Byrne welcomes €620,000 in funding to develop key Dublin tourist attractions

Fine Gael Dublin South Central TD, Catherine Byrne, has today (Thursday) warmly welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar TD, that an extra €620,000 is to be provided for key tourist attractions in Dublin. This will include a new interactive tourist trail, the Dubline, stretching from College Green to Kilmainham.

“Minister Varadkar is awarding significant amounts of funding to five projects along the new Dubline tourist trail. The following projects are set to benefit:

·          St Werburgh’s Church – €200,000

·          Dublinia €184,000

·          Christ Church Cathedral – €188,500

·          Tailor’s Hall – €29,040

·          Smock Alley – €17,814 (including the repair of the first Catholic bell to ring in Dublin in nearly 300 years in breach of the penal laws)

“This funding injection is a great boost to the Dubline, which should help to bring thousands of extra tourists to the Kilmainham area every year. The Dubline will be a unique cultural and heritage walking trail running across the city from College Green to Kilmainham. The route will be enhanced with wifi information links, dynamic signage, and dedicated branding, providing visitors with an informative and enjoyable walking trail through the city.

“It is planned to develop a new visitor meeting point along the Dubline route and themed walking trails may also be developed along the central route. It is intended to launch a marketing campaign about the trail both at home and abroad, which should help to make the route a focal point for visitors to the city.

“The Dubline will allow tourists to literally take a walk through Dublin’s history, encompassing our Viking, medieval, Norman and Anglo-Irish pasts. Tourism is already worth €1.5 billion to Dublin every year, and I am confident that the development of the Dubline will help to boost this even further by enhancing Dublin’s reputation as a world class destination.”

ENDS