Visit of the First Family of the U.S. a real boost for Wicklow Tourism
Fine Gael TD for Wicklow and resident in the Glendalough area, Andrew Doyle, has said the visit of the First Family of the United States to Glendalough in County Wicklow will be a huge boost for the local economy and will further enshrine Wicklow’s place in international tourism.
Speaking after the Obama family visited Wicklow Mountains National Park, Deputy Doyle said, “I was delighted that the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama and her two children, Malia and Sasha, chose County Wicklow as a place to visit on their short two-day trip to Ireland. With only a short time in Ireland as President Obama visits County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland for the G8 summit, it is significant that the family chose the spend some quiet time in the Wicklow mountains.”
“Glendalough is a site that represents the epitome of early Medieval Irish monastic cities, one of the important aspects of Irish heritage. It bears a unique cultural tradition, being the direct development of pagan antecedents without the influence of the Roman Empire. The layout and architecture of Glendalough and the artefacts within it are distinctive to early Christian Ireland, and the site illustrates the transition from Irish paganism to Christianity.”
“The site at Glendalough is a cultural tourism destination for thousands of people every year, including Irish visitors and those from North America. This visit will be a massive boost for Wicklow in the long run. It is a fantastic opportunity for tourism. Wicklow County Tourism will be using this event as a huge marketing boost for future tourism opportunities to attract even more visitors.”
“We have tours here in Glendalough, daily, for thousands of visitors. There is no doubt that this visit by the Obamas will be beamed coast to coast across America. It will further enshrine County Wicklow on the map for tourism”, concluded Deputy Doyle.