Clifden Foyle of Strand Inn; Conor O'Nolan of Apptoonz; and Karen Harris of Dunmore East Adventure Centre show the app on the beach in Dunmore East
The fishing village of Dunmore East, poised along Ireland’s Copper Coast, is the first village in Ireland to create its own mobile phone app. Local businesses pooled resources with app developer Conor O’Nolan to whip up the free app, which has information on restaurants, pubs, activities and festivals in the Waterford environs around Dunmore East, known in Irish as An Dún Mór Thoir.
Dunmore East lies within the barony of Gaultier, Gáll Tír (foreigners’ land) in Irish, which is a reference to the influx of Norman settlers in the area. The village itself is renowned for its pretty inlets and coves. It’s also close to Hook Head in south Co Wexford, a must-see for lighthouse lovers and those who enjoy rock formations by the seashore.
But back to the app, which is available for free for iPhone and Android smartphones.
Local Dunmore East app development company Apptoonz created the app, which is being promoted under the SeeDo Ireland brand.
The main IT brain behind the app, Conor O’Nolan of Apptoonz, said this development, done with the assistance of local businesses, shows that tourist destinations like Dunmore East can use the newest technologies to promote themselves. Next year, for instance, there’s the Bluegrass Festival in the area.
The app uses GPS location technology when near the village. It also allows users to phone businesses directly and has a Google Map for each.
As part of the launch, local businesses are offering prizes for a competition accessed via the app.
Dunmore East harbour view
Mick Daly, chairman of the Dunmore East Business and Tourism Committee, has welcomed the new initiative.
“We’re delighted to see this app being made available. Mobile information is getting even more important for tourism and we look forward to expanding on what Apptoonz has created,” he said today.
Apptoonz’s next mission is to offer mobile apps to tourism businesses throughout Ireland. Three new apps will be released in December for businesses to offer incentives to their customers in the run up to Christmas.
