Cattle Raid of Mayo Trail a ‘significant cultural tourism asset’
THE Táin Bó Fliodhaise/Cattle Raid of Mayo Trail presents opportunities as a significant cultural tourism asset for the county.
Extending from Ballyhaunis to Barnatra, the trail has potential as a long distance cycle route or a series of shorter loop walks or cycle routes.
Mayo County Council has received a submission on its inclusion in the new county development plan from the Táin Bó Fliodhaise/Cattle Raid of Mayo steering committee, a sub-committee of Comhar Dún Caocháin Teo, which was set up to promote the development of a trail based on the rich heritage of the Táin Bo Fliodhaise.
In their submission, the committee said the route of the trail follows pre-existing road and tourist infrastructure and represents considerable value for money in terms of development cost.
The main sites of interest along the route occur in areas of natural beauty, complete with scenic viewpoints. And the trail also complements existing designated cycle routes and bisects the Western Way and the Wild Atlantic Way.
A cultural tourism asset to the county as a whole, it also has considerable potential for collaboration regionally with neighbouring counties Sligo and Roscommon.
The route is described in the 15th century Glenmasan manuscript housed in the National Library of Scotland and follows existing routeways, rights of way, and old livestock trails.
There are no access issues as the route, for the most part, follows public roads and existing paths from which sites of interest can be viewed, negating the need for tourists to leave public right of ways to enter onto private lands to view archaeological sites.
The development of the proposed trail, the submission continues, provides a considerable opportunity to attract tourists on the Wild Atlantic Way from the coast to towns and villages along the route from where the trail intersects the WAW at Barnatra - Glenamoy, Glencastle, Rathmorgan, Crossmolina, Moygownagh, Lahardane, Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, and Ballina.
It would also provide a direct link to the famous royal complex of archaeological sites at Rathcroghan in Tulsk, Co. Roscommon.
The submission added: “This hugely significant site is currently under consideration for inclusion on the tentative list of sites to be included as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This international designation elevates sites to world famous levels and if successful will enhance the cultural tourism product on offer across the province of Connacht and it would be advisable for Mayo County Council to cooperate in this regard and seek to formalise links to such developments wherever possible.”
To date the project steering committee have organised festivals and academic events to promote the importance of the trail locally, regionally and internationally. National and international project partners include the National Library of Scotland, National Museum of Ireland, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, Consulate General of Ireland Scotland, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Dublin.