PROJECT CONCEPT

The Irish Eco-Cottage (Tourism Development) Project aims to create a new, branded, and uniquely Irish product, the EcoBooley Self Catering Cottage.

Rural Ireland contains countless numbers of abandoned homesteads, all charming and important in their own way, and often located in remote and beautiful parts of the rural landscape.

Such homesteads often have difficulty of access and are usually not serviced by mains water and electricity supply.

Rather than seeing the problems - of developing such properties as tourism outlets - this project believes that they may present great possibilities as ‘Eco-Tourism’ accommodation outlets.

The overall idea is for the owners of such properties, who are mostly farmers, to reinstate some of those homesteads - using only Eco-friendly technologies and materials. These habitable houses would then be let out as self-catering accommodation to the expanding eco-friendly tourism market.

BRANDED IMAGE

The plan is to brand label the concept (i.e. ‘EcoBooley’), using a symbol scheme method similar to the organic food industry, and thus maintain the integrity of the product.

The brand name chosen is EcoBooley, as Booleys were the temporary upland summer milking places of old Ireland – all remote and lovely.

To stay in an EcoBooley is to stay in an old place, in a lovely landscape, and in the knowledge that you will leave the environment as you found it.

WORK PROGRAMME

1999 – 2000

The Project involves the RESEARCHING of appropriate Eco-friendly Technologies (i.e. water power, composting toilets etc, etc) and the RESTORATION of one abandoned cottage, in the townland of RONGA, CLOGHEEN in the foothills of the KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS, (using Eco-friendly technologies only), and furnishing it (Eco-friendly again) for use as a self-catering tourism outlet.

PARTNERS

The project is being promoted by TEAGASC (RURAL ENTERPRISE SERVICE) SOUTH TIPPERARY, with administrative assistance from TIPPERARY LEADER GROUP, in association with EAMON LOOBY, RONGA, CLOGHEEN (Farmer), and GARRY GLEESON, CARRIGMORE, CLOGHEEN (Consultant and Enviro-Builder).


FUNDING

Funding for the EcoBooley Project is coming from THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, SPORT AND RECREATION (75%), through the E.U. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND.

The project is part of THE PILOT INITIATIVE ON TOURISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT which is being administered nationally by BORD FAILTE.


CONTACT

For initial contact on the EcoBooley Project, write, fax or email only
Terry Cunningham, Rural Enterprise Adviser, Teagasc, Carrigeen, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Tel: +353 (0)52 21300 Fax: +353 (0)52 21199 email: t.cunningham@tipperarysr.teagasc.ie
Check Website - www.ecobooley.com – for latest update