Some 1.5 million readers of 'The Telegraph' in Britain have been reading all about Sligo and the Yeats 150 celebrations.

  This year marks 150 years since the birth of world-renowned Irish poet and Nobel laureate, WB Yeats, so 'Yeats 2015' is a key theme for Tourism Ireland in its promotions around the world throughout 2015. Tourism Ireland arranged for the article – which appeared under the headline “Poetry in motion” – to appear in the travel section of a recent edition of 'The Telegraph'. It describes the “hauntingly beautiful homeland” of Yeats and “County Sligo in the invigorating north-west, beloved today by surfers and hill walkers alike”. It also highlights some of the events taking place this year to mark the anniversary, as well as some key tourism spots in Sligo, including Ben Bulben, Lough Gill and Drumcliffe.

 

Vanessa Markey, Tourism Ireland’s head of Great Britain, said: “Tourism Ireland is taking every opportunity to shine a spotlight on Yeats 2015 in Britain and elsewhere around the world this year – leveraging the tourism benefits of the anniversary and showcasing the island of Ireland and the North West as a destination with a rich literary heritage.

 

“Great Britain is the largest market for tourism to Ireland and 2015 has got off to a positive start, with the most recent CSO figures showing growth of +7.7% for the December 2014 to February 2015 period, an additional 49,200 British visitors compared with the same three-month period last year. Tourism Ireland is determined to ensure that tourism growth continues and we have an extensive programme of promotions under way across Britain in 2015.”