CONCERN over rural depopulation and a deep-rooted belief that there was an opportunity to bring more visitors to the Beara Peninsula saw Paul O’Shea launch his business, Dursey Boat Trips.

That was in back in 2019, and Paul now employs 17 people with plans underway to expand the business this year.

He’s a motor mechanic by trade running Berehaven Motor Works where he employs five people. It was while he was chairman of his local community centre that his awareness grew of rural depopulation from the locality.

‘I really became aware of the need to create employment to keep people here,’ said Paul.

His late father Vincent was involved in the fishing industry, fishing for mackerel off Garnish Pier.

‘At that time in the 70s there would have been 80 to 100 people working in the industry seasonally and I would have heard him talking about the tourism opportunity to take people to the Bull Rock.

‘My father-in-law Dick O’Driscoll was a light keeper and spent time on Bull Rock and he felt the same,’ said Paul.

He took the plunge and launched the business with his cousin Jason Sheehan, hatching the plan in McCarthy’s Bar in Castletownbere.

Jason Sheehan’s family have been involved in the fishing industry for generations, and their knowledge of the local sea conditions is second to none. Jason’s Grandfather James Sheehan was the first operator of the Dursey cable car.

Starting out with a six-seater rib, Dursey Boat Trips now has three boats, each with a capacity of 12.

Currently on offer are two trips – the Bull Rock Trip and the Castletownbere Harbour Trip – which run seasonally from April through to September. The Bull Rock Trip goes around

Dursey Island and then, off the western point of Dursey, they head out to three islands; Calf Rock, Cow Rock and Bull Rock. As well as stunning scenery and wildlife, passengers are treated to local history on everything from lighthouses to shipwrecks on route.

Customers come from all over Ireland, as well as overseas.

‘Last year we had lots of Americans, Europeans and also Chinese, many of whom are living in this country, as well as people from all over Ireland,’ said Paul.

Winning the West Cork Wild Atlantic Way Tourism Business 2023 award is, Paul said, a huge endorsement of what he and his team are striving to achieve.

‘And that’s bringing people to the outer end of the Wild Atlantic Way and showing off Beara to the world,’ he said proudly.

Plans for 2024 include expanding their offerings to include corporate activity weekends, featuring hill walking, stone wall building as well as harbour tours.

‘Our feelings is that if can get people here, it will help other business as well, it’s about feeding into that bigger picture.’

Paul’s dad Vincent passed away before the business was launched but he’s certain he’d have been impressed by what he has achieved.

‘I think my dad would be proud of us, proud of our determination to make a living for ourselves at home, and to help retain the population in the Allihies parish.

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR – FÁILTE IRELAND

Welcoming business in West Cork!

Spain Tower near Baltimore, with Roaringwater Bay and the Mizen peninsula in the background.

FÁILTE Ireland is delighted to sponsor the ‘Best West Cork Wild Atlantic Way Business’ Award in the West Cork Business & Tourism Awards again in 2023. Originally established in 2019 the award is made by the judges to a tourism business that brings the Wild Atlantic Way regional experience brand to life, the business offers an authentic experience and continue to innovate their tourism offering to attract more visitors to West Cork throughout the year and is done in a sustainable manner.

Stretching 2,500km from Kinsale in West Cork to the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, the Wild Atlantic Way is the longest defined coastal touring route in the world and has become a household name in Ireland since it was launched by Fáilte Ireland in 2014. The Wild Atlantic Way was designed to celebrate our rugged coastal landscape and reposition the West Coast of Ireland as a compelling and unique holiday experience and with so much to offer, from stunning landscapes to excellent food, West Cork is the perfect place to start or end a journey along the route.

Failte Ireland, working with our many industry and agency partners recently launched a five-year Destination & Experience Development Plan (DEDP) for West Cork and Kenmare taking in a wide geography from Kinsale along the coast to Kenmare in County Kerry which allows the three West Cork peninsulas to benefit from the plan. The plan also covers the Mhuscraí Gaeltacht area and all of the West Cork islands. The plan itself can be accessed via the following link.

The objective of this long-term commercial development plan is to give a fresh insight into what makes West Cork & Kenmare a distinctive singular destination to visit along the Wild Atlantic Way and strengthen the value of tourism to the local economy without compromising the environment or culture of the region. Developed with input from local businesses and communities, Local Authorities and key stakeholders, this plan identifies the standout features for each area and provides a framework for businesses to present these experiences in a way that tourists can easily understand. Our vision for the Wild Atlantic Way is to deliver sustainable growth to all areas of West Cork and Kenmare which in turn will deliver real benefits for local communities and businesses.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, the Wild Atlantic Way has been a huge success with both with domestic and international visitors and, as the National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland is committed to building on this success and developing tourism in West Cork & Kenmare further. We will continue to work with local tourism businesses to ensure they can offer the best visitor experience and attract tourists outside of the summer season to grow employment and revenue in the West Cork area. The success of the Wild Atlantic Way is very much testament to the strong partnership we have with local industry and communities and this award recognises the achievements of a tourism business who is striving to embody the Wild Atlantic Way brand.

Fáilte Ireland provides a range of supports for businesses from tailored development programmes to useful research market insights, templates and checklists - check out https://supports.failteireland.ie/welcome-to-learnifi/ or get in touch with your local Wild Atlantic Way team to find out how we can support your business.

Get in touch

Web: www.failteireland.ie | Email: [email protected]