The unhabited Scattery Island in County Clare was honoured as the Irish winner of the 2017 EDEN (European Destination of Excellence) Award recognising it as the 

destination in Ireland which has best used its local tangible cultural assets to grow visitor numbers. The EDEN award was presented by the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD, at a ceremony in the Vandeleur Walled Garden, Kilrush, Co. Clare.

 Uninhabited since 1979, Scattery Island - also known as Inish Cathaigh - is located approximately one mile from Kilrush in the Shannon Estuary and is home to a monastery founded in the early 6th century by St. Senan. The island features the ruins of six churches and one of the highest Round Towers in Ireland at 120 ft. high. 

The EDEN competition, which Fáilte Ireland manages in Ireland, is staged every two years in each EU country along a specific shared theme, is designed to encourage and promote a more sustainable form of tourism development and Scattery Island was one of three Irish destinations shortlisted under this year’s Tangible Cultural Destination theme. The two runner-up destinations were Ceide Coast, Co Mayo and The Norman Way, Co Wexford.

 

The EDEN Competition, which this year focused on Tangible Cultural Tourism, provides a platform for international recognition to destinations which have a unique tourism offering. Tangible cultural assets include such features as traditional historical or archaeological monuments/sites, industrial sites, museums, theatres, galleries, contemporary architectural sites and modern urban districts of towns. 

 

Winners of the award are recognised as careful developers and proponents of the tourism impact for Scattery Island and the supporting region. The EDEN network will provide them with the opportunity to foster links with other Irish and European destinations of excellence in a collaboration which can lead to significant economic and social benefits.

 

Scattery Island now holds the European accolade of “Destination of Excellence 2017 –Tangible Cultural Destination” and will receive marketing assistance in the form of a dedicated photo shoot of the destination – as well as a certificate of achievement. Also, the EU will profile the winning destination from each Member State on www.edenineurope.eu and will offer each winning destination, participation in the EU EDEN network.

 

Clare County Council congratulated the Scattery Island Heritage and Development Group on the achievement which will result in the island benefiting from free marketing supports from Fáilte Ireland, including a professional photo shoot to be used for promotional purposes.