Calls for better signage along Louth's "hidden gem" Táin Trail

Louth County Council have been told it needs to include signposts along the Táin Trail to increase the flow of tourists to the county. 

The trail retraces the journey taken by Queen Medb (Maeve) of Connacht. It travels from Queen Medb's palace in Rathcroghan, County Roscommon across to the Cooley Peninsula in Louth. 

Fianna Fáil councillor Emma Coffey labelled the trail "a hidden gem" and called for an interpreter centre located in Knockbridge or Ardee. 

"I know people talk about St Brigid's [Way], but the Táin Trail is something that is internationally recognised. Is it possible that we could look at an interpreter centre in the Knockbridge or Ardee area, given that that’s the actual location of so many historical matters in respect of it. 

A number of colleagues and friends of mine have come from abroad and were wondering why we don’t have an interpreter centre in County Louth," she said. 

A Spokesperson for Louth County Council told the local authority's March meeting that the Táin Trail is a "gem that we do need to explore".

"The Táin Trail is a very exciting project and it is across five county councils. 

It very much is a gem that we do need to explore, I think it would link in with the tourism strategy and different things that we want to have going on in the county. It gives us other options to look at in relation to how we can build on the Táin Trail," she said. 

The spokesperson said the local authority hopes to work with the other county councils which includes Roscommon, Longford, Meath and Westmeath to signpost the route. 

"This is a great first step and we’re looking at how we can build on that with the other counties.

Tourists don’t know where the boundaries are so we do want that co-operation across the counties," she said. 

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Fine Gael councillor John Reilly also called for improved signage for St Brigid's Way. He said there's no signage along the M1 motorway. 

"If you drive down the M1 motorway and you want to get a taste of Faughart, and you want to find St Brigid or you want to find the Holy Well there’s no sign. 

We’ve written to the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland). The Cooley Peninsula is advertised and the horse racing track, but if you want a spiritual experience and not a gambling experience, we’ve got nothing to display that," he said. 

The spokesperson for the council said: "We want to grow the home of Brigid and where she was born. We were out in Faughart and we met with the community group out there. It is something we want to grow within the county so we will look at signage.

TII have their own guidelines in relation to that but we can do better signage and more signage in our own area."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.