The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, has said that the launching of Phase 2 of the Achill Experience represents a crucial development in Achill’s tourism offering. The Achill Local Area Development Company has developed a new indoor visitor attraction on Achill by converting 2,300 square feet of its head office into a visitor attraction. Phase 2 of the Achill Deserted Village project, which Minister Ring launched on Saturday, will feature the development of Boley House in the visitor centre to give visitors an insight into how families once lived and a presentation on the history of the deserted village.
Minister Ring also launched phase 2 of Achill’s Maritime History which will involve the development of a new aquarium, to be stocked with local fish from the area. This includes the installation of three tanks: a cliff edge tank, a large shipwreck tank, and a large circular open touch tank. There will also be an interactive presentation of Achill’s basking shark story, as the island was once home to the world’s largest basking shark.
Minister Ring said: “As Minister for Sport and Tourism, I was responsible for the rollout and promotion of the Wild Atlantic Way. I’m delighted to see that it’s paying off for communities like Achill and that spin off initiatives such as the upgrade to the Achill Deserted Village and Achill’s Maritime History are happening.
“This is an exciting time for Achill. As more and more people are finding out, Achill has unsurpassed scenery but it is now able to boast of fantastic indoor tourist attractions. I believe this will help make Achill more attractive for family holidays which is a key tourism market. I was delighted to turn the sod on the second phase of this excellent project which can help attract even more visitors to Achill.
“As Minister for Rural and Community Development, my remit is to ensure that this Government supports rural life and livelihoods. This initiative will do exactly that by helping to ensure that more people can earn a decent living in their own communities should they wish to.”
