Minister Coffey welcomes €140,000 Ireland Ancient East funding for Waterford

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has welcomed the news that Waterford has received €140,000 of funding for an exciting project for the Viking Triangle in Waterford City.    This initiative is getting funding for a 3D Viking experience for Waterford, that will enhance further the Viking Triangle and attract more tourists to Our City.

“This will complement existing tourist access to Reginald’s Tower and bring a new added dimension to Waterford’s Viking Triangle; which is a hugely successful tourism product for the City.  Visitors will be able to see an epic voyage from Norway, an attack on an Irish monastery, the founding of Waterford – and the impact of the Vikings on Ireland’s history and culture.  I want to commend the work of  Eamon McEneaney and the staff at Waterford Treasures Museum who have developed this initiative and secured the funding for Waterford.

“Since 2011, this Fine Gael led government has pinpointed the tourism and hospitality sector as a real driver for the economic recovery.  We have abolished the Airport Travel Tax; reduced the lower rate of VAT from 13% to 9%.  We have introduced initiatives like, The Gathering, The Wild Atlantic Way and now Ireland’s Ancient East.

“All of this work, plus increased budgets for marketing Ireland abroad has led to record visitor numbers into Ireland.  This year Ireland will see around 8 million tourists visit our shores; this is the highest level ever and we want to build on this further and see more and more tourists come to Waterford and Ireland and experience our brilliant tourism offerings.

“Fine Gael in government will continue to support the tourism and hospitality sector.  We are ambitious for this sector and I believe that Waterford has huge potential from a tourism perspective.  Outside the City there are places like Lismore that was awarded Ireland’s best tourism town; we have the fantastic Copper Coast, Comeragh Mountains, other towns like, Dungarvan, Ardmore, Tramore and Dunmore East, all with their own unique selling points.  The Ireland Ancient East Initiative will tie all of these offerings together and help to attract more tourists to the City and County over the next period.”

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