The Beara Way - The Celtic Spiritual Pilgrimage A proposal for repositioning the product as a leading international walking route

Summary of main points

• The Beara Peninsula and surrounding area has the highest density of megalithic monuments in Ireland, and probably the world. See attached extracts from heritage.ie

• Megalithic stone circles, stones rows, tombs etc all have a primary orientation to the setting sun on the winter solstice to the south west.

• Dursey Head is the most south westerly point of Ireland & UK, it is the closest point to the setting sun on the winter solstice. To ancient people it would have been the land closest to the afterlife, heaven & God. See attached google map showing approx angle of setting sun on Dec 21st

• The most successful long distance walking trails have defined & auspicious destinations eg Inca Trail, Everest Base Camp Trek, Camino De Santiago. On long distance walking routes people like to be walking to somewhere, as opposed to the current circuit format.

• Over the last 2 decades walking routes with an element of spirituality/pilgrimage has been a high growth market. This is likely to continue http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=8527

• A positioning statement might read something like "The Beara Way, The Celtic Spirit Pilgrimage to Dursey Island the end of the know world, the place closest to god and the afterlife, through the spectacular Beara Peninsula which has the highest density of megalithic monuments in the world all orientated to the afterlife to the southwest"

• The infrastructure, - trails, cable car and access to (some) monuments is already in place and marketing is the primary tool to develop this product.

• The European Ramblers Route from Dublin & The Beara Breifne Greenway (the only 2 ultra distance walking routes in Ireland), The Kerry Way, The Sheeps Head Way all connect to the Beara Way and allow multiple starting points similar to the Camino De Santiago. See maps below

• If the concept is successful its will increase significantly not just the number of walkers in the area but also visitors in general, with many day trippers just doing the last section on Dursey. The way is tolled as the Cork County Council charge €4 per crossing, this money could be ringfenced for promotion.

• There may be large scope for some future development eg monument / heritage centre at the destination.

WINTER SOLSTICE SUNSET

Beara / Breifne Greenway European Ramblers Route http://www.walkireland.ie/National_Waymarked_Trails/

European Ramblers E8 route a 4390km way marked trail from Istanbul to Dursey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E8_European_long_distance_path

http://www.era-ewv-ferp.com/index.php?topmenu_id=29&id=29&page_id=112&module=text