Towns allocated funding through €15.5M Fáilte Ireland destination towns scheme

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD, recently announced funding under Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Towns initiative, which will be used to boost the attractiveness and tourism appeal of towns across Ireland.

Through the €15.5 million Fáilte Ireland Destination Towns scheme which was launched earlier this year, every Local Authority in the country had the opportunity to bid for funding of up to €500,000 to develop a town in the county to enable it to improve its tourism offering. The full list of ‘Destination Towns’ that will receive funding between the first and second round allocations are:

• Carlow County Council – Carlow Town

• Cavan County Council – Cavan

• Clare County Council - Ennistymon

• Cork City Council – Cork City

• Cork County Council – Bantry

• Donegal County Council – Bundoran

• Dublin City Council – Dublin Docklands

• Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown – Dun Laoghaire

• Fingal County Council – Skerries

• Galway City Council – Galway City

• Galway County Council – Clifden

• Kerry County Council – Tralee

• Kildare County Council – KildareTown

• Kilkenny County Council – Kilkenny

Minister Brendan Griffin TD, Paul Kelly, CEO, Fáilte Ireland and Josephine O’Driscoll, Wild Atlantic Way Manager, Fáilte Ireland and, pictured in Tralee’s Town Park as funding allocated as part of the €15.5m ‘Destination Towns’ scheme

• Laois County Council – Portlaoise

• Leitrim County Council – Carrick-on-Shannon • Limerick City & County Council – Limerick City

• Longford County Council – Longford Town

• Louth County Council – Drogheda

• Mayo County Council – Belmullet

• Meath County Council – Trim

• Monaghan County Council – MonaghanTown

• Offaly County Council – Birr

• Roscommon County Council – Boyle

• South Dublin County Council – Lucan

• Sligo County Council – Enniscrone

• Tipperary County Council – Cashel

• Waterford City & County Council – Waterford City

• Westmeath County Council – Athlone

• Wexford County Council – New Ross

• Wicklow County Council – Wicklow Town

The Fáilte Ireland scheme is part of the National Tourism Development Authority’s work to drive a better regional spread of overseas and domestic visitors and spend. With Fáilte Ireland research consistently showing that attractive towns and cities are key motivators for overseas holidaymakers coming to Ireland, the new scheme will provide funding to Councils to enhance public spaces such as squares, streetscapes and markets in a way that will engage tourists and enhance their experience in key towns.

The process of identifying the towns that receive funding commenced in mid-2019 and was led by the Local Authorities in consultation with Fáilte Ireland. The Local Authorities will also provide funding for their projects.

Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Towns scheme is funded under the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 strategy with the aim of driving sustainable growth in the Irish tourism sector and higher revenue and job creation around Ireland.