Inishowen Tourism showcased the Inishowen Peninsula off in style on the 18th & 19th of
November. Diaspora and Tourism professionals from many
corners of the world travelled to Inishowen to participate in the two day
familiarisation trip ‘Come experience
the Northern Lights’.
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| Photo courtesy of Adam Rory Porter |
We welcomed our Diaspora guests, Travel
Writers, Tour Operators, representatives from Fáilte Ireland, and also Tourism
Ireland. At the opening reception Minister Joe McHugh joined Siobhán Kelly, the
Marketing Manager at Inishowen Tourism in welcoming everyone to the area. The
evening proceeded with a fantastic presentation of the Northern Lights by Adam
Rory Porter. Gerard O’Kane of Donegal Photo Tours, Mark McLaughlin a member of
the Buncrana Camera Club and Brendan Diver of Photos from Ireland, were also
present. The gentlemen gave a great insight into how to prepare for your
hunting, what a equipment you’d need to capture the Aurora Borealis and where
to find the essential information before heading out on your adventure.
Luck was on our side that night and all the factors
indicated there was a great chance of an Aurora Borealis display. The KP was
above 5 which meant there was a high possibility of capturing a glimpse of the
Northern Lights with the naked eye. The entire group jumped on the bus and
headed to Dunree Military Fort in the hope of seeing those Northern Lights
dance through the Inishowen sky. Our
Luck had left us on arrival to Dunree and due to cloud cover the Northern
Lights were nowhere to be seen. However
a great night was had by all and there was a great sing song on the bus on the
way back to the hotel.
The following morning the group ventured on the Inishowen
100 route along the Wild Atlantic Way with an action packed itinerary around
the Peninsula highlighting some of Inishowen’s most scenic views, hidden gems
and also experiencing the all round
hospitality. To quote Liam Campbell, the manager of the International Publicity
Team at Fáilte Ireland, Liam told us, ‘We have so many highlights of our stay
but the most enduring was the natural and generous hospitality and warm welcome
we received.’
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| Some of the Participants at the Diaspora event: Photo courtesy of Brendan Diver |
The trip was concluded with a fantastic night of
entertainment at the well renowned Celtic Feast at the An Grianán Hotel.
Tourism trade in Inishowen and across Donegal and Derry were all invited to
attend giving them an opportunity to network with the Diaspora and tourism professionals.
Through the evening individuals learned the history surrounding the Grianán
Fort through story, music and dance. While enjoying the entertainment a feast fit
for a king was served.
The two day Diaspora event was a great success with all participants
giving wonderful feedback on all aspects of their trip. They returned home
inspired by Inishowen’s natural beauty, hospitality and with warm hearts from
their enjoyable experience. We look forward to working alongside these tourism
professionals in the near future creating itineraries to welcome new visitors
to Inishowen.
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