Holiday centre for longford

handlemaster

I can only presume this is a joke been the day thats in it:)

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-talk/center-parcs-this-is-what-longfords-100m-resort-could-look-like-31110453.html

ThisRegard

Nope, it's real, and covered in the April Fools thread.

If it's a joke, then there's a lot of outlets in collusion with each other here and in the UK, and they set the seed last year. If so, fair play.

Menas

I go to a Centerparcs in the UK every other year. Great spot for kids..and parents. Hope the Irish one is to the same standard.

The Peanut

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I go to a Centerparcs in the UK every other year. Great spot for kids..and parents. Hope the Irish one is to the same standard.

It's a great idea. Should also hopefully encourage people to visit adjoining counties and opening them up to increased tourism also.

handlemaster

ThisRegard wrote: »

Nope, it's real, and covered in the April Fools thread.

If it's a joke, then there's a lot of outlets in collusion with each other here and in the UK, and they set the seed last year. If so, fair play.

I didn't see that. I'd still say very little chance of such at thing going ahead there. But Ireland could do with somthing like that

Titus Andronicus

Poor ould Trabolgan, oh the memories

henryporter

handlemaster wrote: »

I didn't see that. I'd still say very little chance of such at thing going ahead there. But Ireland could do with somthing like that

Why very little chance? Sounds like they have already invested in the feasibility and preliminaries so I doubt they would walk away. Granted getting Planning Permission will be a nightmare, but it will be a bargain investment for them given the currency differential and growing number of staycationers.

Generic Dreadhead

Titus Andronicus wrote: »

Poor ould Trabolgan, oh the memories

I went there like 3 years ago... it was bleak

Titus Andronicus

Cormac... wrote: »

I went there like 3 years ago... it was bleak

Kids like it for what it is, until you bring them to a Eurocamp or Disney then that's the end of that.
Needs a big investment that it's not going to get now with this competition nearer Dublin.

ThisRegard

handlemaster wrote: »

I didn't see that. I'd still say very little chance of such at thing going ahead there. But Ireland could do with somthing like that

Planning permission will probably be the biggest hurdle at this stage, feasibility studies were done last year I think I read somewhere. This is an article from the Telegraph last year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/leisure/11110252/Center-Parcs-turns-its-attention-to-Ireland.html

Holiday company has held prelimary discussions with tourism authorities in Ireland as analysts speculate the group could be floated next year

Sunny Dayz

No apparently it is actually true!! It was supposed to be announced tomorrow but it got leaked somehow.


Longford though, seriously?!

super_furry

Doesn't really matter where it is, it's a self-contained holiday park.

Menas

super_furry wrote: »

Doesn't really matter where it is, it's a self-contained holiday park.

Yes, just needs to be in a big forest somewhere. Having it in the middle of Dublin would be ****. No trees!

Fat Christy

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I go to a Centerparcs in the UK every other year. Great spot for kids..and parents. Hope the Irish one is to the same standard.

I'm sure it will be, given that they intend to locate in Longford.

miezekatze

Would be great to have one of those in Ireland! I went to one in the Netherlands with my family when I was a kid, it was a great holiday! I think it would be quite popular.

Wolf Club

This should have a very positive impact, the midlands is a bit of a black hole tourism wise, other than music festivals during the summer. And seeing as though the location is irrelevant, it's a much better idea to put it somewhere than has little else to offer as opposed to somewhere that gets loads of tourism anyway.

Kermit.de.frog

Not sure this is going o be as big as speculated

From centre parcs press office

No press release has been issued on this to any media outlets and the speculation this morning is factually incorrect. An official announcement will be made tomorrow.”

A statement from a Dublin-based firm public relations firm says that some “speculation today has been inaccurate” but that, “the development will be one of the largest-ever investment and job creation projects in the Midlands”.

I wonder has the mayor of Longford been just a tad optimistic.

Sh1tbag OToole

Hate to see big massive bland English companies coming in and setting up big bland yokes like this. Spent a good bit of time over in the Youkay and it always strikes me how bland everything is there. Sure they invented the term 'clone town'. They deserve some bit of credit for trying to preserve structures from the good old days but then ruin it by plastering it with modern health and safety and security apparatus and signs

SpaceSasqwatch

Cormac... wrote: »

I went there like 3 years ago... it was bleak

went there 7 years with my son and I agree with you.It was at the end of the saeson and there were more staff than holiday goers.

Having said that my 7 year old son enjoyed it plus we went other placers most days lol

Wompa1

Miracles happen in Blazers, I heard some fella was cured there.

No, No Dougal, someone was LURED there and then those lads beat him with the sticks

Streetwalker

Nah no way this is true. Longford??

tomwaterford

Titus Andronicus wrote: »

Poor ould Trabolgan, oh the memories

Who remembers mosney....vaguely recall going up there when i were younger

baldbear

A Hong Kong businessman recently bought an old estate in the area so maybe hes involved.

Longford badly needs this as unemployment is at 15% and our local politician is too busy going to funerals of strangers to bother his hole trying to do anything for the county.

handlemaster

baldbear wrote: »

A Hong Kong businessman recently bought an old estate in the area so maybe hes involved.

Longford badly needs this as unemployment is at 15% and our local politician is too busy going to funerals of strangers to bother his hole trying to do anything for the county.

pressing the flesh and comimg out with some nonsense before an election to get picture in the paper is all alot of them do.

DragonKhan

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

No apparently it is actually true!! It was supposed to be announced tomorrow but it got leaked somehow.


Longford though, seriously?!

Yes Longford really. That county with rivers and large forests that Center Parcs usually has in it's business in.

It is the perfect location as it is in the centre of Ireland and there are lot of recreational tourism things to do in Longford

Carawaystick

Ah yes Longford, where bad roads are national monuments....
http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/midlandseastcoast/corleatrackwayvisitorcentre/

DragonKhan

Carawaystick wrote: »

Ah yes Longford, where bad roads are national monuments....

haha well give you that one... still a fascinating visitors centre. Thanks Charlie Haughey!

How does it work with the Irish weather

murpho999

mariaalice wrote: »

How does it work with the Irish weather

I heard they are putting roofs on all the buildings they will build and the buildings are waterproof.

Incredible.

Fat Christy

murpho999 wrote: »

I heard they are putting roofs on all the buildings they will build and the buildings are waterproof.

Incredible.

Longford is basically all bog. That's great, but I hope they have a safety plan in place for when the place starts sinking.

I'm a Longfordian, I should know.

Menas

mariaalice wrote: »

How does it work with the Irish weather

The weather in cumbria is worse than here and that is a big success.

whiskeyman

Fat Christy wrote: »

Longford is basically all bog. That's great, but I hope they have a safety plan in place for when the place starts sinking.

Dig up?

iDave

tomwaterford wrote: »

Who remembers mosney....vaguely recall going up there when i were younger

Yeah I did too. I remember it being a swimming pool and some arcades. Cant recall any other 'attractions'. Still didn't give a sh*t it was the 90s and was young.

Mallagio

Lets hope this comes to fruition. Plenty of jobs is always a good thing.

DragonKhan

Fat Christy wrote: »

Longford is basically all bog. That's great, but I hope they have a safety plan in place for when the place starts sinking.

I'm a Longfordian, I should know.

If your a longfordian then you should know that Newcastle Woods is not boggy at all? Lord knows I've spent many years running in it to know. There is no bog near the woods... but there is a dump down the road from it

SEPT 23 1989

The name's Lanely! Lyle Lanely. And I come before you good people tonight with an idea. Probably the greatest... Aw, it's not for you. It's more of a Roscommon idea.

Fat Christy

DragonKhan wrote: »

If your a longfordian then you should know that Newcastle Woods is not boggy at all? Lord knows I've spent many years running in it to know. There is no bog near the woods... but there is a dump down the road from it

Well north Longford, the sh*tty side. Very rarely venture into south Longford. Don't think i've ever set foot in abbeyshrule. Still though, holiday in Longford? Nah, you're alright.

connollys

you are clearly an idiot Fat Christy. Isnt Lanesborough South Longford and has a Bord na Mona plant. Dunno why Im even taking the bait.

Fat Christy

connollys wrote: »

you are clearly an idiot Fat Christy. Isnt Lanesborough South Longford and has a Bord na Mona plant. Dunno why Im even taking the bait.

Yeah but Lanesborough is quite nice in fairness. Longford is quite boggy in general, obviously not all of Longford. And south Longford imo is much nicer than north Longford.

EDIT: And I meant I was from the northside, sure Keenagh is south longford where that bog track was found.

elperello

DragonKhan wrote: »

haha well give you that one... still a fascinating visitors centre. Thanks Charlie Haughey!

I think you will find that Albert Reynolds did most of the heavy lifting in bringing the Corlea interpretive centre to fruition.

It is really a gem of a place to visit along with a lot more in Longford -

The Shannon/Lough Ree
The Royal Canal
Ardagh
Abbeyshrule
Ballinamuck

The Midland area of Ireland is often overlooked in the mad rush to the West but it really is worth spending some time there.

Gavlor

Where is Longford????

WoollyRedHat

Gavlor wrote: »

Where is Longford????

Ireland?

Hope there'll be good amenities on offer too, when I went to somewhere like this in Netherlands they had a cool water centre.

It could be good craic even for a group of lads and girls for a short staycation during the summer.

bb1234567

Why longford? Put in next to tayto park and establish a central tourism area with good transport links from dublin to the area and it'll make money back in no time.

ThisRegard

I think there's a massive potential customer base for somewhere like this. All you have to do is go to any of the outdoor adventure places around the county, hail or shine, and they're always doing the business. The outdoors are full of groups and families every weekend doing all sorts of stuff.

I've looked for somewhere like this in Ireland, there's nothing really. Lough Key Forest park on a small basis, but not everyone wants to stay in a caravan or tent.

Given somewhere in which there's all sorts of activities during the day for the kids and family, spas and hot tubs for the mammies and daddies in the evening, I for one will be heading there at some stage.

bb1234567 wrote: »

Why longford? Put in next to tayto park and establish a central tourism area with good transport links from dublin to the area and it'll make money back in no time.

Longford is perfect, right in the centre of Ireland, around an hour and 20 from Dublin.

stanley1980

Don't know all the details yet but from what's coming out this sounds like a huge shot in the arm for the midlands. I was up in these woods last month- beautiful area, close to the motorway, centrally located in Ireland therefore it seems a great location to me. I'd have thought there could be big demand for a slightly more upmarket, modern, family holiday centre as I understand Centre Parcs to be.

Hopefully everyone will be a winner here.

whiskeyman

Sounds great. Ireland desperately need more 'staycation' facilities like this.
If they price right, people will come!

Tabnabs

I can't wait to go on holidays in Longford, said no no one, ever...

DragonKhan

bb1234567 wrote: »

Why longford? Put in next to tayto park and establish a central tourism area with good transport links from dublin to the area and it'll make money back in no time.

Yeah... no.... Longford needs this badly and has the forest and rivers and is in the middle of the country.

DragonKhan

Some amount of begrudgerry and putting down of Longford on here lads

ThisRegard

Doesn't Longford have the most amount of lakes for any county, or is that Cavan ?

Fat Christy

ThisRegard wrote: »

Doesn't Longford have the most amount of lakes for any county, or is that Cavan ?

Cavan, definitely not Longford.