Permission sought for extension to Doagh Famine Village

Planning permission has been sought for an extension to an Inishowen tourist attraction that was extensively damaged in a fire four months ago. 

The directors of Doagh Famine Village in the application are listed as Patrick and Martina Doherty, who are seeking permission for the extension to the front of the existing events building, comprising a display area and shop, both ancillary to the tourist attraction. 

Doagh Famine Village is one of Ireland’s most unique and popular tourist attractions, visited by thousands of people from all over the world every year, where they offer guided tours with a journey through life in Ireland, showing how families learned to survive and adapt as society evolved from the Great Famine in the 1840s to the present day.

The fire on the May Bank Holiday weekend this year ripped through the historic site on the Isle of Doagh, destroying over 60 per cent of the village. 

The Orange Hall, Safe House, Travellers Section, and recently installed boards that were translated into five languages for visitors were among the highlights that were destroyed in the three-quarters of an acre blaze. 

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Any submissions can be made on the extension until the 5th of October. A decision on the development is expected by the end of October.