You may be wondering what these signs in Co Kildare are all about...

Failte Ireland has started mounting visitor signs for the Ancient East tourism initiative - including four in Co Kildare.

The new signs, designed to encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the wider Leinster region, are sited at The National Stud and Japanese Gardens, Kildare Town Heritage Centre, Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park and Castletown House.

Failte Ireland's Jenny De Saulles said yesterday: "We want to transform Ireland's Ancient East from a transit zone to a touring zone by increasing visitor dwell time in the region."

The Ancient East tourism tourism initiative aims to build on the wealth of historical and cultural assets in the east and south of Ireland.

Stretching from Newgrange and the Boyne Valley in the north east and ranging through the midlands all the way down via Kilkenny’s Medieval mile to Waterford’s Viking Quarter and Cork’s many cultural attractions, the new brand proposition is intended to match and complement the Wild Atlantic Way in terms of scale and ambition.

Ultimately, the signs have been designed and positioned strategically to:

Make it easy for the visitor to find out about all the great things to see and do:
Cross-sell nearby tourist attractions and points of interest that are part of the Ireland’s Ancient East story, thereby encouraging visitors to explore the area and make connections with other places within the region;
Present the story of Irelands Ancient East in a joined-up fashion and strengthen the core values of the brand.

Ireland’s Ancient East seeks to offer visitors a compelling reason to visit Kildare and is rooted in the rich history and diverse range of cultural heritage experiences that are particularly prevalent in this part of Ireland. Ultimately the key strategic objective of the Ireland’s Ancient East initiative is to increase the number of overnight stays by overseas visitors in the county as well as increase the tourism revenue generated and the associated tourism employment.

Ms De Saulles added:

“We want to transform Ireland’s Ancient East from a transit zone to a touring zone by increasing visitor dwell time in the region. Kildare has a big part to play in our plans and these signs work to that objective and will, we hope, encourage visitors to explore the rich variety of all Kildare can offer.”

You can learn more about Ireland’s Ancient East at its dedicated website www.irelandsancienteast.com