‘Céide Coast’ shortlisted for EU award

Áine Ryan

THE ‘tangible cultural tourism’ of the Céide Coast in north Mayo has ensured this spectacular scenic coastal route has been shortlisted for this year’s European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) awards. Announced by FΡilte Ireland last week, the two other finalists are The Norman Way, Co Wexford, and Scattery Island, Co Clare. The theme of this year’s biennial competition, whose winner will be announced at the end of September,  was ‘to find the destination in Ireland which has best used its local tangible cultural assets to grow visitor numbers.
“Needless to say, we are thrilled to be shortlisted for the EDEN award, following in the footsteps of the Great Western Greenway, which has led the way for Mayo. Being shortlisted is significant for North Mayo, it is official recognition of the strength of our heritage offering, the efforts that have been made to develop and market the region,” said Anne-Marie Flynn of Mayo North.
“The Céide Coast from Ballina to Belderrig tells a story of 6,000 years of history, tangible throughout our breathtaking landscape. Uncovering North Mayo’s heritage and bringing it to life forms a strong part of our visitor experience, and we are really excited about sharing our story and showcasing our beautiful area to the judges in early September,” she said.  
Ms Flynn explained: “This year’s EDEN award with its theme of ‘tangible cultural tourism’ sought small, emerging, off the beaten-track or non-traditional tourist destinations with low visitor numbers that offer authentic tourism experiences. In our application we needed to demonstrate how we are fostering sustainability and engaging in good management. We are delighted with the level of support we received for the application, not just along the Céide Coast but from groups all around the county, and in particular, from Mayo County Council and Mayo.ie.”
She said the bid demonstrated ‘the strong desire that exists among the towns and communities along the Céide Coast to work together and in partnership with Mayo County Council and FΡilte Ireland to develop and promote the region’.

Cultural heritage
FÁILTE Ireland’s Paddy Mathews said: “Ireland has long been recognised for the richness of its cultural heritage which is of critical importance to our attractiveness to visitors. We have over 5,000 years of material culture which tells an exciting and engaging story for our visitors. Communities across Ireland are fiercely proud of their heritage and culture and many have harnessed these assets through tourism to deliver real social and economic benefits for their local areas.”
Each EU State’s winner will receive marketing assistance, a certificate of achievement and will be profiled on www.edenineurope.eu. EDEN is an EU project promoting sustainable tourism development across the European Union and is held every two years in 29 member states. Previous Irish winners include the Burren Food Trail, the Great Western Greenway and Loop Head.