Beara Breifne Way Tourism Masterplan

Client: Failte Ireland

The Challenge

To develop a tourism masterplan for the Beara Breifne Way long-distance walking and cycling trail. The Beara Breifne Way is a unique grass roots community led initiative, all of whom are immensely proud of their local, natural, historical and cultural heritage.

The Beara Breifne Way has been identified as a Signature Visitor Experience in the recently launched Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands experience brand region. As a walking trail of scale, stretching 500km from the tip of the Beara Peninsula in West Cork to Blacklion in Cavan, following generally the line of the 17^th century march of O’Sullivan Beare the last great chieftain of West Cork and South Kerry. This historical trail has the potential to be an internationally motivating activity experience of scale for holidaymakers looking to engage with Ireland’s cultural landscape on quiet and off-road trails.

The Role

To:

audit the trail route and identify all remedial works and upgrades of the trail required to bring it up to Way Marked Way standards (as per Irish Trails Office best practice guidelines);
identify linkages to key visitor attractions, historic sites and activity locations within a 5km corridor of the trail (and 10km in exceptional circumstances where the visitor experience is of sufficient scale and appeal);
identify and make recommendations for key visitor hubs along the route with transport links, accommodation options, visitor services, range of hospitality offerings and identify solutions for trail extensions and linkages to these towns and villages as entry and egress locations for the trail;
identify the available stock of visitor accommodation (Fáilte Ireland approved and others where identifiable) within 5km of the trail

This plan will inform & guide future capital investments and improvements in visitor services & facilities required to ensure the Beara Breifne Way is developed to best international practice with the objective of delivering an internationally motivating and compelling visitor experience.