LANDMARK FORMER CLONES HOTEL TO HAVE NEW LEASE OF LIFE AS TOURISM HUB

PETER HUGHES

The landmark building in Clones that was formerly the Lennard Arms Hotel had its potentially bright new future as the hub for a new heritage tourism initiative outlined to the members of the Ballybay-Clones Municipal District on Monday. Marc Roosli and Frank Cooney from consultants Mirador Media outlined the concept of a Freedom of Clones visitor experience, with “where Ireland’s ancient heart still beats” as a suggested tagline. The Lennard Arms building would become the hub from which visitors could explore the 1,500 years of history possessed by the town and embodied in many conveniently situated historic sites and monuments. The building would be “an anchor and a driver for growth in visitor numbers”, in the vision detailed by Mr Roosli. He told the meeting that a previously developed concept around the early Christian history of the area and its association with St Tiernach, based in the main around local…