However, due to Covid restrictions, this has temporarily closed. In the interim the BL website is being redesigned to ensure those on vacation or staycation have access to the best information on what this region has to offer. 

Enterprise

One of Burren Lowlands CLG’s three pillars focuses on Enterprise. We developed an enterprise platform, Forge Works, creating a focal point for the activities and initiatives for newcomers to the area, network for existing businesses, and remote working opportunities. It also supports entrepreneurship among farming communities, ultimately creating, and attracting additional jobs to the Burren Lowlands region. To that end, an Enterprise grant was awarded to BL CLG to implement a 3-year Enterprise Programme.

Forge Works opened in January 2021, and already has a high demand for office spaces, Remote Working Skills and TEFL courses, business network support and the social events it offer to remote workers (in partnership with Grow Remote and Rethink Ireland). While Forge Works can’t meet all the demand for such services in the area, it has proven the concept and laid the groundwork for a larger enterprise hub in the future.

Laura Tannian, the Forge Works Manager, worked closely with Anne Rabbitte TD and the Xplore Local team to launch Xplore Local Gort, a mobile app for businesses and information about the town and surrounding area. The app officially debuted in May 2021.

Also in 2021, the Burren Lowlands received support from Galway County Council and the Gort Credit Union to redesign our website with a focus on regional tourism. We want to acknowledge the incredible work done by Minimedia.ie to bring our vision to completion.

Community 

The Burren Lowlands CLG secured funding through a Town & Village Renewal Scheme to develop a vision for the outdated Market Square.  A local architect was engaged to focus on town plan and revision of Gort Market Square. Plans for renovation of the Square were approved, and Phase One of the renovation was completed in 2019. Funding for the second phase of the project, to incorporate seating and a more pedestrianized Square, was granted in August 2020. The next stage of the project involves new paving for the area, which is nearly completed by Galway County Council engineers. During the CoVid19 restrictions, Burren Lowlands helped local initiatives of groups like the Yeats/Thoor Ballylee Society, the Brothers of Charity, Tidy Towns, and the River Walk with letters of support as they applied for various grants.

Burren Lowland’s Community focus was funded by both Clare Local Development & Galway Rural Development Groups, with a preparatory technical study within the Burren Lowlands communities undertaken to conduct a SWOT analysis in each community to improve engagement. Results will be used to identify outreach to the leaders of the communities and SWOT analysis with each. 

In 2019, preceding Galway’s role as European Capital of Culture 2020, a number of events including “Small Towns, Big Ideas” were held. An ongoing partnership with Galway 2020, Galway Co. Co., and ICOMOS3 culminated in an extraordinarily successful HEART of Gort Festival in May 2019. This event brought the whole area together to celebrate local Heritage, Environment, Architecture, River & Tradition.

That year, the Volunteer led Tourist office recorded over 850 visitors. The Burren Lowlands registered as a Social Enterprise with Galway Rural Development and BL CLG participated in the ‘Architecture on The Edge’ event which included a walking tour of Gort.

Tourism

In 2016 to 2018, Burren Lowlands partnered each year with Bank of Ireland Enterprise Day – exhibitions showcasing local community arts & crafts, clubs and societies. Positive engagement with Fáilte Ireland resulted in a commitment to create a loop off the Wild Atlantic Way to be known (tentatively) as the Burren Trail.

1. Other accomplishments included financial support that year to re-open Thoor Ballylee, home of WB Yeats, increasing tourism potential for the area. The volunteer led Tourist Office opened in the An Taisce owned Weigh House in The Square, Gort. The Tourist Office was supported by a TUS worker under the Social Employment Scheme for a year but is now run entirely by a volunteer staff.

2. The Lady Gregory Yeats Trail, a local cultural trail, was brought in under the umbrella of Burren Lowlands insurance policies. Gort Town Historic Walking Trail developed with an accompanying Z card map of the town & buildings.

Furthermore, BL CLG delivered three pilot programmes for the region at Holiday World in Limerick and the R.D.S. in Dublin.  Once the Burren Drive is completed, these will draw visitors through the area and include:

• Family Friendly holidays in the region,

• Art on the Atlantic (including crafts) and

• Literary Legends of the Lowlands.

  During the 2018 Galway Region of Gastronomy, BL CLG delivered a number of events including the “Flight of the Dishes” launched at the Burren Enterprise event as the Region’s theme for the Year of Gastronomy. BL CLG celebrated Gort’s St Patrick’s Day parade with a theme of “Flight of the Dishes” that included a traditional baking stand and the demonstration & preparation of traditional local dishes. Other projects included an “Eggstravaganza” event with members of Orchard House, from the local Brothers of Charity service, celebrating local egg production and usage with a multicultural “street feast” in conjunction with both the Men’s Shed & Brothers of Charity. 

BL CLG participated in a variety of food related events throughout the year including attendance by several Burren Lowlands businesses in the World Food Event at NUI Galway in Spring of 2018.

Events included a culinary heritage workshop on bread making and a demonstration of traditional butter making at the BIA Festival in Athenry and baking the traditional “Lady Gregory’s Brack” Thoor Ballylee, Yeats Tower, during Heritage Week.

Branding Strategy Commenced

In 2014-2016, the focus was on start-up: funding received from REDZ2 (Rural Economic Development Zone) initially resourced a wide range of Tourism focused schemes including branding:

• “Welcome to Burren Lowlands” branding signs were erected at strategic points in the area with logos designed for Burren Lowlands, “live, work and visit “and the Enterprise arm, “connecting communities”.

• Regional maps of the Burren Lowlands area were designed with the addition of local community highlights, such as at Kiltartan Gregory Museum, Kilmacduagh and Gort.

• Partnering with Tidy Towns groups, improvements and planters were funded in Gort as the principal market town. Other community led Village enhancement schemes were sponsored in Ardrahan, Peterswell, Beagh, Boston, Tubber, Ballindereen, Kinvara and others.

When All is Ruin Once Again 

Building the highway between Crusheen and Gort, movie follows lives of locals affected. 

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