Call for more effort to improve visitor numbers to Letterkenny attraction

Visitor numbers need to increase at Newmills Corn and Flax Mills before it can receive extra investment, county councillors have been told.
A call has been made for more effort to be put into increasing visitors to the centre following a recent visit by the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Patrick O'Donovan.
Mayor of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh said the minister of state told councillors that the facility will not get more investment unless visitor numbers improve.
The Fine Gael councillor told the March meeting of the municipal district that the centre gets over 3,000 visitors compared to more than 200,000 that visit Glenveagh National Park and more than 32,000 who visit the nearby Glebe Gallery. The OPW-run facility has buildings which date back 400 years and has one of the largest working water wheels in the country.
Cllr Kavanagh told the meeting that during a recent visit by the minister of state the centre was closed and he could not “get to see it at its best”. “It was a missed opportunity,” he said.

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He said the minister of state made it clear what needs to happen. “He was interested and very impressed with what he saw.
“He was clearly of the opinion it is not getting the prominence it should.”
Cllr Kavanagh said guides at the facility have retired and not been replaced and it needs to be ensured that expertise is there to maintain the mill.
“The potential it has is second to none. It is not a big ask to grow the numbers as it has such potential,” he said.
Councillors agreed with the motion but some who were not aware of the minister of state’s visit expressed disappointment that not all councillors had been invited.
Sin Féin councillor Gerry McMonagle said it was not proper and was disrespectful to elected members that all councillors were not invited to meet Mr O'Donovan. He said in future all councillors should be informed of such visits.
Independent councillors Kevin Bradley and Michael McBride also expressed disappointment that they were not informed of the visit.
Fianna Fáil councillor Ciaran Brogan said all the councillors should have been invited but it was outside the remit of the municipal district.

Donegal County Council said there is ongoing engagement with the OPW regarding Newmills Corn and Flax Mills and the council is assisting the OPW with plans for the site.