Quilty Tourism

Leon Heritage

Communities built along the coast usually have a history of co-operating where work-related matters are concerned. Quilty is no different. Fishing communities of old had to work together to get fish cleaned and to market while still fresh. This tradition existed in the Quilty area as it did elsewhere. Hence, it is to this idea of "working together" that we look to plot a way forward for the future. At the heart of this working together lies the founding of the Leon Community Co-operative and the development of an umbrella community brand called "LEON".

The LEON Community Brand

The biggest advantage to developing this umbrella brand is that it will enable several community micro-enterprise initiatives to be developed. The co-operative established to manage the proposed Leon Centre will also be responsible for managing the brand and the activities undertaken using it name.
Tourism Initiative

One of the most important functions of the proposed Leon Community Co-operative will be to build the tourism profile of the Quilty area, and to develop tourism products that can be marketed within Ireland and Europe in particular, delivered by people employed locally. There will be three strands to the tourism initiative: the annual Leon XIII Festival; Leon Seasonal Coach Tours; and, the Leon themed weekends.

To commemorate the centenary year of the Leon XIII rescue in 1907, the first annual regatta festival will be held during the last weekend in September. Regattas were a regular feature in Quilty up until the late 1960s and the core group wishes to revive this community tradition. The annual regatta festival will bring additional tourism revenues into the area by prolonging the length of the summer tourist season.

Culture and Heritage Initiative

One of the features of this initiative will be the development of the Leon Walking Trail. The trail will provide visitors to the area with a detailed map of the most interesting walking routes and a guide to the local heritage of the area. The proposed trail with be marked with appropriate signage and information boards located along the route.

Another key feature of this initiative will be the recording of music CDs and DVDs highlighting the musical and artistic traditions of the Quilty area and West Clare in particular. The establishment of a local comhaltas group will provide an on-going focal point for this particular initiative.