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Knights of Glin Experience will help to attract tourists and visitors to the village of Glin cover Knights of Glin Experience will help to attract tourists and visitors to the village of Glin cover

Culture

Knights of Glin Experience will help to attract tourists and visitors to the village of Glin

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Knights of Glin Experience – Madame Olda Fitzgerald (wife to the last Desmond Fitzgerald), Deputy Mayor – Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon cut the ribbon pictured at the opening of the Knights of Glin Experience in Glin, Limerick. Picture: Brian Arthur

Story of the Knights of Glin will help to increase tourist numbers to West Limerick village

Knights of Glin Experience will help to attract tourists and visitors to the village of Glin
Madame Olda Fitzgerald, Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald pictured at the opening of the Knights of Glin Experience in Glin, Limerick. Picture: Brian Arthur

The history of the Knights of Glin and their associated links with the village of Glin in Co Limerick has been brought to life in a new visitor experience.

The Knights of Glin Experience tells the 800-year story of the knights from the right down to the last knight, Desmond Fitzgerald and the reimagining of the relationship with the village in recent years.


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It includes insights and stories around some of the more colourful Knights of Glin and includes history around Glin’s landmarks and outlines how the village came to look like it does today.

It is hoped that the Knights of Glin Experience will help to attract tourists and visitors to the village of Glin and become another destination point along the Wild Atlantic Way and the Shannon Estuary Way.

This project showcases Council-Community co-operation at its very best.

In 2018, Glin Development Association approached Limerick City and County Council with a desire to open an interpretive centre outlining the fantastic story around the Knights of Glin.

This project was funded under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which is focused on rejuvenating and supporting rural towns and villages throughout Ireland.

The first phase focused on the physical location with funding for the restoration and remodelling of the rear annex and laneway to the library together with initial research into the Knights of Glin.

This work was completed in 2020 when a second application for funding was made, once again to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for the Interpretive Design and Fit Out and production of Audio Visual Material for the Centre.

Match funding was provided by Limerick City and County Council for the project including from the General Municipal Allowance of the elected members of the Newcastle West Municipal District who have supported this project from the beginning.

Speaking at the official launch Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon said, “This new Knights of Glin Experience will help to persuade tourists and visitors to stop in the village of Glin as they travel along the Wild Atlantic Way and the Shannon Estuary Way.”

“It will also act as an information point on other attractions nearby including Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, Askeaton Friary and the Limerick Greenway.”

“This project highlights the importance of Council – Community co-operation to develop and open these new experiences. Limerick City and County Council has worked closely with Glin Development Association over the past number of years to develop this project. Glin Development Association have immersed themselves in the project from the start and will now manage it going forward.”

John Anthony Culhane, Chairperson of Gin Development Association said: “The idea behind the Knight of Glin experience came about a few years ago when Glin Castle was up for sale. We felt that if new owners took over that maybe the story of the Knights of Glin might be lost, so with that in mind, we decided that we would try and set up some kind of museum experience that would relate their story.”

“This will be really important in the drive to increase tourists to Glin but I also think that it’s really important that we recognise other villages along the Shannon as well. We could link everything up, and put a nice package together for a tourist who was visiting the area.”

For more information go HERE 

For other stories on the Knight of Glin, go HERE 

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.