Minister officially opens visitor experience in heart of Mayo Gaeltacht

An exciting new tourism hub and visitor experience was officially opened by Minister Heather Humphreys in the Mayo Gaeltacht region of Eachléim.

Located on the site of the former Ionad Deirbhile centre, the SOLAS Visitor Experience and Tourism Hub celebrates and interprets the rich history and culture of Blacksod and the Mullet Peninsula.

Minister for Community and Rural Development, Heather Humphreys travelled to the Erris Gaeltacht on Monday to officially open the centre where visitors will learn about the Mullet Peninsula and its offshore islands and hear stories of what it was like to live in a small coastal community on the edge of the Atlantic.

SOLAS was conceived by the local community who wanted to celebrate and interpret the history and culture of Blacksod and the Mullet Peninsula, and Údarás na Gaeltachta worked hand in hand with Comharchumann Deirbhile to develop the concept and funding applications for this project

Minister Humphreys praised the local community for the foresight to develop such a project and celebrate the culture and history of the area

“This spectacular project will celebrate that history and enable visitors to learn about the wealth of cultural and natural heritage in this region and facilitate visits to the Blacksod Lighthouse,” she said at the official opening.

“The SOLAS Visitor Centre will be a regional visitor attraction in its own right. I understand over 2,000 people have already visited this centre since the doors opened a couple of weeks ago.

“Visitors to SOLAS can also view local craft makers at work and buy products supporting local businesses from this region as well as Gaeltacht regions further afield.

“This will not only create jobs and generate opportunities, it will also help to transform this region for everyone,” she said.

Visitors will be able to delve into the history and culture of the area across three themed galleries. They will hear stories of the diaspora who moved away, but always kept Blacksod Bay in their hearts. They will learn about life on Inis Gé islands and how the islanders were resettled on the mainland after a fearsome storm took the lives of twelve of their fishermen.

They will discover what it was like to live on a lighthouse and then, as part of their visit, they will be able to visit an actual lighthouse, Blacksod Lighthouse which is a member of Great Lighthouses of Ireland (GLI Network).

Visitors will experience the ferociousness of the Atlantic ocean and learn about fishing and shipwrecks and the pirates that plied their trade on the wild Atlantic coast. They will also learn about the rich and rare biodiversity on the Mullet Peninsula and the surrounding seas, and how the area is now a unique gem on the island of Ireland for bird life, sea life, flora and fauna.

Údarás na Gaeltachta was awarded funding of €2.47 million under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund towards the project while an additional investment of €1 million was provided by Údarás na Gaeltachta and €500,000 from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Tomás Ó Síocháin, Príomhfheidhmeannach Údarás na Gaeltachta said “It's a testament to the community that we have such a facility here and I'd like to thank all our partners in helping deliver this project.”

SOLAS will offer a range of services for visitors including a Gaeltacht Showcase where visitors can view local makers at work and browse and buy products from the local Gaeltacht region as well as Gaeltacht regions further afield. The Hub will also provide a tourism information service for visitors and will offer café facilities with indoor and outdoor seating.

Managed by Comharchumann Forbartha Ionad Deirbhile, SOLAS will be a strategic tourism facility on the Wild Atlantic way, in the heart of the North Mayo Gaeltacht. It will be the main tourism hub on the Erris Peninsula, where visitors will find all information about the natural and cultural heritage of the area.