News Release: 8th December 2008

Minister Cullen announces almost €11.2 million in Tourism Development Grants for six key visitor attractions.

Six of the country's key visitor attractions in counties Cork, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Roscommon are to receive funding support of up to €11.2 million for reinvestment in their tourism product under Failte Ireland's Tourism Capital Investment Programme, announced today (8 December 2008) by Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism.

The funding will allow for the further development of three historic houses, their gardens, collections and visitor experiences in Cork, Kilkenny and Wicklow; the transformation of a museum in Roscommon into an international centre for the interpretation of the Irish Famine; the further development of the visitor experience of life on board a famine ship, located in Wexford and improvements to a six hundred year old castle located in Cork.

The six visitor attractions to receive support are Fota House and Gardens, Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, (to receive €1,700,490); Russborough, Blessington, Co Wicklow, (to receive €2,251,351); Rothe House, Kilkenny, (to receive €1,964,000); Dunbrody Famine Ship, South Quay, New Ross, Co Wexford, (to receive€1,887,001); Strokestown Famine Museum, Strokestown Park, Co Roscommon, (to receive €2,293,046) and Blarney Castle, Blarney, Co Cork (to receive €1,097,583).

This allocation of funding is in addition to over €29 million in grants under the Tourism Capital Investment Programme, which have been announced over the last two years.

Speaking about today's allocations, Minister Martin Cullen said: "I am delighted to announce this Capital Investment funding of almost ?11.2 million to these visitor attractions. While international and domestic economic factors are creating a challenging trading environment for the tourism sector at present, it is important that we continue to invest in our tourism product, so we can be best placed to take full advantage when more favourable economic conditions return. The projects for which funding is being announced today are excellent examples of existing attractions which will benefit from funding for upgrading and development and which will further enhance the tourism product on offer to tourists."

Minister Cullen continued: "Funding totalling €14.8 million has been provided throughout 2008 to support investment in our key tourism infrastructure, attractions and visitor activity facilities which are in need of upgrading and development, and to bring on stream new products and experiences to meet the needs of a more discerning international and domestic tourist."

The projects announced today were approved by the Failte Ireland Authority, subject to each project being able to comply with a number of specific requirements of Failte Ireland prior to the signing of a grant contract.

Information about the six attractions and how the Failte Ireland funding will be utilised is provided below:

Fota House and Gardens, Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork This Regency-style building in a landscape setting on Fota Island, is complemented by the internationally renowned gardens and arboretum. The House, which reflects a lifestyle in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, is a celebration of fine craftsmanship and has a particularly well appointed kitchen. Grant funding of up to ?1,700,490 has now been allocated, for the further development of the house and gardens including; completion of the internal refurbishment of the first floor of the house to open all elements to the public; interpretation of the house and gardens and restoration of the kitchen garden in the orchard.

Russborough, Blessington, Co Wicklow

Located in natural surroundings, there is arguably no other Palladian house in Ireland to rival Russborough House aesthetically or architecturally. It was designed by the renowned German architect Richard Cassels. The house is well maintained and contains fine furniture, tapestries, carpets, porcelain, silver and bronzes. Grant funding of up to €2,251,351 has now been allocated for the further development of the house and restoration of the gardens including: restoration of the Ice House; Lime Kiln; the development of a new visitor experience to provide information about the history of the house, its estate and gardens and the family histories of the owners; the development of the Alfred Beit photographic and film exhibition, as well as the development of a playground and sculpture garden.

Rothe House, Parliament Street, Kilkenny Situated in the Medieval city of Kilkenny, Rothe House is a unique example of an early 17th century merchant s townhouse. Built between 1594 and 1610, Rothe House has a rich local and national history. The House is currently open to the public as a museum, displaying some 2,500 artefacts. The garden, newly opened in 2008, is a reconstruction of an early 17th century urban garden. Grant funding of up to €1,964,000 has now been allocated for the further development of the house to bring the Rothe House and family story to life.

Dunbrody Famine Ship, South Quay, New Ross, Co Wexford The Dunbrody is a 458 tonne three-masted barque, 176 feet (53.7 metres) long. The present ship is a reconstruction of the original Dunbrody, built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Hamilton Oliver, an Irish emigrant from Co. Derry Dunbrody was primarily a cargo vessel and carried timber from Canada, cotton from the southern states of the USA and guano from Peru. The ship was fitted with bunks and facilities for passengers who wanted to escape famine conditions in Ireland. From 1845 to 1851, between April and September, the boat carried passengers on her outward journeys to Canada and the USA. The Dunbrody, the Irish Emigration Database and the Irish Emigrant Wall of Honour, - all located in New Ross - are conceived as a modern day celebration of the lives and achievements of Irish emigrants and their descendents. Grant funding of up to ¬1,887,001 has now been allocated for the further development of the visitor experience of life on the Dunbrody as well as the development of expanded onshore visitor facilities.

Strokestown Famine Museum, Strokestown Park, Co Roscommon Strokestown Estate comprises Strokestown Park House - an 18th century mansion which has been restored, - and the four-acre 18th century walled pleasure gardens which have been fully restored to their original splendour. Its key attractions are the herbaceous border, which is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest herbaceous border in Britain and Ireland, and the Famine Museum, which currently uses a combination of original documents and images from the Strokestown Park collection to explain the circumstances of the Great Irish Famine of the 1840's. Grant funding of up to ?2,293,046 has now been allocated for the transformation of the current museum into an international centre for the interpretation of the Irish Famine as well as for the study of the causes and experience of famine across the world - and across history.

Blarney Castle, Blarney, Co Cork. Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland s leading chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy and the Castle been attracting attention beyond Munster ever since. Grant funding of up to ?1,097,583 has now been allocated towards the expansion of the existing visitor offering to deliver an attraction of broader international market appeal including: improvements to the castle and rock close; interpretation and signage; provision of an event space at the stables; re-establishment of the walled garden and the upgrade of existing gardens. Consuelo O'Connor, Chairwoman of the Alfred Beit Foundation. Business, Committee.
Ends.

Russborough Trustees, CEO Eric Blatchford, and the Staff would like to thank the Minister for this generous announcement at this time.

Further information will be available in the very near future.