European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN)
Ireland is a destination of excellence
Europe is diverse, beautiful and rich in culture and heritage; and every year EU member countries run European Destinations of Excellence competitions to search for fresh, undiscovered and exciting touristic gems. The winners are chosen for their natural beauty, cultural life and commitment to sustainable tourism. The prize is a promotional push to entice tourists to visit.
Take a break in one of Ireland’s four official European Destinations of Excellence
Since 2007, Ireland’s four winners have lifted the brief right off the page. Clonakilty District (2007), Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula (2008), the Sheep’s Head Peninsula (2009), and Loop Head Peninsula (2010) are not only some of the most spectacular and unspoiled destinations in Ireland – but in the whole of Europe. To begin your quest for excellence, visit www.discoverireland.ie/eden.
More information
For further information on Ireland’s Destinations of Excellence, including upcoming festivals and events and great accommodation deals, visit www.discoverireland.ie/eden.
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Loop Head Peninsula, the gnarly finger of a peninsula pointing into the Atlantic off Co. Clare, is Ireland’s latest European Destination of Excellence. The award was won under the theme of aquatic tourism, and is set to introduce one of the West’s best-kept secrets to a worldwide audience.
Aquatic tourism
When it comes to water, there are endless options here. Set between the Atlantic Ocean and the Shannon estuary, barely a mile of land saves Loop Head from island status. Dolphin Watch, based in Carrigaholt, runs trips to spot some of the 120+ resident bottlenose dolphins in the estuary - one of only six such schools in Europe. Ocean Life operates diving trips off the Kilkee reef. Nevsail offers sailing lessons off the blue-flag Kilkee beach or dramatic cliff tours by sea-kayak.
Unusual aquatic adventures are provided, too. Eileen Mulcahy’s modern thalassotherapy centre carries on Kilkee’s old tradition of seawater baths. The West Clare Currach Club is reviving the lost art of traditional Irish boats, in part by teaching visitors how to build currachs. From their guesthouse on Loop Head, Luke and Mary Aston run “Fish & Stay” packages, with Luke taking visitors on sea-angling trips and Mary, a qualified chef, laying on the home-cooking when they return.
Other activities
But Loop Head isn’t just about water, of course. The peninsula’s natural terrain has walking routes of varying lengths and difficulty, with some dazzling cliff walks too. There are two mapped cycle routes, colourful events like the Carrigaholt Oyster Festival (May) and the Kilkee Maritime Festival (mid-July). The geological formations in the cliffs have attracted geologists and their students from far and wide (there are even plans for a geology centre).
In fact, the peninsula is almost completely surrounded by special areas of conservation and natural habitat areas; ranging from Poulnasherry Bay to the Kilkee Reefs and Mutton Island. It’s against this backdrop that fishermen and farmers have adapted their livelihoods to sustainable tourism, and in doing so, brought a bright European spotlight to bear on an under-visited gem.
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A looped walk on the wild Atlantic coast. A peninsula ringed with plunging cliffs, scattered with holy wells, promontory forts, castles and caves, and a landscape so unspoiled it is often inaccessible by road. Imagine all of this, and you’ll get a sense of the Sheep’s Head Way.
Tourism and protected areas
The national walking and cycling trail, stretching 88km around the Sheep’s Head peninsula, is a terrific testimony to the rugged Atlantic landscape and the spirited community that created it. Opened in 1996 along a network of old mass, school and fishermen’s trails, it has become one of Ireland’s top walking routes, and won the 2009 European Destination of Excellence Award as a protected area.
The Sheep’s Head itself is a work of natural art, stretching 25 miles long and just 2.5 miles wide. Its backbone is a sandstone ridge, and walkers or cyclists can criss-cross a landscape littered with heritage sites like Droumnea Castle or the Brahalish forts, swimming beaches at spots like Kilcrohane, Ahakista, and O’Donovan’s Cove, and a raft of protected bird species and unusual fauna and flora.
Conservation and crafts
The Sheep’s Head is a special area of conservation, and one of its most pleasant features is the use of oak posts and sandstone markers, in keeping with the natural surroundings. It’s an attention to detail that is echoed in the crafts, galleries and artisan producers living nearby.
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Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula won the European Destination of Excellence award in 2008, under the theme of intangible heritage.
Tourism and local intangible heritage
What’s intangible heritage? Visiting Carlingford answers that question. From swashbuckling legends like An Táin to Carlingford’s medieval origins and active leprechaun lore, traditions fostered through the generations here have created a unique sense of community – and a lot of fun.
Allied to this living culture and heritage, of course, is the Cooley Peninsula’s jaw-dropping scenery. The Mourne Mountains here are perfect for walks, horse-riding and adventure sports. On Carlingford Lough, the famous local oysters are farmed – oysters available at the local festival in August, or at restaurants like Ghan House, the Kingfisher Bistro or Oystercatcher Lodge.
Past meets present
Carlingford itself is a Norman town dating from the 1100s. Sloping gently towards the Lough, dropped like a berry at the foot of Slieve Foy, the area is picture-perfect. Built around beautifully-maintained relics like St. John’s Castle, the old mint, the tholsel (town gate) and Carlingford Priory, it feels like an outdoors museum, but one in which life carries on around the exhibits regardless. Laced with snug bars, antique shops and an old market square, it’s the very definition of a boutique village.
Just an hour’s drive from Belfast and Dublin, Carlingford and its surrounding area is packed with lough and mountain-based activities, festivals, and a wealth of Irish dance, song, music and language too.
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Clonakilty and District won Ireland’s first European Destination of Excellence award in 2007, with the West Cork gem singled out as a beautiful and diverse emerging rural destination.
Tourism and rural destinations
Clonakilty town is familiar to countless Irish holidaymakers, however, what’s less well-known is the vast variety of things to see and do around it. Clonakilty District became a Destination of Excellence not just for the town itself, but for a hinterland that stretches along the coastline from Rosscarbery in the west to Courtmacsherry in the east, and includes all the charming villages between.
The difficulty here lies in deciding what to leave out. The Clonakilty district is home to world-class angling, superb golf courses and top-class walking and cycling routes. Lisselan Estate features gardens straddling the Argideen River complemented by a surprising collection of classic cars? It’s also possible to learn more about Michael Collins, following the life of the Irish independence hero from his family homestead in Sam’s Cross to his last stand at Beal na mBláth.
People and traditions
Clonakilty’s greatest asset, however, is its people. The area is alive with traditional sports like road bowling, horse racing on sandy strands, storytellers, galleries, whale and dolphin watching, and lively pubs. For fine food visit De Barra’s, West Cork fusion and Richy’s Bistro, Clonakilty, which have a little something for everyone.
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More information
For further information on Ireland’s Destinations of Excellence, including upcoming festivals and events and great accommodation deals, visit www.discoverireland.ie.
For more information, images, interviews, and details on other festivals, events or holidays in Ireland, please contact:
Sheena Doyle: sheena.doyle@failteireland.ie/ (01) 8847 260
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