Address by Mr. Noel Treacy, T.D.,Minister For Science, Technology and Commerceon the Occasion of the Formal Turning of the Sod for the New Lough Allen Outdoor Pursuits Centre at Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, on 11th July, 2000,

I would like to thank the Leitrim County Enterprise Fund most sincerely for inviting me here today to formally turn the sod on the new Lough Allen Outdoor Pursuits Centre. Firstly, may I sincerely congratulate you on this achievement and say how pleased I am that such a top quality project is going ahead in this beautiful County.

I am very happy on occasions such as this not only to support the new project but also to acknowledge the assistance received from the European Union through the Ireland/Northern Ireland Interreg, the Peace Programme and the local Enterprise Funds along with the International Fund for Ireland towards this new centre.

This project will incorporate offices, dining area, classroom, common lounge and accommodation for up to forty visitors, as well as changing facilities and storage rooms for equipment, at a total cost of £650,000.

Lough Allen Outdoor Pursuits Centre will be an important new tourist facility for this wonderful area. Tourism in Leitrim is currently centred around two key products – cruising and angling. Leitrim County Enterprise Fund, to its enormous credit, identified the market and opportunity for the development of an outdoor activity centre in County Leitrim which would develop other areas within the tourism sector and enhance the existing attractions that lovely Leitrim has to offer.

The centre will cater for extensive outdoor recreation and tourist activities, including water activities, hill walking, orienteering etc. The location here at Lough Allen was selected, as you can see, because of its natural beauty, closeness to lakes, hills, many walks and the town of Drumshanbo. The development of special interest tourism is ideal for such an unspoilt area as Lough Allen.

A greater awareness of the benefits of physical fitness has increased the demand for adventure type holidays and obviously there is a need to exploit that sector. Provision of first class facilities such as those to be built on this site will contribute to the sector and attract visitors from all over the world. The centre has the aim of attracting significant activity tourists to this county and act as a catalyst for further economic development in this area. It will also target the educational and specialist skills markets. Lough Allen is truly a unique and unspoilt location in which to engage in outdoor pursuits.

The new centre will also increase wealth in the local community through spin-off activities, such as, the accommodation sector, restaurants, services etc. It will create employment and offer activities such as wind surfing and canoeing for the local community, in addition to being a key tourist attraction.

I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the provision of this fine centre and I hope that the weather will shine on the builders. I wish the centre every success when it is eventually up and running.