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"There is just so much potential for interesting work that we could do with our students at the Burren College of Art." |
5th June, 06 Tangible benefits from Burren College of Art being felt in North Clare. The Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan has been steadily growing its business both at home and abroad over the past 12 years .The College, a not-for-profit trust, established in 1994 by local couple Michael and Mary Hawkes-Greene, will this summer bring a record number of international students to the beautiful village in the Burren, resulting in significant benefit to the local economy. The College has been consistently marketing the unique environment of the Burren to fine art students and faculty in the US since its foundation. The College, which received start-up funding from Shannon Development under the Regional Development Fund, is in a position to marry the artistic merits of this special environment with the practical facilities needed by art students, and delivers a ‘Study-Abroad’ experience that is drawing record numbers to this part of north Clare. This summer will see visiting groups from San Francisco, Chicago, Milwaukee, Southern Illinois, Connecticut, Boston, North Carolina, Alabama and New Hampshire together with Irish artists and workshop participants, using the facilities of the College, bringing an additional 4000 bed-nights into the Ballyvaughan area. With the average group staying just over 3 weeks, the actual spend in the area is significant. Between May and August, these groups will spend in excess of €83,000 on accommodation, €16,000 on transport and an estimated €90,000 on food and recreation. The majority of this spend will be concentrated in the Ballyvaughan area, but attractions such as the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Folk Park will also feel the benefits. Mary Hawkes-Greene, President of the Burren College of Art said, “The success of the Burren College of Art is an example of appropriate development in an environmentally sensitive area. This summer will see over 200 international students at the college, each staying an average of three weeks. Over 50% of these will have family visit them and a further 30% will return to visit with family and friends within five years. The long-term spin-off is amazing. During the academic year the addition of 40-50 full-time students to a resident population of 450 mainly dependent on seasonal tourism is of enormous benefit culturally and economically. We took a decision not to build student housing but rather to utilise the oversupply of holiday homes, lying idle off-season, to accommodate our students. In a small community, this is what keeps the post office, the pharmacy, and local business afloat. What is really wonderful is that this prosperity is brought about with minimal development and in total harmony with the environment. Education as a product offers enormous potential for economic growth, and Ireland, sadly, lags behind the UK and our EU counterparts in recognising this.” John Crowe, Dept. of Heritage & Tourism at Shannon
Development, adds, “Shannon Development has been a long-term
supporter of the Burren College of Art and we recognise the economic
impact it brings to the region in terms of seasonal and niche tourism.
We view this as one of the most unique projects in the region - one
that marries the beauty of the Burren limestone area with the complimentary
resources of the Colleges to an exceptionally high standard.”
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