‘Tracks and Trails’ to focus on Royal Canal and Famine Way

A budget of €191,000 has been ring-fenced under the Economic Development and Promotion Fund towards a range of projects aimed at broadening the economic development of Westmeath in 2021.

Of that, the council plan to spend €43,000 in Mullingar towards the making of a Tracks and Trails programme focusing on the Royal Canal and The Famine Way.

That’s according to director of services, Barry Kehoe, who told members of the December meeting of the Economic, Enterprise and Tourism SPC, that the cost would be split over two years, taking €13,675 from the 2020 and 2021 budgets, and a €15,000 allocation from the tourism budget.

Mr Kehoe acknowledged that while the cost was “significant”, RTÉ was to pay €5,000 on top of the council’s €43,000 towards the making of the programme, and Mr Kehoe believed it was “a good investment”.

“Tracks and Trails is the television programme that we’re all familiar with, and a very enjoyable programme, where a local well-known person is engaged to go on a walk along an established trail, give a bit of history of the location, meet some local characters or local people of interest, and generate an enjoyable virtual visit to a particular location,” said Mr Kehoe.

“The Famine Way is a new tourism product that has recently been launched on the Royal Canal, between Strokestown House and Dublin,” he said, adding that many will have noticed the children’s shoes cast in bronze at various points along the Royal Canal in Mullingar.

“These are symbols of the children, like Daniel Tighe, who walked the route in 1847. He was one of only two members of his family who survived in America,” said Mr Kehoe. “His ancestors were back here recently for a reunion, so it’s a nice story to tell, associated with the Royal Canal, and it really brings the horror of the famine back to life,” he said, adding that other areas of interest around Mullingar could be included in the programme.

“While we haven’t worked out any specifics yet, it represents a great opportunity to publicise various attractions locally,” said the council director.

“It’s transmitted widely and as part of the package that’s associated with this, we will be given short clips that we can upload to social media, which can be driven through the various channels such as Visit Westmeath, that are now used for promotion. It’s not about hard advertising any more, it’s about Google and Facebook, and the various other means that people use to communicate,” he said.

“What we’re proposing is that we pay for it over two years. We’re proposing take €15,000 from the tourism budget, and approximately €27,000 from the Economic Development and Promotion Fund, €13,600 this year, and another €13,600 in 2021.

“We think it’s a good investment as it will be played by Aer Lingus on flights coming in from America, and all national and international channels.”

From the 2020 budget, members of the SPC agreed to spend €5,000 towards an Athlone Retail Campaign jointly organised by Destination Athlone and Athlone Chamber; €13,734 on a feasibility study for an Athlone Co-Working centre; €2,000 towards a scoping exercise on the possibility of setting up a Food Network for Athlone; and €2,100 towards a ‘Shop Moate for Christmas’ campaign.

This side of the county, €15,000 was spent on Mullingar’s Christmas Lights; while €35,000 was spent on the marketing campaign and launch of the Royal Canal and Greenway.

Each year, €37,000 is also given to Offaly County Council to support a joint regional office that drives economic development across the four midland counties of Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly.