Michelle Obama Boosts Visitor Numbers to the Nire Valley?

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Published: Tuesday, 18 June 2013 21:26

No I haven’t lost my mind or sense of direction, but the Obama family visit to Glendalough and Wicklow could drive up visitor numbers to the Nire Valley in County Waterford . During walking festival, last October, we were all returning to Doocey’s Pub in Ballymacarbry when a car pulled up beside us and the driver, in a heavy German accent, asked if we could direct them to the interpretative center. Thinking we had misheard him asked “where are you looking for” to which he joyfully replied the interpretative center.

We told him we had a community center and a hostel but no interpretative center. “The interpretative center near the lake” he announced worried that his perfect English was getting lost in the clear Comeragh air. We looked at him totally perplexed as we knew there was no building within five miles of the Comeragh lakes let alone an interpretative center. “The interpretative centre at St. Kevin’s Tower” he volunteered. Ah we said, all together. “Your lost---” you are looking for Glendalough in Wicklow and your GPS has taken you to Glendaloughin in Co Waterford, you are not the first. If you go to Google Earth and look at photos in and around Glendaloughin in the Nire Valley Co. Waterford you will see various people have placed a picture, of Glendalough Wicklow, into the Nire Valley and have received over 5,000 views. So a combination of Michelle Obama and car GPS should see an increase in numbers in the Nire Valley.