Latest News
News Release (03/11/10)
Good Progress on Lee Valley Park Work
Good Progress on Lee Valley Park Work on the new Tralee Valley Activity and Nature Park at Ballyard is progressing well. Within three weeks of commencing work on site Griffins Brothers Contractors from Castleisland are well advanced on the new access road, water Activity Lake, and 2km long walking and cycling route.
The contract for the new visitor centre, viewing tower and nature zone has gone out to tender and work on this element is due to start in December.
The €4.2m project is jointly funded by Tralee Town Council and Fáilte Ireland under the National Development Plan and is expected to be substantially completed for the 2011 tourist season.
News Release (20/09/10)
Major Tourism Boost for Tralee
Work is due to commence this week (20 Septeber 2010) on the ambitious Tralee Lee Valley Project, following the signing of the contract for the first phase of development works between Tralee Town Council and Griffin Brothers Contractors, Castleisland in Tralee Town Hall. The €4.2m project has been a long term goal of Tralee Town Council and a key element of Fáilte Ireland’s activity and eco tourism strategy. The Department of Tourism, Culture & Sports is providing €3m from its tourism product development budget for the project through Fáilte Ireland with Tralee Town Council providing the balance.
Speaking at the signing, the Mayor of Tralee, Cllr. AJ Spring, thanked the Government and Failte Ireland for its support, which he said would provide a major boost for the town. “The Council has worked closely with Fáilte Ireland South West, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust UK, South West Fisheries Board, IT Tralee, Holiday Tralee and other local voluntary and statutory bodies to bring the ambitious project to fruition.”
Town Manager, Michael McMahon said the project would exploit the new and growing nature and eco tourism market.
The main elements of the new development include a nature park and eco-friendly visitor centre focussing on the internationally acclaimed Tralee Bay Nature Reserve and estuarine marshes, a viewing tower with panoramic views of Tralee Bay and CCTV links to nesting sites on the nature reserve and multi-lingual safari boat ride through habitats reflecting the diversity of the wetlands environment. The visitor centre will serve as an orientation centre for the natural heritage of north and west Kerry.
The development also includes a 1.5 hectare artificial lake for light water sports activity, and some 2.2 km of walking and cycling routes linking up with the existing River Lee riverside walk.
The present Stage 1 Contract with Griffin Brothers involves the construction of the access road, car park, activity lake and walks and cycleways in both the activity and nature zones. The contract is valued at €1.2m. The contract for the new Visitor Centre Building and Viewing Tower will go to tender shortly.
The park is designed by Scott Wilson landscape architects, Belfast Malachy Walsh & Partners, Civil & Services Engineers, and Kane Crowe Kavanagh, Quantity Surveyors, Tralee.
Tralee Town Council has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure, particularly in all-weather visitor attractions, since the 1990s and tourism now supports 500+ jobs in the town. The new €4.2 million project will add significantly to the broad range appeal that Tralee has to offer domestic and overseas visitors.
It is expected to attract 70,000 per year to the Kerry capital and is due to operation for the 2011 tourist season.
