The Adventure Islands is a new centralised booking agency for adventure activities in the Westport and Clew Bay area.
Surf’s up for ‘The Adventure Island’
Áine RyanWITH ITS spectacular land and seascapes the area around magnificent Clew Bay has long been feted as a visual oasis.
Now with the rapid rise of activity sports as a lifestyle choice, the natural contours, rocky outcrops, sandy hollows and Atlantic surfs and swells have begun to attract hordes of walkers and cyclists, climbers and sailors, canoeists and swimmers to every nook and cranny that surrounds the archipelago of tiny islands, overlooked by Clare Island and dominated by the holy mountain, Croagh Patrick.
Clearly, the repeated success of the Gaelforce West festival has now spawned many other dedicated adventure events and even enterprises.
Welcome to The Adventure IslandsPLANS to develop Westport as the ‘Adventure Capital of Ireland’ have taken a further step forward with the establishment of an innovative new business. The Adventure Islands (www.theadventureislands.com) is the brainchild of Cormac Kelly and Ciaran Collins. The duo are developing a centralised booking agency – an Adventure Tourism Operator – for adventure activities in the area around Westport and Clew Bay.
“We want to assist the community in developing a centre of excellence for land and sea-based activities in the Clew Bay area,” said Cormac Kelly.
He told The Mayo News that the company hopes to develop adventure and accommodation packages with a broad range of local businesses, thus tapping into a growing national and international market for this sector and showcasing the natural beauty of Clew Bay and its many islands.
Cormac explains that The Adventure Islands already has bases at Rosmoney Pier and Collanmore Island, where it is already successfully running its sea sports and training school. The company, which has eight staff members, also hopes to develop bases on Clare Island and off Galway next year.
Adrenaline junkiesTHE Adventure Islands offers – on behalf of themselves and their business partners – the many energetic tourists, who will flock to scenic west Mayo in the coming months, a marvelous medley of activities, for both marine lovers and landlubbers.
For seafarers there is dinghy and cruiser sailing, deep-sea fishing, sea-safari power-boat rides, scuba diving, wind surfing, kite surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and water skiing.
If those sea-legs are a little unsteady, there is the option of zorbing, combat games, orienteering, archery, clay-pigeon shooting, mountain walking, bike trekking, island walks and horse-riding trips.
The Adventure Islands was a participant in the Mayo Alive event held in Dublin on June 19. Its power boats, kayakers and paddle boarders showcased activities along the Liffey and at the Dublin Civic Office at Wood Quay.
The company has also developed a partnership with historic Westport House and Pirate Adventure Park, which has, since its opening over a half century ago, welcomed over 4 million visitors through its gates.
The overall aim of The Adventure Islands is to harness that renowned spirit of adventure that the Irish have and develop it into an excellent international brand. Over the next five years the company, which already boasts over 1,700 Likes on its Facebook page, wants to offer exciting and unique excursions to as many visitors aged between eight and 80 as it possibly can.
“Understanding that the company has the professional expertise, experience, facilities and a lot of solid connections to adventure activities, suppliers and to equipment, it was agreed that developing a world-class brand was of paramount importance,” says Cormac Kelly. “Residents of Westport will soon see colourful, fully branded Adventure Islands vans driving around transporting its own and its partners’ equipment from location to location.”
The Adventure Islands office is located on James Street, Westport (beside the Tourism Office). The initiative has been supported by FΡilte Ireland and South Mayo Leader Company.
