Two of Clare’s most iconic sites have been selected for consideration to be included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List for Ireland.
The Cultural Landscape of the Burren Uplands and Inis Cealtra are among six sites nationally being considered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for inclusion on the list.
The list is updated every 10 years and an independent advisory group will now consider the applications of each of the six to determine whether they may be included in the next list of these sites in Ireland.
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Tourism and Aviation Cathal Crowe has welcomed the news.
“It’s a huge credit to all involved in both the Burren uplands and Inis Cealtra to see them reach this stage in attempting to achieve this prestigious status,” said Deputy Crowe.
“In 2019 I was involved in a number of events relating to UNESCO accreditation for the Burren Geopark. The karst landscape of the Burren and the amazing flora and fauna that thrives on it is very unique.
It would be great to see an extension of this to include World Heritage status for the Burren’s lunar landscape uplands.”
“Holy Island, meanwhile, is the jewel in the crown of East Clare. Its full potential is only now being realised as Clare County Council, with government support, seek to develop it into a world class tourism site.
“Tourists these days are very discerning and spend weeks researching online and trawling through social media threads before deciding where to base themselves on holiday.
UNESCO status serves to entice tourists in their droves but it also ensures that sites are protected and sustainably managed,” Deputy Crowe added.