Book Of Kells Experience a major addition to local heritage tourism

The new Book of Kells Experience website was launched on Monday at Teltown House by Meath-based MEP Mairead McGuinness who stressed the importance of cultural and heritage tourism as part of the recovery strategy for the Irish economy. The Book of Kells Experience and the website - bookofkells.tourguide.ie - is designed to attract tourists to spend time and immerse themselves in the area which produced the incomparable manuscript that is now housed in Trinity College. The tour takes a visitor off the beaten track to help them find something that is surprising and memorable. The cathaoirleach of Kells Town Council, Cllr Conor Ferguson, paid tribute to Lucy O’Reilly and the others behind the project for their 'get up and go’ attitude. He paid tribute to the tourist providers of the area for getting behind the project and pledged that Kells Town Council would help in any way it could. Mairead McGuinness said that, increasingly, people are looking at rediscovering their roots as a country and as a community. “This road to reconnecting with our roots is also a key part of ensuring that the Irish economy and the regions set out on a road to recovery. “It is also a strategy which will find favour with visitors to our country who want to come here for a real experience of Ireland, including taking in the many historic and mythical sites and stories of our past,” she said. The MEP said this can begin with local people learning about and understanding our own past. “We tend to go away to visit sites of interest but sometimes neglect to look closer to home for the many fascinating stories and sites with deep cultural and historic significance. “To some extent, the town of Kells - a market town - has been overlooked in the rush of recent years. But it is heartening to know that local people are embracing the challenge of putting Kells firmly on the map of places to see and experiences in which to indulge. “I’m impressed by the effort which has gone into this website. The effort will, I hope, be rewarded with increasing interest in, and visits to, the region and the establishment of a new and innovative tourism product based on the incredibly rich heritage of these parts.” The MEP pointed out that the EU tourism industry generates more than five per cent of the EU GDP, with about 1.8 million enterprises employing around 5.2 per cent of the total labour force (approximately 9.7 million jobs). When related sectors are taken into account, the estimated contribution of tourism to GDP creation is much higher: tourism indirectly generates more than 10 per cent of the European Union’s GDP and provides about 12 per cent of the labour force. She said Kells has a head start when it comes to promoting itself. “The Book of Kells is as well known as Newgrange in terms of Ireland’s cultural past. This can be capitalised upon with the new opportunities opening up. It is also a great example of sustainable tourism which can help to generate income and employment for local people. The Book of Kells Experience tour package was developed by Boyne Valley Champions under the aegis of the Boyne Valley Initiative, which is run by Fáilte Ireland. Following extensive consumer research in the UK and Ireland, the Boyne Valley was recognised by Fáilte Ireland as a developing destination with a wealth of heritage and culture products available locally. The Book of Kells Experience is a three- and four-day itinerary that includes accommodation, food and tours around Kells and its environs. It includes elements of heritage in the area that tourists would be interested in - from the monastic site, the spire of Loyd, St Ciaran’s Well and the high crosses to Causey Farm, the Kells Victorian Waterworks, Clonabreany Cemetery and Teltown, the home of the Tailteann Games, which were the template for the Olympic Games, taken back to Greece by Greek traders, 400 years before the Olympics began.