Carrigaholt Rejuvenation Projects

Carrigaholt Co-Op Building Rejuvenation 

(in progress)

In 2025 the CDA assumed responsibility for the former Fisherman’s Co-Op building located in the Square at the centre of the village.  Currently this building serves as the community hub, hosting community meetings and events, and is acting as a base for clubs like the Loop Head Rowing Club and for project groups like the Wetlands Project Group.  It also accommodates our community post office.  

In early 2026 an armed raid on the post office sent shock waves through Carrigaholt and the wider Loop Head community, and was a devastating blow to the village.  Significant upgrades were already required on the building and the additional damage done in the raid exacerbated the problem, not to mention the very real possibility to lose the post office completely.   

In the aftermath of the raid the community came together and raised approx. € 65,000 from supporters near and far and kick-started the re-development of the Co-Op building. The post office was moved to the larger room of the building so additional security measures could be installed; facilities for an incorporated community shop were also fitted during the renovation works and the new post office & shop opened on May 18th 2026 after only 4 months of fund raising, planning and building.

Needless to say that this first phase of the project was hugely successful, strongly supported by the entire community and this success story received coverage in local and national media.  

As the post office is now occupying the village’s primary community facility, the proposed Phase 2 of the project seeks to reinstate the former post office area as a dedicated community hub. The focus would initially be on improving the overall safety, security and resilience of the building for public use. 

Planned works include the removal of damaged and obsolete post office fittings, replacement of damaged doors and windows and the installation of a secure internal access door to fully segregate community space from service, storage and post office operational areas.

Once these works are complete further development needs to be discussed and decided upon. Ideas on how the use of the space could be maximised include a laundry service, showers and toilets for visiting camper vans and boats, key holding for holiday homeowners and bookings management service to provide a one-stop-shop for holiday home bookings in the area, a tourist information office and craft shop, internet café, …

Once completed this project will transform the Co-Op building into a central hub not only for Carrigaholt but the wider Loop Head Peninsula, providing year-round services for residents and visitors alike and creating direct and indirect employment.

Carrigaholt Wetlands 

(in progress)

The flood plain around the estuary of the Moyarta River covers the area upstream from the bridge and along the northern perimeter of Carrigaholt village. Currently the area between the village and the river features a saltmarsh habitat typical for the Shannon Estuary.

The historic flood protection is in disrepair with several breaches in the berm allowing tidal water encroaching on the village. The river is exposed to raw sewage from the village and dwellings further upstream, and as a consequence the Moyarta River has a poor water quality rating (Q-rating 3 = moderately polluted), a problem that the Carrigaholt community has been highlighting and trying to resolve in cooperation with the authorities, so far to no avail.

In 2025 the CDA was presented with the opportunity to purchase the 10 acres of land between the village and the river and in early 2026 the sale was completed thanks to generous LAWPRO (Local Authority Waters Programme) funding. This is giving the CDA and the Carrigaholt community the opportunity to mitigate the pollution problem and create a valuable community asset at the same time.

The long term goals for this project are to

• treat wastewater from the village to reduce pollution and eliminate odour, and if possible, also address pollution entering the river further upstream

• improve Moyarta River water quality and subsequently the water quality of Carrigaholt Bay

• increase flood protection for the village

• improve biodiversity on the site by restoring or / and creating habitat(s)

• create a community amenity and visitor attraction - e.g. walkway, viewing platform, nature observation hide, outdoor classroom, ....

The project will advance in several phases in close cooperation with the community and landowners who wish to partake in the project:

Phase 1 (2025/26) - completed:

• Land purchase and securing access (Right of Way)

Phase 2 (2026) – in progress:

• Assess site

• Produce wastewater treatment design options

• Produce design options for community amenity

• Plan and build access path from the bridge to the site and install a viewing platform

Phase 3 (2027 and beyond):

• Implementations of plans

Currently Phase 2 is underway, also funded by LAWPRO, which allows to employ experts and two local project officers.

It is envisaged that the project will not only solve the decade-old raw sewage issue, but also add a unique recreational area to the village which would serve residents and attract visitors.

Carrigaholt Festival Circle

(in progress)

Festivals play a vitally important role in local community vitality and also attract local, national and international visitors, thereby supporting the local economy and building the local brand.

Festivals can be a main ingredient in obtaining a vibrant community all year round. The Carrigaholt festival season now covers spring, summer and autumn which is an important step towards developing year-round tourism instead of focusing on only a few, short weeks in summer. Year-round well-planned and well-resourced successful festivals would not only enhance year-round community well-being but would also make tourism more sustainable and so provide more full-time employment. In addition, the festivals celebrate different aspects of the community and the wider peninsula, including locally produced food, heritage in music and dance, scenery and outdoor activities which as a whole showcases Carrigaholt and the Loop Head Peninsula as a place of great variety for holiday makers.

Carrigaholt has developed a range of festivals that showcase these different aspects of the area. Two established highlights of the festival season are The Carrigaholt Oyster & Traditional Festival and the Carrigaholt Walking Festival.

The Carrigaholt Oyster & Traditional Festival is being celebrated every year on the May Bank Holiday weekend and puts the spotlight on the locally grown oysters which are being served at all local pubs and restaurants over the course of the weekend, and combines it with Carrigaholt’s long tradition of being a hub for traditional and modern music.

The Carrigaholt Walking Festival (in June) celebrates the landscape and scenery of the Loop Head Peninsula and the many varied walks available in the area. Over the course of the weekend the festival offers guided walks; long and short walks, historical and cliff walks; and as a highlight a Camino from Kilkee to Carrigaholt. The Carrigaholt Walking Festival is aimed at residents and visitors alike and plays a vital role in showcasing the Loop Head Peninsula as a vibrant destination for outdoor enthusiast in general and hikers in particular and so promoting sustainable tourism in the area.

Other festivals include Seafood in September which showcases locally produced and prepared seafood and the The Carrigaholt River Festival, which was introduced in 2025 to celebrate anything connected with the Shannon Estuary’s maritime history and heritage, and which was rechristened the Carrigaholt / Loop Head Maritime Festival in 2026.

Carrigaholt National School Website

(Completed)

Schools, national schools in particular, are at the centre of any community. Here the next generation of the community is taking their steps into a bigger world, a sense and pride of place is being communicated, innovation and ideas are being developed. All this activity however often goes unnoticed or taken for granted, leaving a missed opportunity for the community to be more involved and for the schools to benefit from the wealth of resources a community has to offer.

Additionally, schools are one of the main criteria when it comes to young families deciding to live in a certain area. With Carrigaholt and the wider area experiencing ongoing population decline, there is a need to showcase and celebrate the quality of education in the small schools on the Loop Head Peninsula to a wider Irish audience, encouraging young families to put down roots in rural areas. The overall project objective was to increase the visibility of Carrigaholt National School in the community and beyond and increase awareness of their achievements and built lasting interaction between school and community.

The components of the Carrigaholt National School Community Outreach and Celebration project were:

• A new, easy to update school website on Google Workspace was developed to provide a vibrant platform to showcase what makes the school special (Unique Selling Points), ongoing projects, events and accomplishments of students and staff and links to the school’s social media. 

• A set of professional photographs and videos were produced to feature on the new website.

• Staff were trained to update and maintain the website with the long term goal to actively involve students in the running of the website.

Carrigaholt Solar Pilot 

(Completed)

Creating a sustainable energy future for the Loop Head Peninsula is one of the major goals for the area. 

As a pilot project a 1.28kw solar PV system was installed in Keane’s Beer Garden in the centre of Carrigaholt in 2022, demonstrating a single plug in solar PV solution. This installation was donated to LEAP (The Loop Head Energy Project) by Ken and Andrew O’Connell of F4 Energy Ltd. as part of the ongoing sustainable energy project.

An information panel tells the background story that led to the installation of the solar panel and provides technical information on how the solar panels work and how they contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.

Further PV systems are envisaged to be installed across the Loop Head Peninsula in the years to come.

Carrigaholt Castle & Public Pathway

(Completed)

Carrigaholt Castle is a tower house strategically located at the Mouth of the Shannon. It was built around 1480 by the MacMahons, the last Gaelic Chieftains to rule the Loop Head Peninsula, and after a long and turbulent history it is now one of the landmarks of the area. The castle and surrounding grounds are privately owned, however in 2019, permissions was granted by the owners to the CDA to open the area to the public.

The CDA applied for Ministerial Consent (as it is a listed building and archeologically sensitive) to create a universally accessible public pathway through the field from the car park to the Castle grounds, allowing people to visit the area around the building itself. Government grant aid brought this work to completion in 2020, including delivering interpretation of the building, its history and its relevance to the local community and its importance in our shared heritage in the form of a panels along the pathway to the castle.

The building itself – which is managed by the OPW (Office of Public Works) - is not open to the public due to safety concerns. Should the tower house be renovated in the future to allow safe public access, the offerings on site could be extended, including further interpretation panels and guided tours given by a local person. The latter would create a more personal and meaningful experience, as well as providing much needed employment opportunities to the village.

Since its opening the Carrigaholt Castle Pathway had to deal with incidents of vandalism but has become an important part in the fabric of the village and a major tourist attraction.

Carrigaholt Tidy Towns

(in progress)

Tidy Towns is a well-established competition in which towns and villages around Ireland are judged on the following criteria:

• Community Involvement & Planning

• Built Environment and Streetscape

• Landscaping and Open Spaces

• Wildlife, Habitats and Natural Amenities

• Sustainable Waste and Resource Management

• Tidiness and Litter Control

• Residential Streets & Housing Areas

• Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes

The volunteer work carried out by Tidy Towns members has been and still is vital in the upkeep if Ireland’s towns and villages. Carrigaholt is no exception. The visual appearance and accessibility of the village plays a huge role in how the place is being perceived, experienced, and remembered by visitors, the work of Tidy Towns Carrigaholt therefore plays a vital role in local tourism. In addition, a well-kept and tended-to village contributes to the pride of place, general well-being and can attract new residents.

Carrigaholt Tidy Towns has been achieving consistently good and improving rankings over the years. It is now envisaged that a closer cooperation between Carrigaholt Tidy Towns and CDA to work together towards the Carrigaholt Rejuvenation Vision will present the opportunity to further increase rankings.

In the past Carrigaholt Tidy Towns has been taken on the improvement of the overall appearance of the village, e.g. flower displays at access roads, and has been vital in keeping the green area beside the pier in a presentable condition.

Shannon Dolphins Monument 

(concept)

The Shannon Dolphins, a group of over 100 Bottlenose Dolphins which is permanently resident in the Shannon Estuary, is one of the foremost and unique attractions and a major nature tourism asset for the Loop Head Peninsula.

To date Kilrush is most strongly associated with the Shannon Dolphins. The town is noted as the Gateway to the Shannon Dolphins and features a Dolphin Trail and the Shannon Dolphin & Wildlife Visitor Centre.

On the Loop Head Peninsula Dolphinwatch Carrigaholt has been running dolphin-watch tours out of Carrigaholt for over 20 years as well as supporting dolphin research. Carrigaholt Bay, Kilcredaun and Loop Head are some the best places along the estuary to see these animals from land. Nevertheless there is little to showcase the presence of these animals on the Loop Head Peninsula.

This project envisages celebrating the Shannon Dolphins with a monument, developed, designed and produced locally by the community and displayed at Carrigaholt Square alongside an information panel describing the natural history of the Shannon Dolphins and the heritage of dolphin-watching on the peninsula.

The Shannon Dolphins Monument would put the Shannon Dolphins deservedly into the centre of attention and so support nature tourism businesses in Carrigaholt and the wider area.

Kilcredaun - Rinevella Nature & Heritage Trail

(concept)

The Kilcredaun - Rinevella Nature & Heritage Trail would build on and follow the existing West Clare Trails in the area, Kilcredaun Heights and Meadow of the Rabbits, and add information on natural history, wildlife and geology to these two trails. The current trails run on minor roads and tracks and connect the village of Carrigaholt with Kilcredaun and Rinevella.

The trail would encourage more visitors to explore the area in more detail and stay longer which would benefit local businesses.

The sourcing of content from the community and Carrigaholt National School would create more awareness for local nature, wildlife and heritage and strengthen the bond between the community and the school.

Information panels or a less intrusive alternative such as a mobile app are envisaged and would be erected in key locations along the trails. Panel content would be sourced locally and through engagement with the community and Carrigaholt National School.

Possible locations for information panels:

1. Carrigaholt Wetlands: Wildlife

2. Carrigaholt Castle Pier: Fishing Heritage, Shannon Dolphins

3. College Strand: Oyster Farming, Moneypoint, The Irish College

4. Kilcredaun Lighthouse: Lighthouse history, heath

5. Kilcredaun Battery Site: Kilcredaun Battery, Churches and Holy Well, Okeanos shipwreck, Wildflowers

6. The Drowned Forest: See Rinevella Nature Observation Hide

Rinevella Nature Observation Hide 

(concept)

Rinevella Bay, especially the area known as ‘Drowned Forest’ and the adjoining vegetated shingle and saltmarsh, attracts a variety of resident and visiting birds (Mute swan, grey heron, little egret, ringed plover, sandwich tern, brent goose and others) as well as other wildlife and is one of the Loop Head Peninsula’s prime locations for bird watching. The site itself however is difficult to access and high footfall would disturb both fauna and flora and increase the already high level of erosion in the area. A hide accessible from the coast road would therefore be desirable to open the site for visitors.

The nature observation point is envisaged to consist of a boardwalk which would lead from the road to a viewing platform which would feature an information panel and a raised bird hide which would allow an overview over the entire bay. This would allow visitors and residents to observe the plants and animals of the area without causing any disturbance or damage to the fragile habitats.

The Path in Carrigaholt 

(concept)

This project envisages the creation of a tranquil, garden-like space on the green-area in the centre of Carrigaholt overlooking the harbour and pier.

The centrepiece of ‘The Path’ would be small shale-plates engraved with the name of former and present residents of the area which would be displayed on the concrete foundation on which the park bench sits.

An additional bench would benefit the place and decorative flowerpots and plants would be placed around the concrete area to create the impression of a secluded “quiet space” without obstructing the view over the harbour area.

In the longer term The Path would be extended along the shoreline with purpose-built walls to house additional plates and would link with other projects of the Carrigaholt Rejuvenation Vision.

The Path would add a unique community space to the village and honour and celebrate former and present residents in an unobtrusive and respectful way. The space would also catch the interest of visitors and would so play an important role to highlight the history, heritage and community spirit of the village and wider area.

These are just the projects currently underway or suggested for future implementation, there are many more opportunities in and around the village to make the area a desirable and even better place to live, work and raise a family. The green area beside the harbour and the hall are just two of the places that could be major assets for the village.

If you would like to share ideas, get involved in or comment on existing projects, or want to start your own project please contact us through the Carrigaholt Rejuvenation Projects Facebook page.