By Peter Makem
There is a new map of Ireland. The old four provinces have now been largely replaced in the South by a new tourism dynamic as an ever-conscious Fáilte Ireland (Ireland of the Welcomes) works to cater for their promotional ambitions. It is of course an excellent idea that Irelands tourist riches be promoted to the maximum in this fresh manner.
First of all, as you all know well, there was the “Wild Atlantic Way,” that is, the entire spectacular Irish coastline all the way from West Cork to Malin Head in Donegal including such famous areas as the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara and the Slieve League area of Donegal.
This was followed by “Ireland’s Ancient East,” the entire area of the old Leinster province including such as sites as Newgrange and Tara. The third is “Dublin — A Breath of Fresh Air” a fresh all out promotion of the ancient city with its ever growing population and ever growing sense of itself.
The Drawbridge Birr Castle, Co. Offaly. Photo courtesy of Tourism Ireland
But this left a missing chunk of the country and there were shouts from the Midlands — what about us? Why are we forgotten? But they needn’t have worried. Failte Ireland was on the ball and already working away on an appropriate name for the new tourist province. There it was, the official tourist brand — “Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.”
The brand will encompass an area stretching from Leitrim in the north to Limerick in the south, hinging on the River Shannon and the Beara-Breifne Way as it seeks to boost tourism and drive visitor growth across the Midlands region.
An initial €2 million has been set aside for its development stage and marketing, with more funding to follow. So the new Irish mindset is developing that when people ask what part of Ireland a person is from and they can now answer “I’m a native of the Wild Atlantic Way,” or “I was born and bred in Ireland’s Ancient East, a great place,” or “I’m a proud native of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.” And what about yourself? “Me? Would you not know by my accent? I’m from the very heart of “A Breath of Fresh Air.” It used to be called Dublin.”
There is no such change in the North. But a lot is being done to promote the usual big attractions such as the Giants Causeway and Belfast where famous sites of the Troubles is a considerable attraction. Then again, I still lament the absence of a full life replica of the Titanic in Belfast instead of the structure they built. Up here we had the second most famous ship of all time after Noah’s Ark. We were sitting on a tourist goldmine, but it never happened.
Anyway I intend now to go for a cup of coffee to the cafe beneath Slieve Gullion in Ireland’s Land of Myth and Legend. It used to be called South Armagh.
Roscommon Castle, Co. Roscommon. Photo courtesy of Tourism Ireland