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APR 2005
Major work to begin at Dunree Fort
John McCarter, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fort Dunree
Military Museum, has described the local tourist attraction as 'a
priceless National asset that indelibly punctuates and enhances
the colourful history of this island over the past 200 years.'
Speaking at a sod turning ceremony for a huge new development at
the impressive fort site just outside Buncrana, he said the Fort
was now setting out on a project that will enable it to be explored
and explained in much greater detail to a wider audience in the
time to come. "This new development embraces many of our aims
and objectives. Firstly it will return, to active service, as it
were, four of the historic buildings that have stood testament to
time and conditions here at Dunree."
He explained that three of the buildings will allow for much needed
new exhibition space and this in turn will allow them to properly
exhibit more of our artefacts while making way for an exciting new
military memorabilia collection that has been amassed locally over
many years by local military men. It will go on permanent display
at the Fort under their direction, much of it directly related to
Fort Dunree. "Along side that we will give greater space to
our existing wildlife collection and expand it with the help of
our dedicated Board members Terry Tedstone, Danny and Dermot McLaughlin.
The expansion will concentrate on and coincide with the natural
local habitat as found in our hill walks and locality. Then since
we are in a coastal location we will create an indoor rock pool,
which will emulate and explain the shore life around us only in
a protected location where weather and tidal flows will not have
any effect on our visitors. Research and experience of this type
of attraction has showed that it is extremely popular with children,
schools and adults alike."
John McCarter said that coupled with these facilities the fort
will also have a general purpose/lecture theatre/ auditorium, visitor
reception and retail souvenir shop. "These are essential ingredients
for marketing our product to schools, colleges, and groups who need
workspace for one reason or another. While they also represent the
hard headed business end of our facility they are important to our
success and are fully integrated into the educational thrust of
our programme both now and into the future."
Just off the car park is the Old Fort Forge, which was the cafe
and will now become a fully refurbished cafeteria capable of catering
for coach parties. However, the building will be maintained in more
or less its original form so that the integrity and authenticity
of the Fort layout is preserved.
Mr McCarter acknowledged the work of those who had developed the
museum, those who had funded the project and Fás who had
supported the project with various schemes over the years. In the
intervening years he said the museum enjoyed strong support from
Fás through the various employment and training schemes while
were also able to secure funding from Interreg, and the International
Fund. John also paid tribute to the strong support received by the
museum from IRDL and the ongoing support of Donegal County Council
and the flair of their architects, Chris Jones and Emmet Power of
Atlantic Architects in Dublin, Pat Agnew and Sean Laverty of AQB
Architectural Workshop in Derry. "Our QS John Ross has harnessed
that flair into budgetary and affordable items and we look forward
to Denis McLaughlin of Strain Developments, our main contractor,
now turning it into reality."
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