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Listen above to hear what Cian got up to on Day 4 of Ireland by Bike
On the penultimate day of his bike tour, Cian departs from the banks of the Shannon in Banagher and heads for Tullamore, with a scenic detour through Lough Boora Discovery Park to see how locals are unlocking the area's potential.
The desert bog that’s now a hub of biodiversity & activity for children. ‘Ireland by bike’ continues on @morningireland @rte @rtenews @RTERadio1 @LifeStyleRTE pic.twitter.com/HJFoQeqzuR
— cian mccormack (@cian_mccormack) July 26, 2018
Seán Craven of the Kilcormac Development Association greeted Cian at the local church and told him about the mission to make Kilcormac - which attracts 100,000 visitors every year - "the gateway to Lough Boora Discovery Park" .
At Lough Boora Discovery Park, Cian met manager Tom Egan who told him about the development of the site and brought him on a tour of the fairy trail.
Before the site was developed as a public and tourism amenity, "it would've been black, bare, desert-like. Nature has come in and, along with work done by Bórd na Móna, it has been transformed".
The fairy trail was developed with local artist Pádraig Larkin in conjunction with The Fairy Door Company.
It attracts lots of young visitors and families and is marketed as a haven for nature - and a prime location for outdoor enthusiasts to explore walking and cycle trails, angling lakes, bird hides and sculptures.
Lough Boora provides lots of employment for the local community. Local young people, like Chloe Mullen, "feel very lucky" to have summer jobs at the discovery park.
Cian finished his day at the Tullamore Dew Distillery where just under 50,000 people pass through the doors of its visitor's centre every year.
Listen to Ireland by Bike on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio One every morning this week.
You can contact Cian at irelandbybike@rte.ie
