Minister Dara Calleary is visiting Co Cavan this evening.
The Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development has just officially opened the new natural playground at Dún na Rí Forest Park in Kingscourt.
He is now about to turn the sod on the new Ballyjamesduff Community and Enterprise Hub on the former Percy French Hotel site.
The Minister will then visit the Killykeen Bridge Cycle Trail and Bridge Enhancements works at Killykeen Forest Park.
Minister Calleary will also travel to Con Smith Park to see the Upgrade and Enhancement works and then travel on to Ballyconnell to visit the Market House which is a Community, Remote Working and Tourism Hub.
Speaking in Kingscourt this evening, he said investment was crucial in rural areas and that was happening by his department.
“This is my first stop in a number of stops this evening in Cavan where we're going to look at projects from the department here with 70,000 visitors to Dun na Ri. That really shows you where we can go with it, and the fact that it's linked into the town makes it easier for the town to come out and to enjoy it, and vice versa.
There's four trails here now. So from an ecological point of view, from a nature point of view, you have the River Walk, the village walk, the Nature Trail and the yellow walk, different experiences, different abilities, but all giving people a reason to get out here and to enjoy it, and not just locals, but to come from all over to enjoy the experience.”
Meanwhile, local councillor Clifford Kelly said the official opening of the playground was a big deal for Kingscourt, adding that much more was coming for the Kingscourt area.
Cllr Kelly said, “the natural play area was designed to incorporate all the principles of natural play and native timber has been used along with other natural products to ensure it fits seemingly into the surrounding environment here in the park.
“The centerpiece of the play area is the large Slide with a castle, which was mirrored on the neighboring Cabra Castle. The design element points to the importance of Dun na Ri Forest Park as a key strategic site in terms of tourism and recreation for Cavan.
Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr John Paul Feeley said “Cllr Clifford Kelly will be glad to know that not only will he see some wonderful schemes throughout today in the county, but that there is a good pipeline of further schemes on the way to him from Cavan County Council.
“He said it was a testament to the work of our council staff, and I want to thank all of them involved in bringing forward schemes like this and ensuring that they are implemented well. But it seems like this doesn't happen without a partnership, and that includes the councilors who vote the unwelcome increases in rates and local property tax to fund and ensure that Cavan County Council can fund these schemes and provide the funding. A number of years ago, in conjunction with Cavan County Council, a master plan was prepared for Dun na Ri Forest and the work you see at the entrance here and this wonderful playground are an example of that. They provide a wonderful facility for the local community, as councilor Kelly has said, they link this tremendous asset here in County Cavan with the town of Kingscourt, and they also will, in due course, link into the old railway line back to Navan.
“It is just another example of the initiatives here in this part of Cavan, and we're very proud also to see that part of the master plan will give rise to further initiatives here in Dun na Ri, including, as was recently announced, funding for restrooms, which will be very important for visitors. The more you enhance a place like this, the more people will come to visit it and it was historically a huge attraction, and there is no reason why those numbers cannot continue to come to enjoy this wonderful place.
“We're delighted to see further progress coming down the tracks here, and I know councilor Kelly will be too modest to mention the almost 20 million euro that is to be spent here in Kingscourt over the next couple of years with the regeneration project in the town centre, the new library, which build upon projects which he was involved in over the years, such as the Greenway hub. I do want to acknowledge councilor Kelly, who is a wonderful mentor, colleague and friend to myself and indeed to all of us. He is an example of what public representatives should be, and I'm being a bit parochial or maybe political in saying that, but as a councilor, he misses no opportunity in representing this electoral area and when I am here in Kingscourt, to very clearly acknowledge his great work. I suppose when you have somebody like Clifford on your doorstep, you probably take him for granted. But throughout his career, whether elected or not, Clifford has put the needs of the community and all of its people at the very heart of his work, and has done tremendous work in the community.”
