New discovery trails to offer tourists a taste of Dublin life

FOUR new tourist routes designed to bring the story of Dublin to life and open up hidden parts of the city to visitors have been officially launched.

The new

‘discovery trails’ are connected to the earlier developed Dubline – a tourist route running from Kilmainham Gaol via Trinity College to Parnell Square.

‘The Rebellion’ route hopes to capatilise on the 1916 centenary celebrations by retracing the dramatic events of the Easter Rising and explaing how those six days changed the course of Irish history. Stops include Dublin Castle, Trinity College, the GPO and the Garden of Remembrance.

The

‘Story of Dublin’ route takes visitors on a thrilling journey through the capital’s 1,000 year history with stops including City Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, St Audoen’s Church and Smock Alley Theatre.

‘Echoes of War’ will help tourists, and interested locals, explore Kilmainham and the surrounding parklands to discover moving stories of war and rebellion. Stops along the way include the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Kilmainham Gaol, the Irish National War Memorial Gardens and Collins Barracks.

‘The Empire’ route will take visitors back in time to the busy streets of Dublin when it was one of the most important cities in the British Empire. Stops include Dublin Castle, Bank of Ireland and St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Brochures for the four routes are available from tourist offices now but they’re also accessible through Fáilte Ireland’s newly developed Dublin Discovery Trails app.

The free app includes engaging audio guides with commentary, personal accounts, images and GPS-enabled maps with the route and stops clearly marked.

Speaking at the launch of the new trails Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe, said the app would help visitors get the most out of the new discovery trails.

“Visitors get the most out of a destination when they have the tools and assistance which help them to explore a new place for themselves,

? he explained.

“In the 21st Century, this has to include multi-media guides and apps. Therefore, I’m delighted with this initiative, which not only opens up my own native Dublin to tourists but does so with great storytelling and the latest in technology.

“I am confident that these trails will not just drive greater traffic around the city but will encourage visitors to slow down and spend longer while here. That’s good news for tourism activity, revenue and jobs in the local economy.

?

Over the last two years, Fáilte Ireland has invested

?¬4m in a number of projects to develop and promote the Dubline trail in partnership with Dublin City Council.

The funding has included major capital projects at Christchurch, St Patrick’s Cathedral and Dublinia. Work is currently ongoing to put in place enhanced signage, way finding and information panels along the Dubline and the new Dublin Discovery Trails.

“Dublin is doing extremely well these days in tourism terms but we believe that it has the potential to deliver much more in terms of visitors and revenue,

? said Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn.

Fáilte Ireland recently launched a new state of the art tourist office, dedicated website (www.visitdublin.com) and social media campaign for Dublin, which will be utilised to promote the new trails.