Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The opening of the new N22 Macroom and Baile Bhuirne bypass will make east-west tourism flow much more freely.

It means the thousands of tourists who disembark in Cobh and face west will be able to reach their destinations that much faster. Instead of getting to Killarney any faster, why would they not spend more time in the Lee Valley and places such as Macroom? Tourism products such as liners take some years to plan ahead. We really need to be getting a foothold in this tourism product and promoting the Lee Valley to the cohort of people coming off the liners. The bypass also means the Lee Valley is that much more accessible to Killarney-based tourists. There should be some way to promote and encourage this. Macroom is only 20 minutes from four of the biggest fishing rivers in the country - the Bandon, Lee, Ilen and Blackwater. There is real potential but some steps need to be taken ahead of time and we should be starting sooner on it.

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