There are some surprises among the 74 initiatives shortlisted for the 2017 Irish tourism awards. Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal makes the short list in the hotly contested cultural experience section. Newcomers include the GPO witness history centre. The shortlist:
Adventure experience: Alive Outside, Wicklow; Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails, Limerick; Delphi Resort, Galway; Killary Gaelforce, Galway; Unique Ascent, Donegal; Vagabond Tours of Ireland;
Business Tourism: Connect 16, Conference Partners; @Corkneedsyou, Cork Convention Bureau; Meet in Dublin, Dublin Convention Bureau; Google Conference 2015, Green Light Events; Much More than a Game, part of 2016 Aer Lingus American College Football, Irish American Events Ltd
Environmental tourism: Doolin Cave, Clare; Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park, Kildare; Mayo International Dark Sky Park; Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, Clare; Rock Farm Slane, Meath
Large event: Cannonball Ireland; Bray Air Display/Bray Summerfest, Wicklow; Mayo Manchester Tradfest; St Patrick’s Festival, Dublin; Winterval, Waterford
Small event: 2016 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, Dublin; Battle for the Bay Watersport & Music Festival, Dublin; Ireland BikeFest Killarney, Kerry; Litfest, A Food and Drinks Literacy Festival at Ballymaloe, Cork; The Carr Golf World Invitational Father & Son Tournament, Kerry
F&B experience: Airfield Estate, Dublin; Fab Food Trails, Dublin & Cork; Galway Food Tours; New ‘Guinness & Food Experience’ at the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin; Taste the Burren Food Trail, Clare
Access initiative: Aer Lingus; Cork Airport; Dublin Airport; Dublin Port Company; Irish Ferries
Marketing initiative: Brendan Vacations; Cork Airport; Guinness Storehouse; Irish Ferries; Logitravel Group; MCI Dublin
Local Authority: This is Cavan! A winning tourism destination 2016-2021, Cavan County Council; Fingal Tourism Strategy 2015-2018, Fingal County Council; The Jackie Clarke Collection, 1 man, 100,000 items, 400 years of Irish history, Mayo County Council; Queen Maeve Trail, Knocknarea, Sligo County Council; Lough Derg Marketing Group Roadmap Initiatives, Tipperary County Council (on behalf of Tipperary, Clare & Galway County Council)
Large cultural experience: GPO Witness History Visitor Centre, Dublin; House of Waterford Crystal, Waterford; Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Dublin; Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden, Galway; Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin
Small cultural experience: Cnoc Suain, Galway; Dublin Northside Attractions Alliance, Dublin’s DNA; Earagail Arts Festival, Donegal; Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Dublin; Lough Gur Heritage Centre, Limerick; Teeling Whiskey Distillery, Dublin
City tourism: Dublin Northside Attractions Alliance, Dublin’s DNA; EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Dublin; GPO Witness History, Dublin; Shannon Heritage, Clare; Smithwick’s Experience, Kilkenny
County tourism; Commissioners of Irish Lights, Ireland; Fortress Spike Island, Cork; Lough Key Forest & Activity Park, Roscommon; Powerscourt Estate, Wicklow; Westport House, Mayo
Place to stay initiative: Belmond Grand Hibernian, Ireland; Clare Island Lighthouse, Mayo; Forest Dome Experience, Fermanagh & Donegal; Irish Landmark Trust Experience, Dublin; River Valley Holiday Park, Wicklow; The Shannon Princess, Westmeath;
