Ballyhoura’s Past, Present and Future Come Together as New Sustainability Stories Campaign Launches
Landmark gathering celebrates four decades of community-led tourism and sets out a regenerative vision for Ballyhoura’s next chapter.
Forty years of community-led tourism, a new generation of tourism businesses and an ambitious vision for the future came together at Charleville Park Hotel on Wednesday, 16 September, for the launch of the Ballyhoura Sustainability Stories Campaign.
Developed through the REGEN BALLYHOURA Sustainability & Regenerative Tourism Network, the new digital storytelling campaign will shine a light on the people, places and businesses shaping a more sustainable and regenerative future for tourism across Ballyhoura.
The event brought together people who have helped shape tourism in Ballyhoura over four decades with those now carrying that legacy forward, using the story of Ballyhoura's past, present and future to explore how tourism can continue to contribute positively to local communities, the rural economy and the natural environment.
At the heart of the campaign are the businesses and people who make up the REGEN BALLYHOURA network. Through a series of professionally produced short films released over the coming months, audiences will be taken behind the scenes to meet the entrepreneurs, families and communities at the heart of tourism in Ballyhoura.
Under the theme “Rooted in Place. Shaped by People. Shared Through Stories.”, the campaign explores ideas of place, belonging, stewardship and innovation and demonstrates how tourism businesses can create memorable experiences for visitors while strengthening the places and communities in which they operate.
A story 40 years in the making
The launch comes during an especially significant year for Ballyhoura tourism.
In 2026, Ballyhoura Fáilte celebrates 40 years as a pioneering model of community tourism development. The Ballyhoura Walking Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary from 8–11 October 2026, while the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails celebrate 20 years since the opening of the Republic of Ireland’s first purpose-built mountain bike trail network.
Those milestones provided the backdrop for a panel conversation tracing Ballyhoura’s tourism journey from its community-led beginnings, through the opportunities and challenges of the present, to the ambitions and possibilities of the years ahead.
The discussion was hosted by Paddy Mathews of Mathews Consultants, who brought his many years of experience in place-based and sustainable tourism development to a conversation about what has made the Ballyhoura model endure and what will be required to sustain it into the future.
Carmel Fox brought the audience back to the origins of the organisation and the vision of people who recognised that tourism could become a catalyst for the development of their communities and the wider region.
Margaret Atalla, current Chair of Ballyhoura Fáilte, reflected on the opportunities and challenges facing the destination today and on how the REGEN BALLYHOURA network is taking that long tradition of collaboration into a new generation.
Looking towards Ballyhoura’s future, Fiona Dunne of Fáilte Ireland spoke about the collaboration between stakeholders in developing a Destination and Experience Development Plan for Ballyhoura and how the region can build on its strengths within Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.
John Leamy of Ballyneety Golf Club explored the legacy that today’s work can create and the significant opportunity presented by the Junior Ryder Cup coming to Ballyneety Golf Club in 2027, putting a Ballyhoura venue on an international stage.
Amanda Slattery of Ballyhoura Development brought the conversation back to the realities of delivering sustainable rural and tourism development: the ambition that exists within communities and businesses, the challenges of turning that ambition into action, and the importance of policy and long-term supports that enable locally led development to flourish.
The people behind the story
But the Ballyhoura story was not told from the stage alone.
Guests were given an advance screening of the new campaign films before being invited to Meet the Makers, where participating businesses showcased their experiences, produce and stories through specially created displays.
It brought the central message of the campaign to life: Ballyhoura’s tourism story is ultimately a story about people.
The REGEN BALLYHOURA Sustainability & Regenerative Tourism Network brings together tourism businesses from across North Cork and East Limerick united by a commitment to regenerative and sustainable tourism. Their shared ambition extends beyond attracting visitors. It is about helping tourism make a positive contribution to communities, local economies, landscapes, heritage and biodiversity, while creating meaningful experiences for visitors.
Margaret Atalla, Chair of Ballyhoura Fáilte, said:
“Today was a very special day for Ballyhoura Fáilte as we celebrate 40 years of tourism development. Ballyhoura Fáilte today stands on the shoulders of those who came before us. The Ballyhoura region has a long tradition of people giving their time, energy and commitment to building communities, developing tourism and creating opportunities. Perhaps that is why, 40 years later, we are still here and still looking forward. As a new generation of tourism providers emerges through the REGEN BALLYHOURA Network, we can see those same values of community, collaboration and care for place being carried forward. The future of Ballyhoura tourism is in very good hands.”
Reflecting on the morning, Paddy Mathews said:
“Today wasn’t just a reflection on 40 years of Ballyhoura Fáilte; it was a real moment of momentum. What came through so clearly from the REGEN BALLYHOURA Network members is their unwavering sense of purpose: to develop a form of tourism that strengthens their communities and enhances the environment. That purpose has been a guiding light for Ballyhoura Fáilte since it was founded 40 years ago. What we saw today was the next generation stepping forward, carrying those principles and values with them and giving them fresh meaning for the future.”
Amanda Slattery, Ballyhoura Development, said:
“Ballyhoura’s story has never simply been about attracting more visitors. It is about what tourism can do for a place when local people are empowered to shape its development themselves. What is particularly exciting about the REGEN BALLYHOURA Network is that this next generation of businesses understands that their own success is connected to the wellbeing of their communities, landscapes and local economy. There are real challenges ahead, including ensuring that policy, investment and supports enable rural destinations to deliver on this ambition. But the collaboration and leadership we saw here today give us enormous confidence in Ballyhoura’s next chapter.”
A story that continues
The launch at Charleville Park Hotel marks the beginning of the next chapter of the Ballyhoura Sustainability Stories Campaign.
The campaign will officially begin online on Thursday, 24 September, with the release of a campaign teaser across Visit Ballyhoura’s digital channels. From 1 October, individual Sustainability Stories will be shared regularly, introducing audiences to the people, businesses and places behind the destination and exploring what sustainable and regenerative tourism looks like in practice.
The stories will invite visitors to discover a form of tourism based on connection rather than consumption, contribution rather than extraction, and meaningful engagement with place.
Collectively, the campaign tells the story of a region whose tourism identity is inseparable from its landscapes, heritage, farming traditions, local producers and community spirit – and of a network determined to help protect and strengthen those assets for the generations that follow.
As the campaign develops, Ballyhoura Sustainability Stories will continue to provide a platform for sharing the people, partnerships and ideas shaping the destination’s future.
Rooted in Place. Shaped by People. Shared Through Stories.
