A WALK along the stretch of the Kerry Way between Lord Brandon’s Cottage and the Bride Valley, organised by the Kerry Folklore Group to promote a new app at the weekend also coincides with a major announcement in relation to the next phase of the project.
The multi lingual app, which currently covers the stretch of the Kerry Way between Lord Brandon’s Cottage and Glencar, provides users with the opportunity to learn about the heritage and important archaeological sites along the route.
People also get to hear what life was like in the region down through the years courtesy of recordings of local people. Once downloaded, the different elements are triggered by GPS as the walk progresses.
Those that enjoyed the walk on Saturday included German Ambassador Herr Matthias Hӧpfner and his wife Tina, Minister Brendan Griffin, football legend Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, MEP Seán Kelly and representatives of tourism businesses and organisations from the region.
Chairman of Kerry Folklore Johnny O’Connor thanked all of the organisations who supported the development of the app and said that it was the hope of committee that it would encourage many more people to enjoy the Kerry Way walk while helping to preserve the heritage of the region.
Ambassador Hӧpfner said they were delighted to receive the invitation to attend and praised the fact that the app was available in six languages, making it very accessible for visitors.
Minister Brendan Griffin also praised all involved in the initiative and pointed to the importance of tourism for the economy of Kerry. He also highlighted the links between Germany and Ireland, a point that was echoed by MEP Sean Kelly.
Director of Corporate Affairs for Kerry Group, Frank Hayes, who provided match funding for the app development, congratulated all involved in the initiative to develop the app and said that Kerry Group was delighted to support such an innovative project that will generate further benefits for the region through encouraging more tourists to use the wonderful asset that is the Kerry Way walking route.
South Kerry Development Partnership chief executive, Noel Spillane, confirmed on the day that the Kerry Folklore project application for in the region of €20,000 in funding under the 2014-2020 Rural Development (LEADER) Programme to enable the app cover the remaining sections of the Kerry Way had been successful.
Pictures: Valerie O’Sullivan. Click on individual images for details
KillarneyToday.com: It’s the talk of the town. Advertising with us works. Call 087-2229761
