From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State with Responsibility for the Gaeltacht, Patrick O’Donovan, today (8 March) announced a grant of up to €902,419 to be made available by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to Údarás na Gaeltachta for further development of the Emigrants and Diaspora Centre in Carna, Co. Galway.
This Tourist Interpretive Centre will be focused specifically on Gaeltacht diaspora and will enable members of the diaspora and their descendants to partake in genealogical research; it will also be a tourist attraction, located on the Wild Atlantic Way in Conamara.
There are many aspects to the project, including: a Memorial Garden beside the centre as part of the emigrant experience; educational opportunities related to local resources in language, culture, music and history; a self-guided interpretive experience, based in the centre, as well as genealogical research.
Minister Martin said:
“It gives me great pleasure to announce this funding for the Emigrants and Diapora Centre in Carna. This project supports many aspects of the work of my department, such as tourism, culture, art, heritage, and it will add to the infrastructure and long-term future of the Gaeltacht and of the Irish language. The facilities this funding will support - which will be built with the significant assistance of my department - will strengthen the foundations of the language planning process and the objectives of the government Action Plan for the Irish Language and the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language the action plan relates to."
Minister of State O’Donovan said:
“This is an important project for the Carna area and for all of Conamara and the West of Ireland. It will increase tourist numbers in the area and this centre creates a strong link with the diaspora too, which is very important for the country. As well as attracting tourists, this project will generate stable employment, not just in the centre but also in related business in the area. I congratulate the local committee and all stakeholders for driving this project and bringing it to fruition.”
Chief Executive of Údarás na Gaeltachta, Tomás Ó Síocháin said:
“This is a proud day for everyone who has worked on this project for many years, especially Coiste Ionad Cuimhneacháin na nImirceach Teo, and the local community, both here and spread across the world.
"The new tourist centre this funding will support will attract visitors and tourist to Carna and the wider Iorras Aithneach area. It is an objective of the Údarás to build upon the great work Fáilte Ireland have done with the Wild Atlantic Way, and develop exceptional projects throught the Gaeltacht. This project will add to the network of Fanad Lighthouse, Ionad Dhún Lúiche, Sliabh Liag, SOLAS in North Mayo, Uisceadán Acla, the Joyce County Geopark and Ionad na mBlascaod. We hope, with the support of the department, local communities and stakeholders, that we can develop these and other projects, and that this tourist centre in Carna will sit proudly in that network of strategic tourism projects in the Gaeltacht.”
The grant was permitted in accordance with actions 2.5 and 9.2 in the Government Action Plan 2018-2022 for the Irish Language.