English
The development of Fanad Head Lighthouse as part of an all-island tourism trail has the potential to attract 60,000 visitors per year, claim the Commissioners of Irish Lights.
It is expected that half a million Euro will be invested in developing amenities there over the next two years.
Irish Lighthouses are to become the focus of a new all-island, European Union INTERREG IVA funded €2.5million tourism and job creation project.
The All Island Lighthouse Trail project, led by the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL), will see key operational lighthouse facilities also made available for specialist tourism accommodation and attractions.
Phase 1 of project involves five sites, three in Northern Ireland and two in Donegal. These will be added to the six sites already operating in the Republic with the eventual plan being to have between 15-20 lighthouses operating as part of a tourist trail all around the Irish coast.
Fanad Head and St. John’s Point Dunkineely have been selected from Donegal’s eleven lighthouses to be part of the project.
This proposal envisages the provision of a coffee shop, a gift shop, exhibition area and tourism information.
The Lighthouse has been to the fore in local and international media recently when it was voted as one of the top 10 most beautiful lighthouses in the world in the online magazine Mental Floss.
To make the peninsula viable as a tourism destination the Fanad Head Lighthouse committee will be seeking the communities support in facilitating a community employment scheme to help improve our lay-bys, beach access points etc.
This scheme will be reliant on the support of local volunteers to assist in whatever way possible and further information will be provided in the next few months.
