Throw your money into the river Shannon!

Encouraging tourism is a big *ahem* part of Ireland’s agenda. Despite some unfortunate comments about Athlone (WHAT??!! That hotbed of fun and frolicking? Someone OBVIOUSLY missed the post on topless sunbathing!), government ministers have recently gained some grudging support from locals that could bring funding in to improve the area around the Shannon.

An owner of a local boat rental company, Kerry Sloan of Athlone Cruisers, was quoted in a local paper as saying, “Speaking from a tourism point of view there is nothing like the Shannon in Europe in that it flows through natural and remote country side and villages that would not normally see many tourists. It has great economic advantages. Athlone has done very well out of the Shannon, the town marina is a wonderful facility with hundreds of boats from all over the country moored there. All of these boats are owned by individuals who spend money in Athlone including buying diesel, food and drink.”

And, I have heard, there is so much going on here in Athlone that one could blog about it a few times a day without ever running out of ideas.

Imagine that. *grin*

The most important thing the government has said is – and I quote – “this incentive will not to be used for holiday homes and we wont see a proliferation of white cottages along the Shannon”

How about seasonal residences in a beheamoth?

Of course, Ireland might be covered in a huge sheet of ice in the next 20 years anyway, if we all don’t get more environmentally minded real quick.