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Inishowen needs cruise control 30.04.08

by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent

WITH more and more cruises dropping anchor in the Foyle, the head of Inishowen Tourism, Tony McLaughlin, insists more must be done to ensure visitors disembarking in Greencastle or Moville have the option of spending their time ashore in Inishowen rather than Derry.
Mr McLaughlin’s comments come in the week P&O Cruises announce their first ever round-Britain and Ireland cruise.
In July 2009, the eight-deck Artemis will sail an 11-night British Isles cruise. Moville is listed as one of the two Irish ports of call, the other being Dublin.
However Moville is listed as Moville (for Derry) and therefore, according to Mr McLaughlin, the people of Inishowen can expect to gain little from the Artemis’ visit except a nice photo opportunity.
“The idea of a ferry coming to Greencastle or Moville is great, but if every cruise just lands and the people are bussed into Derry, there is no benefit to the local area.
“A few years ago a ferry came and there was a big welcoming committee in Greencastle for the tourists. The Maritime Museum Café opened specifically for the
The luxury liner Braemar anchored off Greencastle on July 3rd 2007.
guests arriving but the whole lot were bussed out right under our nose. They didn’t even take the ferry over and back to Magilligan,” he said.
Mr McLaughlin said the sign greeting the holidaymakers disembarking at Greencastle that day said ‘Welcome to the Port of Derry,’ which didn’t help.
He added that most of the people coming to Inishowen were active retirees who would appreciate Inishowen’s attractions, but only way to get Inishowen included on the excursions of cruise ships is to get in when the itinerary is being drawn up.
On August 10 last year Mr McLaughlin accompanied Saga Shipping’s Shore Excursion Executive on a day-long tour of the peninsula’s attractions, including Fort Dunree, the Doagh Famine Village and the Greencastle Maritime Museum.
The executive spent the previous day being shown around Derry and the day after at the Giant's Causeway.
“I concentrated on showing her what Inishowen has to offer. While this was last year, any outcome will only start to be shown this year at the earliest.”
The 2009 P&O cruise will call at Leith (for Edinburgh), Invergordon, Kirkwall (in the Orkney Islands), Moville (for Derry), Greenock (for Glasgow), Dublin, Falmouth and St. Peter Port on the Channel Island of Guernsey.
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