Pictured at the opening (LtoR) Clare County Council Director of Service for Tourism Development Siobhan McNulty; Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Gordon Daly; Cathaoirleach of Killaloe Municipal District Pat Burke; Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Paul Murphy and Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD
INIS CEALTRA’s visitor experience was officially opened at long last by one of the area’s proud sons, Mountshannon native, Junior Minister Timmy Dooley (FF).
Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine, Dooley had the distinction of officially opening the attraction which he predicted would bring more visitors to East Clare. Inis Cealtra also known as Holy Island is one of Ireland’s most significant ecclesiastical heritage sites.
Located in the restored Rectory in Mountshannon which the Council acquired in 2021, the visitor centre was part of a €5.3m refurbishment project funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with matched funding from Clare County Council, followed extensive consultation with elected members, state agencies and the local community.
Within the visitor centre, there are interactive exhibits on the island’s history, community stories, immersive footage of Inis Cealtra, and a scale 3D model. The attraction also features a first-floor café and accommodates a ground floor external seated terrace within the landscaped gardens of the Rectory.
In June 2015, Clare County Council acquired 41 acres on Inis Cealtra, joining the two acres already owned by the Office of Public Works (OPW), bringing the entire island into public ownership. Following this, the Council developed a Visitor Management and Sustainable Tourism Development Plan for the island in July 2017.
Funding of €1,227,000 was awarded in 2018 through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht’s RRDF Phase 2, with match funding from Clare County Council.
This supported the creation of a detailed design and planning package to include a new boat landing point in partnership with Waterways Ireland, visitor trails and shelter for the island as well as an interpretation strategy, future proofing and associated car parking facilities. A planning application has been submitted to An Bord Pleanála and a decision is expected in the coming months.
While eyebrows were raised by the decision to wait until the tourist season had ended and for the centre to have been in operation for two months before an official opening took place, Friday’s event was warmly welcomed by the locals of Mountshannon and surrounding parishes. The opening also marked the completion of public realm works in Mountshannon, a new shared surface on Main Street.
Speaking at Friday’s opening, Junior Minister Dooley said it was “a real honour” to be asked by Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary (FF) to conduct the opening, “he checked his notes and saw I made so many representations to get funding so he said I might as well finish it off”, he later called the project “a key priority for me”. On the grounds there was “scarcely a blade of grass we didn’t know as kids,” Timmy recalled, his late father Joe rented out the lands for housing in years gone by which made it “a project close to my heart”. Joe was buried on Inis Cealtra in July 2022.
On the tourism front, Dooley said, “Lough Derg and Inis Cealtra are jewels on the crown of Clare Tourism, Inis Cealtra is one of Ireland’s most important ecclesiastical sites”. He predicted, “the visitor centre will develop Mountshannon as a tourism destination, it will drive visitors to East Clare and celebrate the history of Lough Derg and Inis Cealtra”. He added, “I believe East Clare deserves a signature project”.
He praised the role of local farmer James O’Brien in helping return the lands to public ownership, “if he had gone on the public market, it could have made him a very rich man so we owe him a debut of gratitude”. Dooley continued, “it is important to see it back in public ownership and that is an enduring legacy to James O’Brien and his family”. The role of locals in stopping the development of housing on the lands forty years ago was also praised by the Junior Minister, “the people had the foresight not to allow houses be built on the lands”.
Mayor of Clare, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) said the centre would help “to drive sustainable tourism across the region”. He stated, “this attraction strengthens Clare’s year round tourism”.
Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) was responsible for mooting the idea of utilising the Old Rectory as a visitor centre. He said the opening was “a proud moment for everyone involved especially the local community who have played a key role in bringing the project to life, it shows what can happen when local communities work together”.
There isn’t a more appropriate location than the Rectory for an interpretative centre for Holy Island, Cllr Burke maintained. He praised the “great foresight” of the Council in acquiring the building. “I firmly believe that investments in cultural assists like this make Clare a draw to people in tourism”.
Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Gordon Daly commented, “I think you will agree Holy Island is the iconic symbol of East Clare”, he noted it is carried on the name of Inis Cealtra National School and the round towner proudly adorns the crest of Whitegate GAA. “A project like this does not happen in isolation,” he stated as he referenced Mountshannon’s success in the Tidy Towns in the 1980s and the more recent White Tailed Eagle project. He acknowledged all those involved in the Council past and present plus the local community for bringing the project to life.
Siobhán McNulty, Director of Tourism Development with the Council described it as “a truly memorable day” while praising the tourism team within the local authority and the construction team responsible for delivering the centre.
An official blessing was carried out by Fr John Jones and Rev Richard Marsh while Clíodhna Donnellan launched a song titled ‘Inis Cealtra’ which was recorded with the late Cyril O’Donoghue.
