Fáilte Ireland make move to new office at Market House
Fáilte Ireland have moved into a new regional office in the centre of Mullingar. The tourism body’s new office is on the top floor of the Market House, having recently secured a lease from Westmeath County Council for the space.
Mullingar’s Tourist Information Office, which is operated by Fáilte Ireland on a seasonal basis, has occupied a space on the ground floor since the mid-1990s.
Up until recently, the state agency had its office in Fair Green and prior to that it was located in Clonard House on the Dublin Road.
The office space accommodates staff from a variety of divisions within the organisation including the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Ireland’s Ancient East teams as well as the marketing, finance, product development and enterprise development teams.
The Hidden Heartlands team has nine of its 11 staff based at the office, from which it oversees the development and promotion of tourism across the midlands.
The Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands region includes 11 counties stretching from Leitrim and Cavan to Tipperary and North Cork.
The team work closely with the local authorities, the tourism industry and a wide range of other stakeholders in maximising the opportunities to grow tourism across the region.
EU Just Transition Fund
A major focus for the team at present is the EU Just Transition Fund, which will see €68m invested in regenerative tourism projects across the region over the next three years.
To date, three projects proposed by Westmeath County Council have been awarded funding: they are – a €3.32m upgrade the facilities at Athlone Castle, over €560,000 for the design and planning of boardwalk and urban swimming pool in Athlone town centre, and almost €190,000 for a regenerative tourism project at Belvedere House and Gardens.
Further projects from the private and community sectors will be funded over the coming months.
Paddy Mathews, head of operations with the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands team, said: “We’re delighted to be based in such a central location in Mullingar and look forward to continuing our work to develop tourism in a sustainable manner in Westmeath and across the wider Hidden Heartland region in the years to come.
“The EU Just Transition Fund will provide tourism in the Midlands with a significant shot in the arm in addition to facilitating the transition to a carbon-neutral economy for the future.”