First “Walks Scheme” Launched in Donegal
By Minister O’Cuiv

Press Release 24/10/08

The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O’Cuiv performed the official opening of the first of four national way-marked way walks to receive support from his Department under the new “Walks Scheme” in Donegal Town on Friday morning. The Bluestack Way, with its start in the Diamond of Donegal Town and its terminus in Ardara via Glenties, is the first of four nationally recognised walks whereby land owners will receive payments for the maintenance and upkeep of that portion of their land which is transected by the official walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back Row L-R: William Monagle Chairman IFA, Caoimhin Mc Aoidh CEO DLDC, Maire-Aine  Gardiner Failte Ireland, Inga Bock Rural Recreational Officer DLDC, Molly Reynolds DLDC, John Mc Croary and Bernard Mc Glinchey, Bluestack Way Committee, Cllr Brendan Byrne Donegal County Council, Frank Kelly Leader. Front Row: Jim Slevin Chairman DLDC, Eamon O’Cuiv Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and Pascal Mooney Failte Ireland.

The audience which was comprised of representatives of LEADER companies throughout Ireland, land owners along the Bluestacks route, walks group enthusiasts and support agencies confirmed the enthusiasm and level of growing interest in walking and outdoor pursuits activities.

Speaking on behalf of the scheme’s management group, Donegal Local Development Company, Mr. Jim Slevin noted that the key to the achievement in bringing the Walks Scheme to fruition lay in social partnership whereby diverse groups, all with a common interest in developing the local rural economy came together and formed a strong alliance to ensure that the scheme could be constituted and delivered upon. He emphasised the company’s strong commitment to local rural development in Donegal and cited the development of the walks scheme as an excellent example of the company’s work.

Speaking on behalf of both the IFA and the local walks steering group, Mr. William Monagle, Chairman of Donegal IFA, noted that farmers had a strong vested interest not only in the development of the scheme but also in its development and he looked forward to the scheme’s success and the benefits that would accrue to the local farming communities along the Bluestack Way.

Mr. Paschal Mooney, Chairman of Failte Ireland, North West Region, confirmed that organisation’s partnership role in the scheme through the direct investment of a start up grant of €20K for the provision of stiles, weather-proof signage and picnic tables. He further confirmed on-going financial support over the next three years for the marketing and promotion of the Bluestack way-marked way.

Speaking on behalf of the local Bluestack Walks Committee, Mr. John McGroary, outlined the history of the development of the way-marked way and paid great tribute to the strong support and co-operation which had been forthcoming from the land owners from the very start. He noted that the walk had been developed over many years in a spirit of co-operation from a variety of interest groups noting the high level of commitment form all parties throughout.

In officially launching the scheme, Minister O’Cuiv stressed that the recipe for success of walks will lie in the ability of all interested parties, including those from the tourism sector in working together to ensure the environmental quality of the walk and most importantly the continuous broadcast of a message of welcome to the international walking community. The Minister provided stark examples of how numbers of walking visitors have soared when potential visitors were assured of a welcome awaiting them. He cited Donegal’s competitive advantage in this respect by virtue of the fact that not only was the Bluestack Way of stunning and pristine environmental quality, but the Donegal “Failte” was traditionally about the biggest and warmest on offer.

In closing, Minister O’Cuiv confirmed that he would be making an announcement of significant rural development funds under the LEADER rural development programme in the next fortnight. He encouraged local development groups to use their imagination to the fullest possible extent in channelling such funding opportunities to support the development of way-marked and local walks in an integrated manner to maximise the income into the local rural economy. He stressed that while we moved in challenging economic times, we were still presented with significant economic development opportunities in rural Ireland and the development of the Bluestack Way was but one such example of a local sustainable resource contributing to the development of local communities.