Heritage Trail App brings village social and cultural history to life
THE Tallaght addition to the South Dublin County Heritage Trail App was officially launched by the Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Peter Kavanagh at St Maelruain’s Church.
Tallaght is the second village trail to be added to the app with 19 individual heritage points of interest in and around the village. The combination of image, text and audio for each point of interest makes the experience both immersive and engaging for the user, bringing the social and cultural history to life.
The fully interactive and user-friendly app is available in Irish, English, French and German, and using Android or Apple maps directs users to nearby places of interest.
The app is free to download to mobile phones and tablets by searching South Dublin Co Heritage Trail.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor Kavanagh said: “The project team worked to deliver a comprehensive and diverse trail, placing social and cultural context to the Tallaght we see and live in today with the history and heritage of its past. The result is a wide-ranging and engaging experience through Tallaght to inform and educate the visitor on the wealth and breadth of the history of the local area.”
The idea for the app originated from the €300k Have Your Say Participatory Budgeting consultative process for the Clondalkin Electoral Area, where members of the public were asked to suggest funding ideas for their area and then vote on a shortlist of agreed projects.
“This app is just one of many investments South Dublin County Council is making to develop the visitor economy in the County,” said Ralph McGarry, of the County Promotion Unit at the Council’s Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Development Directorate.
“In Tallaght, the Council is progressing the concept of a County Heritage Centre to act as a new cultural amenity for both the citizens of and visitors to South Dublin, whilst at the Castle Courtyard and Stables at Rathfarnham the Council is progressing the opportunity to develop a mixed-use hospitality, retail, lifestyle offering.
Ralph McGarry continued: “In Lucan, the council is pursuing an interest in the Old School House as potential tourist information hub following the drafting of a tourism development plan.
“And in Clondalkin, the Council recently launched an enhanced experience at the Round Tower Visitor Centre which includes a free downloadable multi-lingual audio guide available in 5 languages – English, Irish, French, German and Spanish, interactive touchscreens, printed interpretative panels, a heated outdoor space and opportunities to take the perfect #towerselfie adding further value for the visitor.”
