Gondola plan a step closer after approval

Gondola plan a step closer after approval

13 April 2016

THE creation of a new gondola ride into the heart of the Mournes as part of an innovative flagship tourist attraction has taken a major step forward.

The attraction — which would be the first of its kind in Ireland – will transport visitors from Donard Park to the quarry on Thomas mountain on a cable car system similar to one already operating near Ben Nevis in Scotland.

On Monday night, Newry, Mourne and Down Council agreed to press ahead with plans to deliver the exciting tourist development and put the gondola ride at the heart of a new tourism master plan for the resort.

The local authority has been working alongside a number of bodies including Tourism NI, the National Trust and Mourne Heritage Trust to develop the Mournes as a premier tourist destination and views the provision of a gondola cable car ride as a “game changer.”

The new master plan will identify detailed financial costings for the project, with Tourism NI providing the local council with monetary support to produce the new document.

Enhancing the area’s tourism product is at the heart of a new tourist strategy and the local authority is keen for the district to become Northern Ireland’s premier outdoor adventure destination.

Council officials are confident the gondola ride will confirm Newcastle’s position as the gateway to the Mournes, providing people with an opportunity to see the area and its stunning beauty from a unique vantage point.

Newcastle councillor, Willie Clarke, is excited at the potential of the gondola ride and the impact a new tourism master plan can have on the resort. He said the cable car initiative has the potential to rival any tourist product in Ireland.

“I am happy to support the proposal for a master plan to be developed for Newcastle with a focus on access into the Mournes and a chair lift to Thomas’ Quarry,” he said. 

“It is essential we have a comprehensive proposal including access infrastructure for walkers and improving the narrative of St Donard on the summit of Slieve Donard where there are the remains of two prehistoric burial cairns, one of which is the remains of the highest known passage tomb in Ireland.”

Councillor Clarke believes there are also opportunities to develop the forest at the foot of the Mournes for activity-based tourism projects. He said the area’s industrial heritage needs to be expanded, building on the success of the existing granite trail, which could include providing an open museum on one of the older quarries in the Mournes. 

Councillor Clarke said any new master plan has to include the restoration of the harbour area located in what he described as the “old town of Newcastle.”

He added: “The new master plan will provide us with a unique opportunity to develop a stand out tourism package which has the potential to position the region as the premier activity tourism destination in Ireland.

“The plan has to have a gateway leisure centre at its heart, with our beaches, Castle Park, Islands Park and our forests all complementing a chair lift proposal. 

The master plan will allow all interested parties to positively have an input into the vision for Newcastle’s tourism package.”