Welcome To
Thursday Thirst Quenching Master
Classes & Getting to Grips with
Genealogy, Green, Guiding, Events
& Clustering
Thank you
• Strabane DC
• DARD
• RDP
• ARC
• EU Agriculture Fund
• Leader
MasterClass Series
• 4 Master Classes
• 4 Locations & 11 Speakers
• 4 Thursdays
• 1 Month
• 1, 000, 000, 000’s of Activated
Brain Cells!
Product Development
• Existing product development
• New product development
• Idea generation
• Conversations and research
• Concept development &Testing
• Bring it to market
Agenda
• Genealogy - Frank Hughes Connect your Past
• Green Tourism – Mary Mulvey Eco Tourism
Ireland
• Clustering - Nuala McNulty – North Leitrim
Recreation & Activity Forum
• Guiding - Martin McCrossan – Derry City Tours
• Events - Daniel Brown – Sea Sessions
Genealogy
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Work back from what you know – Genealogy is one activity where going backwards is making progress!
Check what you already have at home, e.g. photos / certificates / land documents.
Talk to your elderly relatives and friends of elderly relatives. They are a wonderful source of information about
your family.
Location, Location, Location - location is one of the most important aspects of Irish Genealogy, especially with
popular surnames.
Find out about the area where your ancestors lived and become familiar with all the administrative divisions
and changes over time. Become familiar with the history of the area by reading local history publications. It is
one of the best ways to get to know an area.
The key to family history is finding new sources – always be on the lookout for new material. And always check
the original sources!
Check if anyone else in the wider family circle is searching for your family.
Use the internet, especially internet forums and facebook – there is a very active virtual family history
community, but be careful that you are happy with your privacy settings and do not give out information about
your date of birth or living members of your family until you are happy you are able to trust those who contact
you.
Be methodical – Always record the source and location of your information – also record if you have been
unable to find a record – it saves you searching the same record again – but remember that some online
sources are only partial and it is worth returning to search those again.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore your family history. It can’t be done in an afternoon. Do as much
research at home prior to visiting archives.
Green Tourism
1. Be a leader and research and establish your motivational reasons you are doing it , e.g. save money , attract
new operators , your own beliefs and principles
2. Measure your impacts in the development and delivery of your product or experience
3. Put in place an Environment policy to minimise your impacts and reduce same.
4. Devise a Green Purchasing Plan
5. Establish responsibilities and identify your “Green Team”.
6. Train staff and empower them.
7. Research and decide if certification is an option for your business
8. Record ,monitor and control all water , waste and energy usage on ongoing basis for your business
9. Devise a Communication plan to all your customers and suppliers to communicate all your green credentials.
Clustering
1. Think like a Tourist
2. Work with businesses that enhance your offering
3. Collaborate with people who have different skills to yourself
4. Be flexible in thought and action
5. If you’re a control freak, lose it. There might actually be somebody better that you out there
6. Build Trust, a ‘once off’ might lead to long term
7. Be patient, it takes time, and others work at a different pace
8. Take stock of what’s on offer in your region. . You can’t sell it if you don’t know it
9. Ask your guests what they want, don’t assume
10. 10. Clap yourself on the back every so often
Guiding
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always sell your destination
always act in a professional manner
make sure you are properly insured
have as many contacts as possible in your local authority
don't assume that everyone will be helpful or will assist you
make it perfectly clear what you are trying to sell
always try and be of neat appearance when dealing with people
set a price that you know people can afford
attend every workshop available and attend all of your local authority information days
partner with as many people or organisations as you possibly can
Events
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Know your brand
Stay authentic to who you are
Know who you are trying to communicate with
The public cannot be fooled in today's on line world
Use the communication channels that deliver your audience
Be brave with your brand
Invest in your authenticity
Dare to make dreams realities
Dont fear or react to copy cats and don't be one
Always look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself "Am I doing this to deliver a need?"
Frank McHugh
Frank McHugh will present a Master Class on Genealogy will provide a master class on guiding.
Frank McHugh was educated at Queen’s University, Belfast with a Masters in Irish Local
History, University of Strathclyde with a Pass awarded Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical
Studies. He is a experienced Genealogy Trainer with Community groups in Fermanagh,
Tyrone and Leitrim, a Genealogy Researcher and on One-to-One Genealogy tuition
through the Victims and Survivors Service
He is also a committee Member of a variety of local historical societies including Boho Heritage Organisation;
Fermanagh Family History Society – Branch Secretary; William Carleton Society – Secretary; Clogher Historical Society;
Fermanagh Genealogy Centre – Director
As part of his genealogy business, Connect with Your Past, he provides training to community groups as well as
individual client consultations. He is currently working with Fermanagh District Council on a voluntary basis to develop
a Genealogy Centre in Fermanagh. Frank regularly conduct trips to PRONI and GRONI in Belfast, the Valuation Office, the
Registry of Deeds, National Library of Ireland, National Archives of Ireland and the GRO, all in Dublin.
Mary Mulvey
Ecotourism Ireland CEO Mary Mulvey is a graduate of St Patrick’s College Maynooth Co Kildare and has a BA Post
Graduate Diploma in Irish Heritage Management from UCC-University College Cork, Post Grad Certificate In Ecotourism
from Sligo Institute .
Mary has considerable senior management experience ranging previous employments which includes the English
Tourist Board, Bord Fáilte, Heritage Towns of Ireland and Irish Peatland Conservation Council.
Mary is passionate about raising the profile of the Ecotourism at national and international level with relevant
government agencies, tourism bodies and stakeholders to ensure that ecotourism is on Ireland’s tourism agenda and
ensuring a credible policy is developed and promoted . She is a tireless advocate on sustainability and finding a clear
way to educate all in the subject and plan future tourism on these principles.
The Greenbox Project was Irelands first Ecotourism Destination and was recognised by Tourism for Tommorrow
Awards , Virgin Responsible Travel Awards and Green Apple awards .In 2010 she was Commended in The Shine awards
for Female Talent for her outstanding commitment to sustainability in Tourism.
She was responsible for the development of a world class certification process for ecotourism products in Ireland –
which was piloted in the Burren, and now in other regions .The Ecotourism Ireland Label was globally Recognised By
Global Sustainable Tourism www.gstcouncil.org Council in Jan 2012 .in first twelve in the world .
She has spoken at many international conferences on Global Ecotourism issues in many countries since 2005 UK,
Norway, Germany.
Nuala McNulty
Nuala McNulty – North Leitrim Tourism Group will provide us with insight into how a group of providers came together
in North Leitrim and developed a series of packages for their region. Nuala an accommodation provider herself has
been involved in tourism since 2005 and in delivering training since 2002.
She is owner/manager of Tawnylust Lodge eco-tourism self catering accommodation in Co. Leitrim and founder of
Leitrim Landscapes Guided Walks which offer nature, foraging, wildlife identification and social history themed walks
since 2007.
More recently Nuala developed a new visitor experience; Big Days Out in Leitrim which is a collaboration between three
activity providers in Co. Leitrim. Nuala is a founder member of Leitrim Tourism Network and previously secretary of the
Greenbook and Greenbox cross-border networks.
Nuala is currently an active member of; the Leitrim Recreation Forum, West Cavan-West Fermanagh Regeneration
Group, Leitrim Development Company evaluation committee and the Slow Travel initiative with the Nordic countries.
She has delivered training and mentoring in tourism with the Greenbox ecotourism project and Slieve Bloom Tourism
network.
Martin McCrossan
Owner of Derry City Tours Martin is recognised as one of Derry/Londonderry’s most innovative tour guide enterprises,
and has been accredited as a five-star experience by a Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) quality scheme.
Martin will talk about his experiences of guiding, the stories that unfold and how they enhance the overall visitor
experience further, support the need to inform visitors, tell them something new, and engage visitors in the reasons why
the site is valued.
In 2013 some 72,000 people took a tour with the thriving Martin McCrossan City Tours operation, which is owned by
one of Derry/Londonderry’s longest established tour guides.
Well recognised as a local tourism entrepreneur and ambassador for his home city, Martin McCrossan picked up the
Tourism Hero Award at the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards last year.
His venture’s signature walking tours are on offer four times every day and it also offers private and group tours for
individuals, companies and tour operators throughout the north-west.
Among the high-profile visitors he has personally shown around the Walled City are singer Susan Boyle and Hollywood
star Will Ferrell.
Daniel Browne
Daniel Browne has been working in the media in the north west for over 15 years. As a keen surfer it was a natural
progression for him and some friends to come together and have a beach party festival.
Over the last seven years Sea Sessions Surf Music Festival has grown and developed to be one of Europe's best loved
boutique festivals.
The event has hosted international artists from Paul Weller and Ziggy Marley to the Kaiser Chiefs, the Happy Mondays
and most recently Kelis and the Dandy Warhols. The event has received an official visit from President of Ireland
Michael D Higgins and has been voted best small festival in the Irish Festival Awards.
Despite being a small festival the profile of the event has been huge with it now being widely recognised as an
established part of the Irish Festival scene. Much of this success in the media is down to Daniel's experience and the
strong brand he and his business partners have developed.
Daniel will be sharing his thoughts on how best to develop a strong and recognisable events brand from the grass roots
up.