Minister Michael Ring Visits Inistioge and Woodstock House and Gardens

Minister Ring being given a tour of Woodstock GardensMinister Ring Planting Tree at Woodstock

Michael Ring, Minister for Rural and Community Development, paid a courtesy visit to Inistioge and Woodstock House and Gardens on 24th May, and to mark his visit the Minister planted a tree in the famous Monkey Puzzle Walk at Woodstock, helping to repair some of the recent storm damage.
Minister Ring, promising to return, asked Claire Goodwin, Kilkenny County Council's horticulturalist and John Delaney, Head Gardener, to take good care of "his" tree because he will be keenly following its progress!

Minister Ring, accompanied by Minister John Paul Phelan, was met by Cllr Michael Doyle, Mayor of Kilkenny, and a native of Inistioge, together with Kilkenny County Council staff led by Chief Executive Colette Byrne. One of Inistioge's famous sons, Eddie Keher, dropped by to meet Minister Ring to show the Minister some of the walks which Eddie now enjoys on a daily basis. Minister Ring and the visiting party enjoyed light refreshments in the fantastic Tearooms at Woodstock. Mayor Doyle, welcoming the visit said " Inistioge and Woodstock are places where Government investment will bear fruit. I welcome Minister Ring to my home place and assure him that his Department's funding will be wisely invested in sustaining this community".

Minister Ring enjoyed his visit, and got to see firsthand some of the initiatives funded under his Department's Schemes. He viewed the newly developed car park at the Rower Inistioge Club grounds, and he was shown the Winter Gardens at Woodstock House which are currently being restored with funding being provided under the Minister's Rural Economic Development Zone (REDZ) funding.

The Minister was briefed on the potential of developments at Woodstock, particularly in relation to a partnership between the Council and Coillte Ltd, who manage almost 1,000 acres of forest, which has some existing tracks and trails capable of development. The positive impact of such developments on the village of Inistioge was of particular interest to the Minister, who continues to promote the reinvigoration of rural life, in towns and villages across the entire country.

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