W1A-018 Interpretive centres-0.txt
6.1 Results (a) Wildlife Service, O.P.W.

Clara Bog is in State ownership by this State Body so the proposed interpretative centre will be overseen by them. They are now awaiting E.C. structural funds to continue with their plans.

Speaking at a public meeting in the Parochial Hall on Tuesday, 3rd September 1991, where there were a large number of profile people from the tourism and scientific community in both Ireland and the Netherlands, Mr. Eamonn Grennan, an agriculturalist with the National Parks and Wildlife Service for O.P., pledged that the interpretative and study centre would be established in Clara when the funds are available. He added that there was a tremendous amount of goodwill towards the setting up of a centre by the local people, and he believed that this was the first step towards putting Clara on the map as far as tourist facilities were concerned.

"Such a centre would be built when the monies become available, but there is a commitment for this centre to go ahead."

The W.S. are presently actively pursuing the matter of acquiring a site and hope to come to a decision very shortly. When the site has been acquired, the commitment for the centre will be firmer still, Mr. Grennan added:

As early as May 1990, Ms. Noreen O'Keeffe of the Wildlife Service told "The Offaly Independent" that the interpretative centre would be located in the town of Clara and it would not be a bog location. At this time, they hoped that progress would be made before the end of the year. However, due to governmental cutbacks, the plans are still suspended. The Wildlife Service hope that when the centre is built it would act as a focus for peatland conservation, promoting an awareness of the great botanical and zoological heritage of Irish bogs, particularly Clara Bog. The hope to provide an audio-visual display in the centre also.

A board walk 1,200m in length is to be erected at the bog in the very near future. The idea was mooted by Mr. Grennan and T. Dolan as a firm step towards the provision of an interpretative centre. Offaly Co. Council are also involved in arranging a location for the centre at Clara. They will incorporate the W.S.'s plans into their Development Plan for Co. Offaly.

(b) The Irish Wildlife Federation (I.W.F.)

This organisation was involved in saving Clara Bog from development by Bord na Mona in 1986. As part of Ireland's contribution to the European Environmental Bureau's E.Y.E. Projects, the I.W.F. organised a National Conservation workday on the bog in August 1987 and the group's President, Fergus O'Gorman, called on all members to come and help "Groundwork" with the drain filling. Over 150 came from all over the country. Their aims according to their President is:

"To conserve Irish Wildlife, e.g., Clara Bog by developing public awareness, especially amongst young people through educational programmes."

(c) The Irish Peatland Conservation council (I.I.C.C.)

The I.P.C.C. was established in 1982 during the National Bog Conservation week, held by An Taisce. The members of the organisation are persons from different institutes and State bodies. They promote a peatland conservation programme in Ireland and encourage the preservation of a representative series Irish peatlands. They also encourage State and Semi-State organisations involved in peatland development to acknowledge the conservation and amenity of such ecosystems. The committee have included Clara Bog in their List of International Importance, and applied to the E.C. for funds to secure the complete preservation of Clara Bog. A fund of £ 650,000 per year was provided for acquisition of reserves under the Wildlife Act.

They support the idea of an interpretative centre depending on the location.

(d) The Dutch/Irish Project on Clara Bog

This project and the nature of the research is discussed in Section 5.4. (and will end in 1992). Dr. Matthijs Schouten is a renowned environmentalist with the Dutch contingent and has made Ireland his second home. Mr. Eric Ch. Niehe, Dutch Ambassador to Ireland also addressed the meeting in Clara last September. They both made some interesting points and observations at the meeting of which I have included the main points.

Mr. Niehe talked about the great concern of some Dutch people for the conservation of Irish bogland, which is long since eaten away in Holland. They had actually purchased tracts of Irish bogland in the hope of preserving it. In an article in "The Offaly Independent" (Date: 16th September 1991) he says:

"Bogs are not of interest only to peat diggers, but to scientists, tourists, even ambassadors and Presidents. (President Hillary visited the bog last year)."

His Dutch companion, Dr. Schouten is founding chairman of the Dutch Foundation for the Conservation of Bogs and is a familiar figure in Clara, having first put the bog on the agenda for preservation. He gave a comprehensive exposition on the concept of what has now become "Green Tourism" or "Eco-tourism". Assets in green tourism, he noted, were usually not easily accessible, unlike much visited sites, e.g., Westminster, Acropolis, etc., which were centrally located because of their function. Also, places in the green tourism sector were not self explanatory, he said:

"If you dump a tourist in the bog firstly, he does not know where to go. Therefore, some form of interpretation is needed."

He went on to say that a feature of green tourism sites was their low carrier capacity. Eco-tourism was only just emerging and yet damage has already been done to places like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and nature reserves near Kilimanjaro in Africa, because of an over-concentration of tourists. At the same time, he stressed that he was not trying to discourage anyone in Clara promoting the bog for tourism - he was merely stating that careful planning was essential.

"The idea of a quick buck can be a catastrophe for green tourism, it's a longterm thing."

Mr. Schouten describes four type of green tourist. The first type he labelled the "cup of tea and a snap-shot" tourist who would travel Europe in seven days, spending only very little time in each area. Secondly, there is the main grouping which he called the "I want the experience, but with with not too much effort please" tourists. They would spend a couple of hours on a site in an organised tour, and would be reluctant even to don Wellingtons. Thirdly, there is the "explorer" type of green tourist who would spend up to a day on a site, has a keen interest in wildlife and would walk and cycle. Finally, there is the "true tourist" types who are amateur scientists and would spend their entire holiday on one site.

Dr. Schouten continues to say at this meeting, how large numbers of tourists should be handled when they come to Clara. An Interpretative Centre is crucial, he says, so that visitors would know what they are seeing; otherwise there would be bad publicity for Clara in their home country.

Such a centre should be built away from the heart of the area of focus, perhaps in the town of Clara, so that the tourists would be "trapped". It should also, in his opinion, feature the bog and esker and be staffed by local guides, such as those presently working for the Eiscir Riada and Clara Bog Tour Group. They would guide three and four types of tourist. As regards the bog itself, he suggests opening up the least vulnerable part and recommended that all visitors not be concentrated on the same spot.

Furthermore, the different types of tourist should not be accommodated in the same place. He adds that very wide and raised walkways would protect the bog and discourage littering and could lead to an area appropriate for a snapshot. The carpark would have to separate from the bog. The trail should begin at the esker, he notes, continuing onto a high site suitable for a photograph and then leading onto the bog by means of walkways.

He also recommends a trail for cycles so that all four types could then be catered for adequately. The other amenities that would follow from the centre would include the following: Bed and breakfast, plus restaurant and tearooms, a cycle rent shop and a small library. He stresses that tourists would only come to Clara with good marketing, and information on the town should be sent to Irish and foreign wildlife magazines and green tour operators. An annual event would also have to be held and Clara had this with its "Queen of the Heather Festival" which mixed education and entertainment.

Mr. Donal Daly is a hydro-geologist with the Irish contingent of the project. He would like to see the centre located in the town of Clara for a number of reasons. Worldwide, they are finding that when you locate a centre in the middle of a nature reserve, that it can be very damaging and that they are now being removed. Also the question of sewage and where it will leave the bog would be a potential problem. He believe that people do not want to see massive artefacts. He hails Clara as: "One of the most important intact raised bogs in Western Europe."

He would like to see Clara Bog as part of an overall Offaly tourist package, including the Slieve Blooms, Clonmacnoise, Mary's Church in Pullogh and Lockes Distillery in Kilbeggan.

(e) The Clara Bog Development Association (C.B.D.A.)

This community group grew out of the "Queen of the Heather Festival" in 1982. The popularity of these trips increased with as many as 500-600 attending them over the week-end excursions. One was entitled "Clara Bog and Esker Day". In the early 1980's, they lobbied to save the bog and succeeded in forcing the State to buy the bog. The work of the C.B.D.A. received recognition on several occasions in the last two years. Firstly, they were short listed in the Ford European Conservation Awards. Then, in February 1991, the Bank of Ireland Local Hero Awards paid tribute to their efforts to increase public awareness about Clara Bog. They were given £ 1,000 by the Department of the Environment for this and the money is going towards building the board-walk over the bog.

Mr. Michael Pettit and Tommy Dolan are two prominent members of the C.B.D.A.

"Our observations are that while it is advisable to bring people onto the bog, it is not advisable to damage it in any way."

Both members agree that local unemployment in the town is very high. All businesses including their own would be grateful for increased profit and security in the future. The chemist and bar/grocery shops owned by both, as well as the bakery/coffee shop on the main street are likely to benefit if the centre were to be located in the town. The local concern about the bog's future has been noticeable especially with increased media coverage over the last 5 years. This concern is reflected in the large attendance numbers at the meetings and the amount of local involvement in the annual events to encourage people to Clara.

(f) Bord F&/ailte

Mr. Martin Dully is Chief Executive with Bord F&/ailte. He made some comments at the meeting last September in Clara, of which I will now include. Firstly, he detailed the need to protect Clara Bog and esker and at the same time promoting it for tourism. He said that there was a delicate balance between a growing economy, the need for jobs and the need to share the beauty of Ireland with our European partners and others, and the need to protect the bog from "tourism of a vandalistic nature"." Mr. Dully, a native of Athlone reflected in how a terrain which had formerly been perceived as "inflicted" on the people, had now assumed such importance. In an article in "The Offaly Independent" (9/9/91) he says: "None of us had the inspiration, or education, or insight, to see bogs as a botanist's heaven. The like of David Bellamy and Dr. Schouten highlighted it for the Irish."
