An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D., turned the first sod for a major cultural and visitor centre at Pearse’s Cottage, Ros Muc, County Galway.
The centre is one of the eight flagship capital projects which form a core part of the Historical Reflection strand of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, the year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising. The visitor centre at Pearse’s Cottage is one of eight major projects being developed as part of a €22 million capital investment, which will leave a permanent legacy from the 2016 commemorations.
Pearse’s Cottage is set in a striking landscape in Ros Muc where Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising, spent his summers from 1909 to 1915. The new centre at Pearse’s Cottage will provide visitors with an experiential introduction to the Irish language, the local Gaeltacht culture and the surrounding landscape. This will be done in the context of Patrick Pearse’s story and through the lens of what attracted him to Ros Muc.
The development will comprise four elements including a new visitor centre, Cosán Chonamara (consisting of 10 acres including looped walks), Slí na Coille (an interpretative space focusing on Patrick Pearse) and the existing Pearse’s Cottage. The development of the new centre is being led by Údarás na Gaeltachta as part of a steering group comprising Galway County Council, the Office of Public Works, Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.