Cloone and Bóthar na Naomh development

Cloone and Bóthar na Naomh development.

Cloone Tidy Towns Committee in association with Cloone Homecoming committee completed Cloone village Recreational, Heritage and Nature Trail in 2013 known as Bóthar na Naomh with the help of a 75% Leader grant at a cost of €124,658.82 and local contribution of €31,000.

We have just completed the next phase of this project by constructing a looped trail around Annaghmaconway lake with 10 fishing points, boat slip and carpark at a cost of €113,659.59 both on time and on budget.

Our development Committee have just received Grant approval of €96000 for the development of an Athletics Equestrian facility as part of our Clár Town and Village renewal application. A local contribution of €12000 cash and a further €12000 benefit in kind is required as part of the grant process.

The project work to date is mainly centred on a 59 acre area of mixed bogland, woodland and grassland adjacent to Cloone village and bordering Cloone and Annaghmaconway lakes through which the trail runs. This land has been placed on a longterm (99year) free lease to the community on the understanding that it will be developed for Sport, Recreation and Education purposes for the benefit of the wider community.

We plan is to turn the whole area into a Sport, Recreation, Heritage and Nature park. As the entrances to this Park area are either side of Cloone village we plan to make our village the focal point for a variety of activities namely:

• Adventure cross country athletics
• cross country horse riding
• fishing
• nature walking
• heritage feature appreciation
• education/training through information boards etc.

Cloone Community Centre in the village provides us with a Registration and meeting point for many

of the activities that we host. We also intend to enhance the historic aspect of the village by developing a garden of Remembrance at a chosen focal point “ The Fair Green” in the village. We will provide information boards at various points on a pathway through this garden as a journey through time from earliest to most contemporary. We also plan to highlight all activities available in our Nature park at this central location.

While grant assistance is available for to continue our development work, match funding from the local community is necessary in order to complete our projects as outlined. This is where you can help. All financial assistance will be gratefully received and duly acknowledged by our development committee.

Kind regards.

Séamus Tiernan, Project Co-ordinator.