The Wild Atlantic Way - Good Idea?

JupiterKid · 26-04-2013 01:32AM #1

I saw this really good proposal on FB to create a 2,400 kilometre long coastal drive along the Atlantic coast, from Inishowen in Donegal right down to Baltimore in West Cork.

It would link up existing tourist routes such as the Ring of Kerry, Connemara
Way, Atlantic Drive etc creating what is claimed would be the longest coastal tourist route in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNjsFzyKJOI

I must say it looks like a far better concept that the Gathering. The advert is also very well done IMO - not too twee or over-sentimental. It would be particularly good if this new coastal route could be launched with a TV programme which would travel along the route but I won't be holding my breath for RTE to do it.

IMO the West coast is one of the greatest assets that Ireland has.

So what do Boardies think? Great idea or cynical tourist marketing re-hash?

MadsL · 26-04-2013 01:36AM

Ruin some of the wildest coastline in Europe by building a road on it. What an idiotic idea.

Better would be to buy the shoreline all around Ireland and keep it in National Trust for the nation with access for all.

Falthyron · 26-04-2013 01:37AM

Are you suggesting we guide tourists towards Limerick? Surely not...

Insect Overlord · 26-04-2013 01:40AM

Falthyron wrote: »

Are you suggesting we guide tourists towards Limerick? Surely not...

:rolleyes:

Arcsin · 26-04-2013 01:40AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

I saw this really good proposal on FB to create a 2,400 kilometre long coastal drive along the Atlantic coast, from Inishowen in Donegal right down to Baltimore in West Cork.

It would link up existing tourist routes such as the Ring of Kerry, Connemara
Way, Atlantic Drive etc creating what is claimed would be the longest coastal tourist route in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNjsFzyKJOI

I must say it looks like a far better concept that the Gathering. The advert is also very well done IMO - not too twee or over-sentimental. It would be particularly good if this new coastal route could be launched with a TV programme which would travel along the route but I won't be holding my breath for RTE to do it.

IMO the West coast is one of the greatest assets that Ireland has.

So what do Boardies think? Great idea or cynical tourist marketing re-hash?

2400 kilometres long? Are they planning on taking in the coast of Africa as well?

I can see at least one big watery problem with that plan.

Pinewoo · 26-04-2013 01:41AM

A road to the USA, across the Atlantic...now there's an idea

wretcheddomain · 26-04-2013 01:41AM

I'd love to know what makes it Wild.

JupiterKid · 26-04-2013 01:42AM

MadsL wrote: »

Ruin some of the wildest coastline in Europe by building a road on it. What an idiotic idea.

Better would be to buy the shoreline all around Ireland and keep it in National Trust for the nation with access for all.

No, it wouldn't be a new road. Basically the plan would be (as far as I can gather) to re-sign, redesignate and upgrade the existing coastal roads along the Atlantic coast into one major tourist route called the Wild Atlantic Way.

There are already a number of existing tourist drives along the Atlantic coast - like the Ring of Kerry, Sky Road, Atlantic Drive - this would link them all upinto one route.

Arcsin · 26-04-2013 01:42AM

wretcheddomain wrote: »

I'd love to know what makes it Wild.

The potholes.

errlloyd · 26-04-2013 01:46AM

by my rough calculations (using gmaps) its about 450 kilometres from north to south, how are they managing to get 5 times that distance?

grenache · 26-04-2013 01:47AM

Falthyron wrote: »

Are you suggesting we guide tourists towards Limerick? Surely not...

You trying to be funny there?

MadsL · 26-04-2013 01:47AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

No, it wouldn't be a new road. Basically the plan would be (as far as I can gather) to re-sign, redesignate and upgrade the existing coastal roads along the Atlantic coast into one major tourist route called the Wild Atlantic Way.

There are already a number of existing tourist drives along the Atlantic coast - like the Ring of Kerry, Sky Road, Atlantic Drive - this would link them all upinto one route.

So the country is broke, and you want to spend money on upgrading rural roads in the arsend of nowhere. Meanwhile 16 Moore St and numerous other heritage buildings around Ireland have the arse hanging out of them and are about to collapse.

Sounds about right.

MadsL · 26-04-2013 01:48AM

errlloyd wrote: »

by my rough calculations (using gmaps) its about 450 kilometres from north to south, how are they managing to get 5 times that distance?

In out and shake it all about.

errlloyd · 26-04-2013 01:49AM

I like the idea of a walk btw, maybe the standard of track to allow cycling too?

Something around the level of the wicklow way.

WayneMolloy · 26-04-2013 01:54AM

wretcheddomain wrote: »

I'd love to know what makes it Wild.

Ever experience the wind on the west coast during a winters night?

WayneMolloy · 26-04-2013 01:58AM

MadsL wrote: »

So the country is broke, and you want to spend money on upgrading rural roads in the arsend of nowhere. Meanwhile 16 Moore St and numerous other heritage buildings around Ireland have the arse hanging out of them and are about to collapse.

Sounds about right.

They were considering a proposal to knock number 16 during the boom and opening another fecking shopping centre.

I dont agree with the coastal proposal, but using moore street as an example just offers the governmental department a get out clause for everything. Great idea there, but sorry cant help, the remainder of our funds are going towards the back of the gpo.

Capt'n Midnight · 26-04-2013 02:01AM

The tourists could visit all the wind farms while they are going around. :pac:

Celly Smunt · 26-04-2013 02:02AM

Being Ireland,it would be so badly designed you'd end up in Frankfurt.

WayneMolloy · 26-04-2013 02:04AM

pmcmahon wrote: »

Being Ireland,it would be so badly designed you'd end up in Frankfurt.

New tourism board slogan - 'Visit Ireland, who knows where the f*ck you will end up.'

With 'It could be Rotterdam, or anywhere, anywhere at all' playing in the background.

JupiterKid · 26-04-2013 02:19AM

Of course we need to protect our historic built heritage but I don't see how creating a new Atlantic Coast tourist route would damage that?

Here a link to the actual proposal. The reason the route would be 2,400 km in length is obviously it will follow the jagged inlets and peninsulas of the West coast closely, thereby adding greatly to its overall length.

http://www.failteireland.ie/Develop-Your-Business/Key-Projects-Carousels/The-Wild-Atlantic-Way.aspx

I think it's a great idea.

WayneMolloy · 26-04-2013 02:25AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

I saw this really good proposal on FB to create a 2,400 kilometre long coastal drive along the Atlantic coast, from Inishowen in Donegal right down to Baltimore in West Cork.

It would link up existing tourist routes such as the Ring of Kerry, Connemara
Way, Atlantic Drive etc creating what is claimed would be the longest coastal tourist route in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNjsFzyKJOI

I must say it looks like a far better concept that the Gathering. The advert is also very well done IMO - not too twee or over-sentimental. It would be particularly good if this new coastal route could be launched with a TV programme which would travel along the route but I won't be holding my breath for RTE to do it.

IMO the West coast is one of the greatest assets that Ireland has.

So what do Boardies think? Great idea or cynical tourist marketing re-hash?

If done properly, it could possibly work. But it being Ireland, the land of vested interests - it would probably be a mechanism for the connected few, to enrich themselves.

Do it in small stages and take if from there. You are right in your assertion about our coastline being an amazing usp. The coastline around the west and south west is simply breathtaking. Every tourist should experience it.

For a lot of tourists unfortunately, dublin airport, city centre, temple bar, Guinness factory, temple bar, kilmainham gaol, temple bar and maybe Glendalough - are all they experience.

I say that as a xxx generation Dub. Dublin is a great city to live in and crap to visit as a tourist. Unless you have someone with you, who knows where to go.

The west and south west are much better places for tourists to visit. And also places that desperately need employment and revenue from tourism,

CianRyan · 26-04-2013 02:38AM

From a car guy's perspective, if they relayed the roads and built it like PCH in the US and the Great Ocean Road in Aus it would be a brilliant asset to the country.
From a tourism point of view, marketing it right could have it bring thousands into the country.

I vote yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XavOgn-dJ7A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICHAa0LRg_k

errlloyd · 26-04-2013 02:59AM

I can't imagine anything more terrifying than driving the ring of kerry for 2400 clicks.

MadsL · 27-04-2013 01:46AM

CianRyan wrote: »

From a car guy's perspective, if they relayed the roads and built it like PCH in the US and the Great Ocean Road in Aus it would be a brilliant asset to the country.
From a tourism point of view, marketing it right could have it bring thousands into the country.

I vote yes.

Right. And cost €1.5 bn to bring it up to the standard of the PCH.

Genius.

Perhaps we could also go around burying pots of gold to attract tourists to find them at the end of the rainbow? It would bring in thousands and only cost 150 million.

MadsL · 27-04-2013 01:49AM

WayneMolloy wrote: »

They were considering a proposal to knock number 16 during the boom and opening another fecking shopping centre.

Still on the table - a development from one of the Anglo 10 golden circle - NAMA'd to hell and they are still trying to build the thing.

Arse backwards.

WoollyRedHat · 27-04-2013 02:05AM

Pinewoo wrote: »

A road to the USA, across the Atlantic...now there's an idea

That'd be a hell of a road trip all right
Are we theeeeeeeerreeee yettttttttttttt????

JupiterKid · 27-04-2013 02:06AM

I really don't see why people are objecting to this plan.

We're not talking about building a new series of highways or motorways along the Atlantic coast.

What the Wild Atlantic Way proposal plans to do is simply designate a new route from Inishowen in Donegal all the way along the West coast through Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry and Cork to Baltimore.
The roads involved are existing roads and will just be re-signed and, in a couple of places, upgraded by resurfacing (badly needed in many places) and widening/straightening in a few spots where currently passing is tight.

The Ring of Kerry has been in place for over 50 years, and the Connemara Way and Atlantic Drive in Galway and Donegal respectively have been signed as tourist drives since the 1970s. This proposal would link all these up.
Most of the money spent on this would be on marketing and the benefits in terms of tourist revenue could be enormous. This is taking advantage of Ireland's greatest natural asset IMO.

If it draws some tourists away from a Dublin/Temple Bar booze-filled weekend into spending money in places which badly need investment then it is a good thing.

Here's a link the proposal to show what's actually involved:

http://www.failteireland.ie/Develop-Your-Business/Key-Projects-Carousels/The-Wild-Atlantic-Way.aspx

CianRyan · 27-04-2013 02:27AM

MadsL wrote: »

Right. And cost €1.5 bn to bring it up to the standard of the PCH.

Genius.

Perhaps we could also go around burying pots of gold to attract tourists to find them at the end of the rainbow? It would bring in thousands and only cost 150 million.

****ed if I care, I just want a new road to drive on, sour puss.
PCH isn't a great surface anyway, some spots are perfect but there's some rough stuff along the way.

Ya gotta spend money in life, get used to it.

kneemos · 27-04-2013 02:40AM

Some might argue that the west gets more than it's fair share of marketing money and maybe other areas could do with a slice of the action.Most counties could put together a few scenic drives I'd imagine,the west coast is rather spectacular though in fairness.

Call Me Jimmy · 27-04-2013 03:16AM

WayneMolloy wrote: »

Ever experience the wind on the west coast during a winters night?

Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

southsiderosie · 27-04-2013 04:53AM

errlloyd wrote: »

I like the idea of a walk btw, maybe the standard of track to allow cycling too?

Something around the level of the wicklow way.

Agreed - millions of people do the Camino de Santiago every year not necessarily as pilgrims, but as people just looking for a walking vacation. And bicycle vacations are getting increasingly popular - they are actually a big thing in China, so that could be a potentially huge untapped market for Ireland.

kneemos wrote: »

Some might argue that the west gets more than it's fair share of marketing money and maybe other areas could do with a slice of the action.Most counties could put together a few scenic drives I'd imagine,the west coast is rather spectacular though in fairness.

I can see that being true for, say Kerry, but what about Donegal? Personally, it is one of my favorite parts of the island, precisely because it is so remote and wild, and certainly it could use the economic boost. This could also be a good opportunity for cross-border cooperation: the north leg could be Derry - Galway, and the south leg Galway - Cork.

I think they can come up with a better name than the "Wild Atlantic Way" though.

The Wild Atlantic Way - Good Idea?

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