Fine Gael councillor, John Dolan, has called for the tourist office currently located in Athlone Castle to be relocated to a more convenient location in the town.
Cllr Dolan made the call at the June meeting of the Athlone Municipal District. He said that the current position of the office at the castle “is not conducive” to tourists using it. “I doesn’t make any sense to have a tourist office inside one of the attractions in the town,” he said. “You should never have to go looking for a tourist office.” Cllr Dolan added that moving the office will also give greater scope to developing the castle further.
Sinn Féin’s Paul Hogan welcomed the motion. He said the issue had arisen on numerous occasions throughout his 13 years on the council. He suggested that the marina would be the ideal place for the tourist office but also suggested a sub-committee be set up to decide the best location.
Fianna Fáil councillor Aengus O’Rourke said it is an important issue due to the “fast emerging tourist product” Athlone is becoming. He said the locality has an incredible amount to offer in the line of tourism, and that numbers visiting the town and region are increasing rapidly. Cllr O’Rourke remarked that many people today will check their phones for information on tourist attractions, but that some people still preferred face-to-face interaction.
Fianna Fáil’s Frankie Keena said the castle is a great feature in the town but is not convenient for everyone. He said the office should be “right in the face of tourists” in a more central location in the town.
Independent councillor Michael O’Brien suggested the office should be located in the area of highest population density, “somewhere everyone can see it”.
District manager, Pat Keating, said a letter will be sent to Fáilte Ireland, but warned that councillors may not see any movement on the issue until next year.
