Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin has officially opened the €2.6m visitor centre at Céide Fields, as part of efforts to drive tourism in Mayo and along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Hidden beneath a bog, Céide Field is the world's most extensive Stone Age monument and was described as a "landscape fossilised" of stone-walled fields, dwelling houses and megalithic monuments by poet Seamus Heaney in his poem Belderg.
At present, it is the only existing evidence of how the first farmers farmed the land 6,000 years ago and provides insights into the sophistication of the land management of our Neolithic farming ancestors.
Fáilte Ireland, the Office of Public Works (OPW), and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage jointly invested in the project to make north Mayo more attractive to tourists along the Wild Atlantic Way route.
The OPW expects Céide Fields to attract 38,000 visitors, support 152 jobs in the region and generate €935,000 in tourism revenue for the local economy in its first five years of opening.
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The Céide Fields are a unique and extensive Neolithic archaeological site, celebrated for the complex and extensive remains of ancient field systems and habitations.
The visitor centre includes installation that tell the archaeological story of the site and its discovery and a state-of-the-art audio-visual exhibition that will encourage domestic and international visitors to learn more about the region's heritage.
Minister Martin was joined by Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW Patrick O'Donovan and Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan at the official opening.
"The Céide Fields is an extremely significant historical site, in Ireland and across the world. The new visitor experience will enable visitors from home and abroad to immerse themselves in the fascinating heritage of the Céide Fields and encourage more people to visit beautiful north Mayo, generating significant economic impact for the area," Martin said.
O'Donovan said the Céide Fields have "a certain magic" and that "it humbles the mind to enter what local archaeologists uncovered is the most extensive Stone Age monument in the world.
"Our knowledge of this site has been so enriched since this award-winning visitor centre first opened in 1993 and the new exhibition together with the guided tour will allow us to share this new research with visitors so they can engage more deeply with our heritage, understand it better and cherish it more.”
Noonan added: "This exciting, modern, updated exhibition will bring visitors back in time to see one of Ireland’s oldest monuments in a fresh new light. The prehistoric fields, houses and tombs are a silent witness to the Neolithic farmers who first brought agriculture to Ireland.
"Lying hidden for thousands of years beneath the bog, the story of the men and women who affected the Irish landscape and built our earliest monuments is now imaginatively brought to life and up to date in terms of archaeological research.
"This uniquely Irish landscape is truly of international significance and I commend all those involved for developing this fitting tribute to one of our most important National Monuments in State care."
Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland, said that "investing in standout attractions that tell the rich story of Irish heritage creates new and unique reasons for visitors to choose Ireland while creating employment in rural Ireland and its urban centres.
"Mayo has a wealth of natural and heritage attractions and Fáilte Ireland has been collaborating with industry and stakeholders on a number of key projects which will boost the appeal of this region to domestic and international visitors alike."
He added: "Working under our strategic partnership with the OPW and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, this project has been executed in a sustainable way to ensure this historically important site is preserved for generations to come and adds another exciting focal point for people to come and discover along the Wild Atlantic Way.”
