Feasibility Study for Pilgrim Way along the Shannon Erne Waterway

You are invited to a Consultative Workshop
on 5^th February 2019 6.30-9.00pm in Athlone Radisson Blu Hotel

In late 2018, West Limerick Resources, in association with 13 local development companies (LDCs) including Westmeath Community Development and thirteen local authorities along the entire Shannon –Erne navigation, commissioned SLR Consulting and Alan Hill Tourism Development to investigate the feasibility of developing an internationally attractive, iconic Pilgrim Way along the Shannon Erne waterway.  The area under consideration embraces a 20km wide corridor from Kerry-Clare-Limerick on the Shannon Estuary northwards through the Shannon lakes to the Shannon-Erne Waterway through to the Erne system in Fermanagh-Donegal. 

The aim is to develop an iconic international ‘Pilgrim Way’ based on the rich early Christian and Viking heritage of the Early Medieval period in Ireland.  Well known ecclesiastical sites include Scattery Island, Iniscealtra (Holy Island, Clare), Clonmacnoise (Offaly), Quaker Island (Lough Ree), Boyle Abbey (Roscommon), Devenish Island (Lough Erne) and the iconic pilgrimage site at Lough Derg (St Patrick’s) in Donegal, among others.  Many more, lesser known sites are included in the overall analysis for a total of more than 100 sites in total.

WCD was delighted to be part of the Social Farming Ireland report on Social Farming and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, launched at the farm of Patrick and Corrina Corrigan in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan on the 21^st January.

Amongst the attendance of was Principal Officer for the Social Inclusion and Communities Unit of the Department of Rural and Community Development, Paul Geraghty, along with Local Development Companies, Social Farmers and beneficiaries of social farming.

WCD in conjunction with Dept of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) are seeking applicants for the QQI Level 5 - Trainee Entrepreneur Programme CE which will take place in Mullingar this March 2019.  This course runs for 24 weeks on Monday's 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The envisaged start date is March 2019 and it will be run in our WCD Mullingar Offices which are located in:

Westmeath Community Development
Mullingar E.T.I. Ctr
Mullingar Bus Pk
Mullingar
Co Westmeath

Directions can be accessed below on the link:

https://bit.ly/2Lm051z 

View Brochure

To view the brochure for the course click here.

For further information contact:

• Dan Grehan WCD Mullingar- Phone: 044-9348571

• DEASP Employment Services Mullingar- 044 9348805

• DEASP Employment Services Athlone -Phone 09064 73499

The workshop is aimed at any community voluntary groups interested in pursuing public and other philanthropic grant funding available. Representatives from various funding, as well as bridge-funding bodies, will be in attendance to give a small presentation about their respective grants or bridge-funding options. Ample time for feedback and questions.

Attendance confirmed from the Peatlands Community Engagement Fund (Dept of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht), Community Water Development Fund 2019 (LA Waters & Communities Office), Heritage Council, Social Innovation Fund, Western Development Commission, Community Finance Ireland