Erris is still going wild with delight after the region was named on Saturday by The Irish Times as the nation’s top destination for rugged, unspoilt beauty and adventure.
The search for ‘The Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland’ began in March and more than 4,000 nominations flooded in from Irish Times readers, listing their favourite beauty spots and hidden gems from around Ireland.
However, after rigourous shortlisting and an in depth judging process, overseen by a panel of leading journalists, outdoor adventurers and travel writers, Erris came out tops in the competition.
Today (Friday ), Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, is travelling to Erris to launch the local tourism agency’s first ever free, downloadable app, developed for Android and iPhones, to showcase the many visitor attractions in the region.
The app puts visitors and locals alike just a click away from finding dramatic cliffside walks, surfing Atlantic waves, tucking into fresh seafood, or supping a pint of Guinness overlooking a sandy, pristine beach.
Rita Garrett, tourism officer with Erris Beo, said celebrations will be continuing for some time yet as they were “over the moon” with their new title as Ireland’s best place to go wild.
‘Glorious’
“Erris is such a naturally stunning and beautiful place, and there is so much to do,” she said. “Even those who live here do not take it for granted. But, of course, it’s always nice to get recognition from others and we are over the moon that the judges from The Irish Times appreciate Erris for what it is - a glorious and wild hidden gem!
“We will be celebrating this win for a long time, and we are looking forward to launching the Erris Beo app with Michael Ring today.”
Conor Goodman, features editor with The Irish Times and chair of the Go Wild judging panel described Erris as a “truly unique location.”
“Its untouched beauty made it a favourite with our judges,” he said. “One of our journalists who visited the area described it perfectly as ‘authentically remote, stunning and unspoilt’. In awarding Erris with the title of The Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland, we hope this little known area will be recognised as one of Ireland’s most beautiful locations.”
County manager Peter Hynes said the win was a major boost for Mayo’s tourism sector.
“This confirms and consolidates Mayo as a world class destination,” he said. “We (Mayo County Council ) look forward to continuing our collaboration with all the stakeholders to promote the very positive Mayo message to a global audience,” he added.
