Donegal County Council and Limavady Borough Council scooped the Economic Development Award in the Chambers Ireland 2006 Local Government Excellence Awards.The local authority was nominated by Letterkenny Chamber for the Lough Foyle Ferry/Atlantic Drift Tourism Project.
The awards ceremony took place last Thursday night (9th November) in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin and was attended by representatives from both Councils and the Lough Foyle Ferry Company.
Speaking today CEO of Letterkenny Chamber, Joanne Sweeney, says, “We are absolutely thrilled that once again Donegal and the region is being recognised on a national stage at an awards ceremony. This awards ceremony follows on from Letterkenny Chamber’s success in May of this at the Chamber of the Year Awards.
“The Excellence in Local Government Awards recognises local authority’s work in a range of categories. Letterkenny Chamber nominated the County Council and the Town Council in the various categories and we are thrilled that one project has now been recognised by winning this award. Donegal faced stiff competition from Cork, Laois and Leitrim County Councils in the Economic Development category,” said Ms. Sweeney.
According to Kevin O’Connor, Project Manager of the Lough Foyle Ferry/Atlantic Drift Tourism Project, “The project was initiated by Donegal County Council in conjunction with Limavady Borough Council in 2002 through the establishment of a commercial ferry service between Greencastle, Co. Donegal and Magilligan, Co. Derry.
“As part of the marketing strategy for the service and the region, the two councils were successful in an application to the North West Region Cross Border Group under INTERREG 111A (€612,000) for the funding of a tourism marketing project (Atlantic Drift Initiative) designed to promote the cross border region as one entity.
“The project brought together both authorities in conjunction with Údaras naGaeltachta, North West Tourism, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Lough Foyle Ferry Company with the aim of promoting tourism development and the sustainable growth of tourism visitor numbers in the region, with the cross border ferry service as the catalyst.
“The Atlantic Drift project provided for the establishment of improved customer waiting areas at Greencastle, construction of tourist information signage in the region and a national and international marketing and Public Relations campaign designed to raise awareness of the service and region. The ferry service proved to be such a huge success that it managed to carry over one million passengers by July 2005,” said Mr. O’Connor.
“This is the second award that the Atlantic Drift Project has won this year and both councils can be very proud of this achievement. To be recognised in the Economic Development category demonstrates the positive economic contribution that this cross border project has made.”