Flatley backs plan for heritage centre
The Irish-American, who lives in Castlehyde in Fermoy, has agreed to be an ambassador for a project which could attract up to 500,000 visitors a year.
The proposed national centre, which could cost up to €20m, is a centrepiece of Cork City Council’s three-year tourism strategy, which was unveiled last night. City bosses are confident that with Flatley’s backing, their bid will trump a similar proposal in Dalkey.
Flatley said he was “very proud” to be a patron of the Cork project. “This is a fantastic initiative that will highlight origins, genealogy, diaspora and influence of the Irish nation. It is also a unique opportunity to unify the Irish diaspora throughout the world and inform future generations of their rich Irish heritage.
“This project is in my view long overdue and I am glad to see that Cork has grasped the opportunity and that it is finally under way.”
The council wants the centre to become one of the city’s “must-see” tourist destinations. But as well as securing local, national and EU funding, it also needs private investors.
The council’s tourism spokesman Damien O’Mahony said the centre would use hi-tech interactive displays to trace and explain the rich and complex story of the Irish.
They plan to work with UCC to develop a national centre for genetic and genealogy research on the site.
Efforts will be made to make it easier for visitors trying to trace their Irish roots to access digitised diocesan records.
And there are plans to form a back office team that would build links with the global Irish diaspora.
As part of the council’s tourism strategy, there are initiatives to re-open the 16th-century Elizabeth Fort to the public by the end of next month and roll out tourist-friendly waymarked trails to some of the city’s key visitor attractions and historic quarters. There is also a plan to expand free wifi to all public areas of the city and develop a centre for food excellence.
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