Castle Saunderson Experience gets €60k funding

Fáilte Ireland today announced that €60k in funding is being made available for Castle Saunderson through its ‘New ideas in Ancient Spaces’ Capital Grants Scheme for attractions within the Ireland’s Ancient East initiative.

Launched last April, Ireland’s Ancient East is Fáilte Ireland’s latest tourism initiative and seeks to build on the wealth of historical and cultural assets in the east and south of Ireland. The new initiative seeks to give visitors a personal experience of 5,000 years of Irish history through a journey of discovery in a lush green landscape with stories told by the best storytellers in the world. Ireland’s Ancient East stretches from Carlingford to Cork and is intended to match and complement the Wild Atlantic Way in terms of scale and ambition.

Today’s funding of just over €60K for Castle Saunderson in Co. Cavan will be used to enhance the ‘on the ground’ visitor experience and present the story of Castle Saunderson through the ages. This will be achieved through the development of a new ‘easy to explore’ heritage trail - The Castle Trail.

Through interpretative displays, visual art and written interpretation, the story will imaginatively portray the dramatic history and transition of this place as part of Ireland’s Ancient East from free land, through conflict, plantation and the divisive advent of Unionism and the Orange Order to the peaceful coexistence of the present day.

Today’s funding has been approved in keeping with Fáilte Ireland’s ongoing work to develop Ireland’s Ancient East. Speaking today, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, Jenny De Saulles said:

“The success of Ireland’s Ancient East will depend on the experiences on the ground. This means we must really be at our best in telling our local stories and having tourist-friendly services available. This project will significantly benefit Cavan in doing just that and will assist us in our objective of growing tourism in the region.” 

A further phase of funding in capital supports for the initiative is expected in 2016.