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Tag Archives: loop head

On the right trail at Loop Head

Loop Head Heritage Trail has received a major boost as a sustainable tourism attraction. The trail has been named a finalist in one of the world’s foremost tourism and travel award schemes. The trail has been shortlisted in the ‘Culture and Heritage’ category of this year’s 12th annual World Responsible Tourism Awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony hosted by World Travel Market, at the ExCeL London Exhibition and Convention Centre in November.

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Still no identification on body

GARDAÍ are continuing with their efforts to identify the body recovered from the sea off Loop Head almost two weeks ago. Kilrush Garda Superintendent Martin McGonnell told The Clare Champion after the body had been recovered that an examination would be carrried out at the forensic laboratory in an effort to make a positive identification. A person who is involved with the Kilrush RNLI was fishing off the coast on Friday, June 12 when he saw the body and made a call to the lifeboat station. The body was recovered at about 11.15am. Kilrush lifeboat received support from the local gardaí and the Kilkee Coastguard Unit during the recovery.

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Body recovered off Loop Head

A BODY was recovered off the Clare coast, close to Loop Head, this morning. A person who is involved with the Kilrush lifeboat was fishing off the coast at around 10am, when he saw the body and made a call to the lifeboat station. The lifeboat crew were then paged and the vessel was launched about 20 minutes later. The body was recovered at about 11.15am and was said to be in a bad state of decomposition, apparently having been in the water for some weeks. The body was brought back to Kilrush and the last rites were performed by Fr Martin Blake. It was subsequently brought to University Hospital Limerick for a post mortem. Kilrush lifeboat received support from the local gardai and the Kilkee Coastguard Unit during the recovery.

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Preparing for 2016 Viking challenge

EXACTLY 1,200 years since Scattery Island off Kilrush was attacked by Viking invaders, the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland (RWYCI), which is based in the town, will host as many Vikings as they can unearth in July 2016 for the Viking Challenge. In the summer of 816 AD, a Viking raiding party sailed southwards around Loop Head for the first time and proceeded up the Shannon Estuary to attack the entirely unsuspecting monastic settlement on Scattery Island. Having plundered and pillaged, the Vikings sailed off with their spoils in terms of slaves, treasure and food, not to return again until 835 AD. The RWYCI is to host a sailing regatta from July 27 to 30, 2016 to mark the anniversary. Among the family surnames believed to be of Viking descent are Halpins, Doyles, McLoughlins and O’Loughlins. “It’s based on fact. It’s something that hasn’t been done in Ireland before or at least anywhere that I’m aware of. I’m not …

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Lighting up Loop Head

The historic Loop Head Lighthouse is to reopen to the public on Good Friday. The 19th century West Clare landmark will be looking to capitalise on its designation as a Signature Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way by exceeding the 20,368 visitors it recorded during its six-month opening period during 2014. Clare County Council, which manages Loop Head Lighthouse, in conjunction with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, says the facility will remain open daily (10am-6pm) until October 4. “2014, which was the lighthouse’s fourth year of operation as a visitor attraction, saw visitor figures buoyed by the development of new services at Shannon Airport, favourable weather conditions and the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way,” said Gerard Dollard, director of services, Tourism & Community, Clare County Council. “We are confident that its status as one of Clare’s most popular visitor attractions as well as a Signature Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way will garner further interest from domestic …

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Search for Polish man stood down

The search for a Polish man feared drowned off the Clare coast has been officially stood down. The 34-year-old man, who had been living in Killaloe, was reported missing on January 10 last, after his family became concerned for his safety. His car was subsequently found by gardaí, parked near the lighthouse at Loop Head. The early days of the search involved the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter and the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard. However, deteriorating weather conditions greatly restricted the extent of the search operation at sea, on the shoreline and along the clifftops. Gale force winds exceeding 100kmh hampered the early search efforts and volunteers of Kilkee Coast Guard launched whenever they could and when it was safe to do so. In recent weeks, family members and friends of the missing man had travelled to the area to conduct their own searches. Elsewhere, Doolin Coast Guard has been called out three times in February so …

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Following the heritage trail at Loop Head

AT last week’s launch of the Loop Head Heritage Trail, Trea Heapes and Frances Bermingham unveiled details of their heritage audit of the three parishes that primarily make up the Loop Head Peninsula. Working in conjunction with the Heritage Council, they have come up with an 872-item inventory for the parishes of Kilkee, Carrigaholt and Kilballyowen. This audit was separate but complements the Loop Head Heritage Trail, which includes 18 attractions on the peninsula. Both will be used to help tourists experience Loop Head in some detail. “It’s an inventory of all items of heritage on the Loop Head Peninsula. You’re talking about nearly 90 townlands. In some townlands there isn’t even a house in it. That’s from Baltard, west of Doonbeg, down through Tullaher Bog, to Poulnasherry Bay and then west to Loop Head. There was mainly three parishes in the audit – Carrigaholt, Kilballyowen and Kilkee. About 400 odd of the 872 are recorded monuments,” Trea Heapes explained. …

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Loop Head joins Global Top 100

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 …

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