GORT’S Christmas lights turn on December 7th , marking not only the start of the festive season but also the beginning of a Christmas Window Competition.
Craughwell resident Megan Flynn Dixon spent her Tuesday delivering over 200 leaflets to locals and business owners, spreading the word. “Dress your front window so that people can see if they come past in Christmas decorations,” along with a QR for passersby to vote, Megan tells anyone wanting to participate.
Megan is a consultant for the Burren Lowlands, funded by Enterprise Ireland, working hard to improve the business network in Gort. “I listen to what the businesses need and try to set up a formalised business network,” she explained.
“It’s so hard for the independent business owners to make ends meet because with the cost-of-living crisis, people have less disposable income. If I can help them in any way, that’s what I’d like to do. I think the overall complaint that we hear from is that people don’t spend time in the town,” added Megan.
With a variety of tourist opportunities, Megan aims to create and encourage an environment where people can “do a bunch of shopping, have a meal, and spend a bit of time in the town of Gort”.
“I love Gort. You really can spend a bunch of time with family in Gort, and that’s the kind of message we want to get beyond people who live in Gort”.
When asked about other projects that the Burren Lowlands are working on, Megan revealed the possible expansion of the Geo Park boundaries. “The Geo Park at the moment finishes at the Clare boundary, which is really kind of arbitrary because we know that the limestone karst landscape extends into South Galway,” she told The Clare Echo. She said that the Burren Lowlands are looking to partner with international organisations that have a similar landscape.
“There’s actually a similar limestone landscape in Slovenia,” she said, and therefore, the Burren Lowlands are trying to reach out to the Slovenian Embassy to compare what those regions are doing to highlight the uniqueness of their landscape.
Megan commented, “Wouldn’t it be lovely to have that knowledge exchange between somewhere else in the world that has a similar landscape?”
Another possible project that Megan mentioned is a tourist bus that would visit Coole Park and the surrounding area. She said that the Burren Lowlands are meeting with the National Parks and Wildlife Centre to discuss the possibilities of making those tourist locations more available to people. “It can be hard to get around those locations unless you’re driving,” she added.
The Christmas Window Competition lasts from December 7th to the 24th , with the winner announced on the last day.
The prize for business owners is an advert with The Clare Echo, and for residents, it’s a voucher for the Gort Garden Centre.
