at Rinevella will not start until September or October, the council has pledged to carry out temporary repairs to this road in the meantime. A sign stating ‘Suitable only for tractors’ was erected by Clare County Council in February, to …

THREE weeks after Storm Darwin resulted in serious damage to the seawall and the Strand Line in Kilkee, the damage is still evident on the seafront. The issue was raised at this week’s West Clare Electoral Area meeting by Councillor Patrick Keane, who asked for a report on what he called “the sinking Strand Line road,” in Kilkee. Loop Head Tourism chairman and Kilkee business man, Cillian Murphy has also expressed concern at the state of the Strand Line, comparing it to a war zone. “I’m standing here looking at a hole that has been dug out of the pavilion in front of the Esplanade. It must be 30 feet by 40 feet. There was a small breach but the sea is after widening the breach and sucking everything out from underneath it. A load of concrete would have shuttered up the front of it and prevented further damage,” Cillian Murphy suggested. “From the esplanade down as far as the …