Bellefield House and Gardens officially reopens in Shinrone
Bellefield House and Gardens in Shinrone has officially re-opened its beautiful gardens after significant enhancement and redevelopment works.
The €360,000 upgrade of the amenity is designed to enhance the visitor experience, improve accessibility and support sustainable tourism development in the region.
This Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland (RHSI)-owned project received funding of €288,000 under Fáilte Ireland's Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme, which is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund.
In a statement, Fáilte Ireland said the redevelopment had transformed key visitor facilities throughout the site, delivering accessibility improvements including accessible toilets and access ramps.
The project also included enhanced wayfinding and visitor orientation, upgrades to walking trails and pathways, the renovation of the coach house to provide a visitor reception area, gift shop and café, and the restoration of the site's glasshouse, which will facilitate gardening workshops.
These improvements will enable Bellefield House and Gardens to welcome more visitors, enhance the quality of the visitor experience and strengthen its role as a tourism and community asset within Offaly and the wider Midlands region, Fáilte Ireland said.
Welcoming the launch of the project, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke commented: "I am pleased to see the official re-opening of Bellefield House and Gardens following a significant enhancement and redevelopment project.
"Investments like this play an important role in strengthening the tourism offering across Offaly and the wider Midlands region.
"I congratulate the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland, the Bellefield Management Committee, Fáilte Ireland and everyone involved in delivering this project, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have for the local community and visitors alike in the years ahead."
Head of Just Transition at Fáilte Ireland, Gráinne Cornally said: "The opening of Bellefield House and Gardens represents a significant investment in Offaly's tourism offering and demonstrates the positive impact that Fáilte Ireland's Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme is having in enhancing unique visitor attractions for the benefit of visitors and local communities alike."
Mary Hensey, EU Just Transition Tourism Activator, Offaly County Council said: "Bellefield is a wonderful example of how EU Just Transition funding can help develop Offaly’s tourism offering, enhance accessibility and create new opportunities for visitors and the local community.
"It has been a pleasure working closely with the Bellefield team throughout their application process and continuing to support them as the project has progressed. It is fantastic to see this investment come to life."
Geraldine Colleran, Chair of the Bellefield Management Committee added: "The restoration and accessibility enhancements enable us to welcome increasing numbers of visitors to Bellefield and to offer a wider range of workshops, plant fairs, and events".