Draft Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan
The vision of this outdoor recreation Action Plan is to:
Promote participation to realise social, health, and economic benefits and quality of life for all our citizens and visitors whilst respecting our natural landscape and supporting responsible outdoor recreation.
Outdoor Recreation includes physical activities in the natural environment, such as walking, canoeing, mountain biking, orienteering and wild swimming. It does not include activities that take place on pitches or course (golf, football) or motorised sports such as quads/scramblers.
This County Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan aligns with the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy, Embracing Ireland's Outdoors 2023 – 2027, and with the County Clare Local Sports and Physical Activity Plan so that there is a coordinated and sustainable approach to developing, managing, and utilising County Clare's and Ireland's outdoors.
An ongoing consultation process both local and national with the landowners, organisations, communities and participants in the outdoor recreation sector is informing this Outdoor Recreation Plan.
Five Strategic Themes are emerging from the consultation process:
- Places: we must preserve, maintain, and sustain our outdoor recreation places.
- People: we will include and sustain more participants in a culture that is respectful.
- Partnership: continued stakeholder collaboration and land access generosity.
- Product: a growing range of opportunities with a variety of activity providers.
- Promotion: More awareness-raising and communication resources are needed.
All individuals across the county are invited to provide feedback to Clare County Council.
This Plan will be subject to the necessary assessments as outlined by Embracing Ireland's Outdoors.
View the Draft Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan in the Supporting Documents section.
Public consultation
You can view the Draft Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan online (the link is also in the supporting document section). You can also view it during normal opening hours at the following locations:
- Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis
- Shannon Municipal District Office, Town Hall, Shannon
- West Clare Municipal District Office, Town Hall, The Square, Kilrush
- Ennistymon Area Office, Ennis Road, Ennistymon
- Killaloe Municipal District Office, Mountshannon Road, Scarriff
- Public libraries in Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush, Ennistymon and Killaloe
- Active Ennis Leisure Complex, Highfield Road, Ennis
- Clare Sports Partnership, Clare Education Centre, Kilrush Road, Ennis
Clare County Council hereby invites any interested parties to make submissions or observations with regard to the Draft Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan. Submissions/observations may be made during the period from March 14th to April 11th 2025 inclusive.
Submissions received will be taken into consideration before the re-drafting of the County Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan.
In respect of making a submission or observation please note the following:
- Please make your submission by one medium only, i.e. via on-line form, email or by post.
- Submissions / observations should include your name and, where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company etc., which you represent. Clare County Council are subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act (as amended) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In order to assist us in complying with Data Protection and GDPR please include your name and where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company etc., which you represent, on a separate sheet to the content of your submission / observation. This processing of your personal data is lawful under Article 6 (1)(e) of the GDPR regulations. The Council's Data Protection Policy is available on the Council website aswell as a Data Privacy Notice for the Draft Local Sport and Physical Activity Plan.
- Children, or groups or associations representing the interests of children, are particularly encouraged to make submissions or observations regarding the foregoing.
- Please ensure that no vexatious, libellous or confidential information, including confidential information relating to a third party (in respect of which the third party has not, expressly, or impliedly in the circumstances, consented to its disclosure) is included. Clare County Council reserves the right to redact any submission or part thereof that does not comply with this requirement.
A submission/observation can be submitted by one of the following methods:
Online: Submission to Draft County Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan in the survey link below
In writing to: Jessica O Keeffe, Draft Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan, c/o Clare Education Centre, Government Buildings, Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 F782.
By email to: humphrey@ilc.ie The subject should read "Submission to Draft Clare Outdoor Recreation Plan"
The deadline for receipt of submissions is 11th April 2025. Please note late submissions will not be considered.
