Erris in Mayo has much to offer tourists but how will visitors be attracted if they do not know it exists?
Erris is a beautiful part of Mayo and one of the most unspoilt parts of Ireland. The area is also underdeveloped in terms of tourism.
Caitlín Ní Sheighin, a teacher in the Gaeltacht village of Ceathrú Thaidhg believes the community here needs to be supported if a viable tourism industry is ever to be established. The interest is there, but training and development are needed to enable people to create facilities for tourists.
Bord Fáilte has also been behind the door in terms of marketing the area, which has walking trails, spectacular scenery, an abundance of bird life, beautiful beaches and archeological sites,
Ní bhfaighfeá áit níos fearr.
To the east of Ceathrú Thaidhg lie the Céide Fields, an extensive stone age settlement. Dr Seamus Caulfield leads a team of archaeologists who are in the process of mapping and excavating the site.
This place was once home to a thriving agricultural community, whose stone wall boundaries and homes became covered by blanket bog over thousands of years. Dr Seamus Caulfield demonstrates how past eras are measured in the depths of the bog, and underneath it all is evidence that our Neolithic ancestors were,
Anseo ag obair, agus na beithigh in sna páirceanna anseo acu ag an am sin.
This episode of 'Iris’ was broadcast on 25 February 1990. The reporter is Maireád Ní Nuadháin.
