A Sustainable Tourism Destination

MULRANNY EUROPEAN MULRANNY ~ DESTINATION OF EXCELLANCE A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DESTINATION

Seán Carolan

Mulranny Tourism

Image courtesy of Eammon McCarthy - Images of Mayo MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY’S TOURISM REVIVAL OF EXCELLANCE

Ingredients

Volunteering

Community

Research

Conservation

Collaboration

Social Enterprise

Tourism Enterprise MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY OF EXCELLANCE

Nephin

Mulranny

Curraun Plateau Clew Bay

The Great Western Greenway MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY BUILT HERITAGE OF EXCELLANCE

. To tackle endemic poverty in Mayo . The Midland Great Western Railway Line was built in 1894 . Under the Balfour Light Railways Act . The causeway & seven miles of Balfour Victorian trails were developed . Mulranny Railway Hotel opened, complete with MULRANNYTHEVICTORIANSTEAMMULRANNYPOVERTY WASHING ENGINED WAS CAUSEWAY RAILWAYRAILWAY POOLENDEMIC TRAIN BRIDGE HOTELSTATION AT IN BELLACRAGHER MAYO BUILTBUILT CIRCA ININ 1894 1900 BAY - MULRANNY electric light 1897189419021894 MULRANNY EUROPEAN MULRANNY REACHES LOW POINT IN DESTINATION NEW MILLENIUM OF EXCELLANCE

. Legacy of built heritage decayed . Replaced by dereliction & disrepair . Limited activity in tourism sector . Mulranny faded off the tourist map Balfour . Underutilised community resources . Heritage tourism

potential untapped MULRANNYMULRANNY RAILWAY CAUSEWAYHOTEL1997RAILWAY STATION 2007 c1980 MULRANNYSTEAMMULRANNYMULRANNY ENGINED RAILWAYRAILWAY RAILWAY RAILWAY HOTELHOTEL HOTEL1997 TRAIN 18971897 HOTELSTATION AT BELLACRAGHER DECLINED 1894 DISUSED INTO BAY DERELICTION RAILWAY– MULRANNY LINEBY 20031897 IN 2000 This image is reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Ireland L_ROY_11061 1996 to 2006 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY & Irelands First Greenway OF EXCELLANCE

. Hotel Restored 2005 . Cultural Resource:- Bog and Bog Roads . In 2005 four Communities Came together Mulranny, Tiernaur, Derrada, Newport. . South West Mayo Development Company & Mayo County Council . Burrishoole Loop Walks 2007 MulrannyMULRANNY Railway RAILWAY Hotel HOTEL 2005 DECLINED INTO DERELICTION BY 2003 . Great Western Greenway 2010 Traverses Burrishoole 1996 to 2006 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY & Irelands First Greenway OF EXCELLANCE

. Hotel Restored 2005 . Cultural Resource:- Bog and Bog Roads . In 2005 four Communities Came together Mulranny, Tiernaur, Derrada, Newport. . South West Mayo Development Company & Mayo County Council . Burrishoole Loop Walks 2007 BurrishooleMulrannyMULRANNY Railway RAILWAY Loop Walks Hotel HOTEL Launch2005 DECLINED 2007 INTO DERELICTION BY 2003 . Great Western Greenway 2010 Traverses Burrishoole 1996 to 2006 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY & Irelands First Greenway OF EXCELLANCE

. Hotel Restored 2005 . Cultural Resource:- Mulranny Bog and Bog Roads . In 2005 four Communities Came together Mulranny, Tiernaur, Derrada, Newport. . South West Mayo Development Company & Mayo Great Western County Council Greenway . Burrishoole Loop Walks 2007 BurrishooleMulrannyMULRANNY Railway RAILWAY Loop Walks Hotel HOTEL Launch2005 DECLINED 2007 INTO DERELICTION BY 2003 . Great Western Greenway 2010 Traverses Burrishoole 1996 to 2006 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY & Irelands First Greenway OF EXCELLANCE

. Hotel Restored 2005 . Cultural Resource:- Mulranny Bog and Bog Roads . In 2005 four Communities Came together Mulranny, Tiernaur, Derrada, Newport South West Mayo Development Company & Mayo County Council Great Western . Burrishoole Loop Greenway Walks 2007 . Great Western Greenway 2010 Traverses Burrishoole MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY & Irelands First Greenway OF EXCELLANCE

. Railway closed in 1937 . 16km Greenway Newport to Mulranny . 175,000 visitors in 2012. . Value to local economy is €7.2m . Expanded to Westport and Achill . Ireland’s first off road cycle trail – 42km . Permissive access from 161 landowners . It was discarded Heritage MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION COMMUNITY FUTURES OF EXCELLANCE

1. Survey: ‘Carried out a community views survey; (183 responses from 153 households) 2. Discussion: Held meetings and interviews with different groups and individuals 3. Analysis: Prepared a community profile detailing facts and figures about the community; 4. Voting for Priorities: Organised a Community Futures Open Day Event – Voting 5. Sponsored by South West Mayo Development Company & Mayo County Council MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION COMMUNITY FUTURES OF EXCELLANCE

‘TOP LIKES % Of Responses

Beautiful Surroundings: 69% Outdoor Activities:48% Community Spirit: 47% Community Services: 37%

TOP DISLIKES % of responses Roads, Traffic & Parking: 63% Appearance of Village & Open Spaces: 27% Public Services: 21% Lack of Community Facilities & Events: 12% Sports Development: 11% Youth Facilities: 11% MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY COMMUNITY FUTURES OF EXCELLANCE

. The Mulranny Community Futures ‘Arena’ was opened in 2010 . Some 30 volunteers entered the arena! . Futures Group was made up of one rep from each group – co-option

Amenity Tidy Tourism Environmental Centre Towns Group Group (MEG)

Graveyard School Mulranny Active Gift of Committee Board Community Futures Age Hands

Festival Industrial Pipe Mulranny Green Group Trust Band United Plan©

Saint Pier Golf Old Irish ICA Brendan's Group Club Goat Society MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION Vibrant Pedestrian Friendly Village OF EXCELLANCE

. Mulranny Village Design Statement . Retain built heritage . Design quality . Vibrant village centre . Promenade ‘a unique feature in Mayo’ . Tool Kit published . Sponsored by the Heritage Council MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION Vibrant Pedestrian Friendly Village OF EXCELLANCE

. Mulranny Village Design Statement . Retain built heritage . Design quality . Vibrant village centre . Promenade ‘a unique feature in Mayo’ . Tool Kit published . Sponsored by the Heritage Council & Mayo County Council MULRANNY Vibrant Pedestrian Friendly Village EUROPEAN DESTINATION OF EXCELLANCE

Before  After 2014 2016

. Funded by Transport For Ireland & Mayo County Council MULRANNY Cultural Assets & Conservation & EUROPEAN DESTINATION Collaboration => Eco – Tourism!! OF EXCELLANCE

. Attracting people to engage in heritage conservation

. A central strand to Mulranny’s plan

. Funded by the Heritage Council & Mayo County Council Old Irish Goat Heritage Value in Context

Pol na Brone and the Old Irish Goat by Colin Johnston, Old Irish Goat Society Member MULRANNY EUROPEAN THE KING PUC - PARADOX DESTINATION OF EXCELLANCE

. What is as old as Poulnabrone, but not protected or even recognised? . Our native Irish landrace breed of goat . Reminiscent of the Great Irish Elk, the stately silhouette of an Old Irish Goat…. . ….is a sight, that may soon fade into the Irish night sky, never to return Old Irish Goat Heritage Value in Paintings

Nora Drummond (1862 - 1949), Mountain Goats

‘Augustus Burke, Connemara Goat Girl’, 1880 Old Irish Goat Heritage Value in Photographs

Underwood and Underwood, 'A Hospitable Home in Ireland', 1909 Nanny Goat Market, Athlone, Ireland Old Irish Goat Society Collaborators

. Human resources from South West Mayo Development Company; Rural Social Scheme, Tús and Job Bridge Interns . Fundraising Gift of Hands www.giftofhands.com . Funds received through US private philanthropy via County Mayo Foundation . Funds DAFM Genetic Resources Committee . Funds Local Authority, Agenda 21Fund, the Heritage Council, the Ireland Fund & LEADER and the National Parks & Wildlife Service. . Research: Collaborated with Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, the Agricultural University of Iceland, the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Institute National De La Recherché Agronomique, Toulouse and ADAPT Map, a global research consortium of scientists . Collaborated with all Natural Museums in UK and Ireland . Old Irish Goat Centre building secured from Government (OPW) . Contract services from Weathersby’s DNA Laboratory & Irish Cattle Breeding Federation . Recently collaborating with a volunteer in New Zealand 1996 to 2006 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION ECONOMY & TOURISM OF EXCELLANCE

. Old Victorian Trails . Mulranny Loop Walk expanded . Heritage Week Walks in 2006 . Became Walking Weekends in 2010 . Worth 2,000 bed-nights MULRANNY €250k LOOP WALKLAUNCHED JANUARY 2010 MULRANNYOPENS WALKING EXPERIENCE BEGINS JAN 2010 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION MULRANNY HERITAGE MAP 2015 OF EXCELLANCE

. Produced by a TUS Participant resourced by South West Mayo Development Company . Funded by Mayo County Council under Local Agenda 21 MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION ECONOMY & TOURISM OF EXCELLANCE

. Community Tourism Office . EUROPEAN Destination of Excellence 2011! . Community Stories attract Nationwide, ECO Eye, Ear To The Ground, National News, RTE Tracks & Trails - EDEN DVD & Brochure The Greenway Landowners & Mulranny Tourism Group with . €10m economic Minister Michael Ring TD at the benefit per year EDEN awards ceremony . 200 new jobs MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION ECONOMY & TOURISM OF EXCELLANCE

The GREENPLAN© . 7 Themes . Water, Energy Conservation, Biodiversity, Transport, Society, Procurement . Community Energy Plan . 70% reduction in carbon footprint of Tourist Office in ONE YEAR MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION OF EXCELLANCE

GIFT OF HANDS

. GIFT OF HANDS . 20 volunteers meet twice a week to makes craft for conservation projects . Hand made goat puppets €40 . Local Contribution of €5,000 toward projects in 2016! MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION OF EXCELLANCE

MULRANNY TIDY TOWNS

. 2008 MTT Applied for Community Futures and . Village Design Statement MULRANNY EUROPEAN DESTINATION ECONOMY & TOURISM OF EXCELLANCE

. Community Tourism Office . EUROPEAN Destination of Excellence 2011! . Community Stories attract Nationwide, ECO Eye, Ear To The Ground, National News, RTE Tracks & Trails - EDEN DVD & Brochure The Greenway Landowners & Mulranny Tourism Group with . €10m economic RaySeán on on RTE RTE Nationwide Ear to theMinister GroundJanuary Michael April 2011 2014 Ring TD at the benefit per year EDEN awards ceremony . 200 new jobs MULRANNY EUROPEAN MULRANNY TOURISM REVIVAL DESTINATION OF EXCELLANCE

Take home message . Perseverance & Innovation . Policy: Futures / Village Design / Geodesign (UCD) / Green Plan & Tidy Towns . Collaboration; local knowledge & technical expertise . Volunteers, more tailored support needed, social enterprise. . Events celebrations – teamwork, exchanges, . Know your Cultural Assets . Art / Creativity MULRANNY Cultural Assets & Conservation & EUROPEAN DESTINATION Collaboration => Eco – Tourism!! OF EXCELLANCE

. Mulranny Stonewall Festival 13th and 14th of May 2017 book online @ https://mulrannystonewallfestival.ie/ MULRANNY Cultural Assets & Conservation & EUROPEAN DESTINATION Collaboration => Eco – Tourism!! OF EXCELLANCE

. http://irishrarebreedsconference.ie/