Tourism and Economic strategy and action plan for Drumshanbo and Leitrim Village

Members of the local community, representatives from Drumshanbo Community Council and Leitrim Village Development Association, as well as staff from Waterways Ireland and Leitrim County Council, attended an event on Thursday, February 23 in the Food Hub in Drumshanbo to launch the Tourism and Economic Development Strategy and five year action plan for Drumshanbo and Leitrim Village.

A key strategic priority for County Leitrim is the economic development and sustainability of all our Towns and Village.

The county with its unspoilt landscapes, beautiful scenery and rich heritage provides us with a quality starting point from which to build. It is imperative that we maintain these unique features while also developing the County as an area that people want to visit, live in, do business in and invest in.

Ongoing sustainable development in the wider County is proving that it is possible to have an infrastructure providing balance between the development of commercial activity while also maintaining an area that provides an escapism for a person seeking a break or removal from the pressures of urban life.

Drumshanbo and Leitrim Village have for years worked tirelessly on numerous development projects locally and have continuously engaged with Leitrim County Council and Waterways Ireland for the future development of their respective areas.

Leas Cathaoirleach Sean Mc Dermott said “Through the working partnership between the agencies and the community groups significant developments have taken place in the area in recent years and it was agreed to develop a ten year Tourism and Economic Development Strategy for Drumshanbo and Leitrim Village combined with a five year action plan in order to plan for the future and capitalise on the work to date.

“Work has been on going on this for over 12 months now and we are delighted to be here this evening to present the final plan.

“I would like to commend the work of all involved and I wish the partners well on delivering the actions on the ground.”

Key projects developed in the area include The Blueway, the Food Hub and more recently the development of the Tourism and Economic Development Strategy and five year action plan for Drumshanbo and Leitrim Village as well as various Clár, Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and Town and Village funded projects, which concentrate on enhancing the overall appearance and appeal of both areas.

Emer Connolly, Senior Executive Officer within Economic Development thanked all the partners involved in bringing the project to fruition, Emer acknowledged the work of Eileen Mc Gloin EMCG solutions and Ethna Murphy in bringing the strategy through the various stages of the process ultimately providing a detailed action plan for the area for the next five years.

Emer welcomed the opportunity to be involved in this partnership with the community in Drumshanbo and Leitrim Village as well as Waterways Ireland and re-iterated the Council’s ongoing commitment to delivering the actions within the strategy jointly with the partners over the coming years.

Cllr Enda Mc Gloin, chairperson of Drumshanbo Community Council highlighted all the developments in Drumshanbo and Leitrim village in recent years including the Blueway and the Food Hub and re-affirmed the groups role in this strategy.
Cllr Mc Gloin also stated that through delivering the actions it will achieve long term sustainability and enhancement of the wider area and the County as a whole.