Ballyhoura Visit

The Shared Island Civic Society Fund

The Shared Island Civic Society Fund is an initiative to promote practical North-South cooperation and engagement through civic societies.

The Shared Island initiative is a whole-of-government priority which aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection, and mutual understanding on the island and engage with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future.

The initiative is committed to engaging with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future. The Shared Island Dialogue series has confirmed the extent of ongoing cooperation between civic society actors from both the North and South and the desire to deepen those relationships on an all-island basis.

By combining ideas and resources, the Shared Island initiative seeks to have a positive impact on people’s lives far beyond what can be achieved in either jurisdiction alone.

Supporting Cross-Border Civic Engagement

The Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements acknowledge the importance of active and inclusive civic engagement on a cross-border basis, in supporting and developing the relationships accommodated in the Agreement.

While some civic society organisations operate on an all-island basis – such as major sports governing bodies – others have established strong cross-border partnerships. However, in many areas, cross-border civic society interaction remains limited or non-existent, despite shared concerns and interests.

Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark and Ballyhoura Country – Engaging Sustainable Tourism Communities

Ballyhoura Development have been successfully awarded funding support through the Shared Island Civic Society Fund for a cross-border, all-island project in partnership with Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark. The project focuses on regenerative tourism and highlights two regions in four counties at both ends of the Ireland Hidden Heartlands brand region: Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark and Ballyhoura Country.

The project, entitled Engaging Sustainable Tourism Communities, includes the following elements:

Learning Exchanges: Two exchanges between the two regions for participants of the Sustainable Tourism Destinations Training programme.
Consultancy Support: Best practice consultancy for both regions.
Sustainable Tourism Communities Framework: Co-designed framework to guide sustainable tourism initiatives in both areas.

The project aims to:

Facilitate Cross-Border Learning and Sharing Best Practices
Promote Collaboration and Coopetition
Advance Shared Action and Idea Generation
Build Capacity at local and organisational level
Deepen North-South Links through the development of sustainable cross-border civic relationships that can enhance tourism visibility and cooperation under the Failte Ireland Hidden Heartlands brand proposition for community and business beneficiaries.

The project will be delivered throughout 2025.