1996/99
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Connaught Telegraph Editorial Oct 15
15 October 1997
TURLOUGH HOUSE PLANS
The present Government has given its total backing to the establishment of Turlough House as the home for the country's Folklife Collection of artefacts which number almost 10,000.
The Minister for Arts, Culture Gaeltacht and the Islands, Sile De Valera has committed her Department to a £5m investment in the National Museum project, following pressure from Mayo Deputy Beverley Cooper-Flynn.
It was important that this commitment was forthcoming from the new administration as it now firms up the development..
Former Tourism Minister Enda Kenny had got the backing of his Government for the development which it is estimated will attract in excess of 200,000 visitors annually.
But he was unable to see the project through before the last Government went out of office but he did get assurances that it would proceed.
The foresight of Mayo County Council in purchasing Turlough House and its surrounding lands, in 1991 for £250,000 was indeed a stroke of genius.
Deputy Cooper-Flynn said the total investment in the project will be £8.5m which will result in twenty full time jobs with a similar number of positions being provided in ancillary services.
But she has pinpointed one important aspect that must go hand-in-hand with the development and that is the upgrading of services to Turlough village itself.
The village must be ready for the heavy influx of visitors once the Museum is opened. While it will take several years to reach this stage, it is now vital that plans are drafted for the village itself.
The most urgent need is the provision of a sewerage scheme for the village and this must be in place before the house is opened to the public.
In recent months the rebuilding of the stone walls in, and on the approaches to Turlough must be highly commended.
But the work must continue so that both Turlough and indeed the expected visitor avalanche will have the facilities they expect.
We know that Ms. Cooper-Flynn will keep pressure on the Minister. There is now cross-party support for this project so there should be no hold-ups.
Likewise, Mayo County Council, who play a vital role in the development, are anxious that it get off the ground.
Now that Deputy Cooper-Flynn had taken up the running on
Turlough House it will ensure that it is kept on the boil
and not consigned to the back burner.
