Latest news with #SiobhánMcNulty
RTÉ News
01-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Shuttle bus service connecting top Clare attractions launched
A new, free, hop-on hop-off shuttle bus service connecting top visitor attractions with towns and villages across north Clare has officially begun. The Burren and Cliffs Explorer is a joint initiative of Clare County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and is designed to take people out of their cars and offer them a free alterative travel mode. It aims to disperse the over 1 million visitors who come to enjoy the beautiful but protected landscape around the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren National Park, stretching across north Clare and up to south Galway. The new shuttle service will link the towns of Miltown Malbay, Lisdoonvarna, Liscannor, Doolin, Kilfenora, Corofin and Ballybaughan, and the many tourist attractions that lie around those towns and villages, including the Cliffs of Moher, which attracts over 1.3 million visitors each year, along with the Ailwee caves, the Poulnabrone Dolmon in the Burren and the Caherconnell Stone Fort. The service begins today until the end of August as a pilot, with the possibility of extending it into September with hubs in Miltown Malbay and Lisdoonvarna, where free parking is available. At its heart is sustainability and the need to carefully manage tourist volumes for the future - to ensure that visitors have alternative modes of transport and are dispersed across the region, when tourist infrastructure is almost at capacity. Siobhán McNulty, Director of Tourism Development, Clare County Council, said: "The Burren and Cliffs Explorer aims to enrich the visitor experience while supporting sustainable tourism. "By strengthening transport links between our communities, we are encouraging visitors to leave their cars behind and fully experience the distinctive charm of our towns and attractions. "This approach not only benefits the environment but also boosts local economies." William Cormacan, Midwest Manager with the NPWS, said: "We are proud to collaborate with Clare County Council on this sustainable initiative. "It not only improves access to the breathtaking landscapes and rich biodiversity of north and west Clare but also reinforces our commitment to protecting Ireland's natural heritage for future generations." Jarlath O'Dwyer, CEO of Burren Ecotourism Network, said they had been calling for this type of initiative for almost 15 years. "We welcome the fact it has finally arrived and will ensure that visitors can enjoy what all our Burren tourism businesses have to offer but at the same time doing it in a way which protects those businesses for the future," he said. Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan said: "The new shuttle service will assist in providing a more sustainable model for accessing the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, which will have benefits in terms of the environment and biodiversity, and at the same time providing a transport alternative for visitors and local communities." The services with a full timetable can be booked online at
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Irish Independent
How a new shuttle bus service launched in Clare will connect towns and tourist attractions
The free Burren and Cliffs Explorer is a joint initiative of Clare County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), supported by Fáilte Ireland, and is available for online bookings. Running as a pilot project from May 1 to August 31 — with the possibility of an extension into September — the service links destinations including Ballyvaughan, Corofin, Carran, Kilfenora, Doolin, Liscannor, and Lahinch. It also stops at key hubs like Lisdoonvarna and Miltown Malbay, where free parking is available. With a fleet of seven buses, the project aims to give passengers easy access to some of the region's best-known attractions with the service stopping off at the Burren National Park, the Cliffs of Moher Experience, Aillwee Burren Experience, Poulnabrone, Michael Cusack Heritage Centre, The Burren Visitor Centre, and Caherconnell Stone Fort and Sheepdog Demonstrations. Siobhán McNulty, Director of Tourism Development, Clare County Council, said, 'The Burren and Cliffs Explorer aims to enrich the visitor experience while supporting sustainable tourism. By strengthening transport links between our communities, we are encouraging visitors to leave their cars behind and fully experience the distinctive charm of our towns and attractions. This approach not only benefits the environment but also boosts local economies.' Ms. McNulty acknowledged the local community for its contribution to the development of the new service. 'To ensure the initiative reflects community priorities, public consultation events were held in early April at Miltown Malbay Community Centre and The Burren Visitor Centre in Kilfenora. These sessions invited input from residents, businesses, and stakeholders to help shape the service in line with local needs and aspirations,' she explained.
