‘Exciting’ Moorehall development 'ticks all the boxes' for €10m funding application
Castlebar councillors approve development plans for Moorehall with visitor numbers projected to reach over 90,000
The ‘exciting’ development of the ruined 18th century Mayo manor house Moorehall will attract close to 90,000 visitors annually when the works are completed.
The ambitious plans for the historic Moorehall building and its environs were laid out to Castlebar councillors who approved the Part 8 planning application for development work around the building which allows the council to apply for funding from the Rural Regional and Development Fund (RRDF).
The work on the grounds include a Walled Garden Pavillon, Entrance Pavillon, Walled Garden Tower, Bird Hide, a Tree Canopy Walk along with a cafe and a carpark with space for 132 cars and seven coaches.
The monthly meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District heard that Mayo County Council is confident that the Moorehall development ticks all the boxes to avail of up to €10 million in grant funding under the Rural Regional and Development Fund.
The Masterplan for Moorehall and its environs is being developed by Mayo County Council in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Coillte which purchased the site in 2018.
At present Moorehall attracts 37,000 people annually and Michael McDermott, the Head of Tourism told local councillors that he expects that figure to increase to 90,000. He also added that the tourism strategy of the local authority is to expand visitor's experience to Mayo and he believes that development at Moorehall will achieve that.
“Part of our new tourism strategy we are developing at the moment is to vary all the tourism experiences we have in the county and we have a lot. We are lucky to have the beauty of north and west Mayo and then we have the heritage and the culture of the likes of Moorehall and Ballintubber Abbey. What we are trying to do is expand the different types of experiences and expand it throughout the county so all local communities will benefit,” he said.
The ruins of Moorehall which was burned during the Irish Civil War in the 1920s has become the home of the rare Lesser Horseshoe bat and as a result is an internationally important conservation site for the bat. In order to protect the bat's habitat, a roof will be erected on the ruins of the house which will be the same shape as the original.
However, Mr McDermott said it will be glazed to allow light to come through it and added that they are looking to allow the public access to the first floor balcony and use technology to give visitors an idea of what the house looked like in its former glory.
“What we hope to do is to get access into the house and at least be able to get people up to the first floor balcony. By getting access up to the first floor balcony we will have storyboards around that area detailing the historic aspects both politically and culturally. We are looking to have an immersive experience using a QR code on your phone to see what the room looked like. You will get a good vision of what the house was like rather than spending millions and millions on a restoration,” he said.
If Mayo County Council is successful in obtaining RRDF funding, matched funding of €1 million will have to be provided between the three state partners which was described as 'pittance' by some councillors.
Cllr Al McDonnell, a local resident who has championed the development of Moorehall for years, complimented Mr McDermott and his team for the preparation they put into 'this exciting plan'. He also praised council officials for purchasing the site and for work they have done to develop it.
“Before Mayo County Council decided to buy Moorehall in 2018, the annual footfall was around 4,000 but since then with the moderate amount of work done it has increased to 35,000. This exciting plan will further enhance its reputation and attract many thousands more,” he said.
He proposed approving the planning application which was seconded by Cllr Cyril Burke who compliment Cllr McDonnell for driving the project.
There was broad support by the seven local councillors for the project which praised the design of the project and said that it will be a major tourism attraction for the area. Cllr Michael Kilcoyne also called for an upgrade of the local road network to cater for increased visitor numbers and traffic.
Anne Moore, Head of the Castlebar Municipal District said that the Moorehall project is a key part of Fáilte Ireland's plan for Inland Mayo and thanked councillors for their continued support.
Cathaoirleach of the municipal district, Cllr Ger Deere said that Moorehall has huge potential and can attract the same number of visitors that Kylemore Abbey gets.