Note on Operation and Management of Aasleagh Lodge and Fisheries

Public Notice

Wed, 25/03/2015

25/03/15;

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) confirms that it is in contract negotiations with Delphi Adventure Resort to manage Aasleagh Lodge and fisheries at Killary Harbour, County Mayo.

The operator has agreed in principle to accept the licence to operate the Aasleagh facility, further to a process run by the IFI through Ganly Walters estate agents. The process comprised an expression of interest phase, to which ten potential operators responded.

Potential operators were invited to present a business plan for the development of the Aasleagh Lodge, and eight plans were received. Potential operators were subsequently called to interview, at which their business plans were presented.

Unsuccessful applicants have been notified of the outcome of the process, and the IFI looks forward to the completion of contract negotiations with Delphi Adventure Resort. Until this phase of the process has been completed, IFI is not in a position to comment further on the matter.

ENDS

Further Information: Suzanne Campion
Head of Business Development
Inland Fisheries Ireland
3044 Lake Drive,
Citywest,
Dublin.
Tel: 01 8842600
Email: suzanne.campion@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie

Note for Editors:

Note on Aasleagh Lodge

Built in the 19th century to the order of the Marquis of Sligo, the Aasleagh Lodge was designed to provide a comfortable dwelling for friends and acquaintances who came to share the hunting and fishing with him. The Sligo properties, including shooting and fishing rights, extended over an enormous area of bog, mountain and river at the time in Counties Mayo and Sligo.

In 1982 the fishery and the lodge were purchased in their entirety by the State and were initially managed by the Central Fisheries Board. The fishery greatly benefited from the protection and development plan that was put into operation by both the Central and Western Regional Fisheries Boards and fish stocks improved enormously peaking with a rod catch of 875 salmon in 1988. The care and management of the fishery and lodge were transferred to the Western Regional Board on 14th February 1999. During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2000 fisheries staff were grounded and not in a position to patrol rivers. As a consequence The Western Regional Fisheries Board utilised the staff, in conjunction with a local contractor, to undertake a comprehensive upgrading and restoration of the building. This raised the standards of the facilities enormously and included the provision of a proper commercial kitchen.

The Lodge was originally a private sporting lodge and was not built to the high standards expected by the discerning angler of the 21st century. The restoration of the Lodge raised the standard of finish and luxury to that which is expected by anglers and holiday makers today. It is against the background of a continuous decline in staff and financial resources, an increased focus on Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI’s) core remit and the retirement of the current manager of the lodge that the Board of IFI decided to seek expressions of interest to manage this facility by an external operator.

About Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI)

IFI is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. IFI will promote, support, facilitate and advise the Minister on, the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling and develop and advise the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling.