Derry’s Mayor proved he’s not afraid of heights when he officially opened Ireland’s first zip trekking course of its kind at Oakfire Adventures in Faughan Valley.
The building of the course was financially assisted by £50,000 in funding from the Rural Business Investment Scheme as part of the Rural Development Programme. The scheme provides grants to micro and small rural businesses to support job creation and stimulate the local economy.
The new course consists of three single zip line crossings between 230m and 250m in length and a double crossing of 500m which cross over the dramatic Faughan Valley landscape of woodland, water and cliffs.
The initial ground works of the project were washed away during last summer’s floods forcing Oakfire to restart the construction from scratch.
Speaking at Monday’s launch, Mayor Maolíosa McHugh congratulated everyone involved in the successful completion of the project.
“This is a significant day for the local adventure sector as Oakfire Adventures open this unique Zip Trekking course – the first of its kind in Ireland,” he said.
“I would like to congratulate Richard Allen and the team at Oakfire who have had the foresight and vision to pursue this project which was not without its difficulties after last summer’s heavy flooding.
“The new course is good news for our local economy, creating 2.5 new full time equivalent jobs and I am sure it will attract visitors from all over Ireland and beyond.”
William Lamrock, Chair of Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership, expressed his pleasure that the funding was yet again making a real difference to rural businesses in the area.
“The Rural Business Investment Scheme plays a key role in giving rural businesses a helping hand in growing sustainably and realising their potential,” he said.
“The funding for this project has allowed Oakfire to realise its undoubted potential, grow the business and crucially, create new jobs.
“The development will also add to the existing visitor experience in Derry and Strabane and can open up new tourism markets.”
Richard Allen, owner and founder of Oakfire Adventures added: “We are delighted to add the zip trekking course to our existing adventure offering at the Oaks Demesne.
“We are always evolving and adding to our activities so that we can offer the best possible experience to local people and visitors alike. One of the three new zip lines is built out of a cliff face which is the first of its kind in the world”.
“I would like to thank the Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership for their funding assistance in this scheme and we believe we can repay their faith by attracting more adventure tourists to our area.”
The NI Rural Development Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the European Union.
For further information on the Rural Development Programme in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area visitwww.derrystrabane.com/rural.
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