An Bord Pleanála granted planning approval for new visitor experience facilities at Loop Head Lighthouse Visitor Experience in County Clare, including a visitor centre, walking trail network, carpark, and conservation efforts.
Loop Head Lighthouse, with origins dating back to the 1670s, is a significant landmark on the Wild Atlantic Way and Loop Head Heritage Trail, playing a key role in maritime heritage and tourism in County Clare.
The proposed development, subject to securing necessary funding, aims to boost the local economy and community profile by focusing on sustainability and slow tourism principles, while preserving the heritage of the site.
Clare County Council, with support from stakeholders and community engagement, is committed to sustainable tourism development, with plans to enhance visitor facilities and promote the rich history and heritage of Loop Head Lighthouse.
Gabriel Keating, Leas Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council said “the proposed development, which is subject to the necessary funding being secured, will generate significant, positive dividends for surrounding communities on Loop Head peninsula in terms of profile and the local economy. The focus on building a visitor attraction that is both sustainable and in keeping with the ethos of slow tourism is key,” added the Leas Cathaoirleach. I am happy to see that sustainability is at the heart of the future plans for the site. I want to acknowledge the contribution of Loop Head Tourism, local landowners and the wider community as well as my own Council colleagues, particularly my fellow members of West Clare Municipal District.”
Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council stated, “Loop Head Lighthouse is one of Clare’s best known heritage attractions and has been the subject of considerable investment by the Department of Rural Community Development through RRDF funding as well as from Clare County Council in recent years. The proposed new development is subject to additional funding being secured and if successful, we are committed to delivering a project that will encourage the public to experience the rich heritage and history that stems from the lighthouse and the communities of the surrounding Peninsula. Extensive engagement with Elected Members, key stakeholders, state agencies and the local community, including landowners, has been key to securing planning permission for the visitor project.”
Leonard Cleary, Director of Tourism Development and West Clare MD said “under the County Clare Tourism Strategy and the Clare Rural Development Strategy, Clare County Council is committed to identifying opportunities to sustainably develop our tourism infrastructure in a way that benefits the rural regeneration of our towns and villages. Loop Head Lighthouse has proven to be one of the tourism success stories for County Clare in recent years and has helped to strengthen the profile, both nationally and internationally, of the wider Loop Head Peninsula and what it has to offer as a tourism destination. We look forward to progressing this project and delivering a tourism product that the local community can be rightly proud of.”
