For anyone with more than a passing interest in all things equine the Slieve Aughty Riding Centre is a name that resonates with East Galway. Primarily a riding centre, Slieve Aughty also houses a language school that is extremely popular with European students. Now the centre is taking an innovative departure by opening the Three Towers Eco House and Organic Kitchen. Esther Zyderlaan, who owns the centre came to Ireland in the 1970’s and began making cheese, which was sold at the Galway market. The business has steadily grown over the years and now her daughter Merel is also involved.
With a diverse range of visitors to the centre both Esther and Merel noticed an increased demand for eco-friendly accommodation and local organic food. Thus began years of planning and development which has resulted in the Three Towers Eco House and Organic Kitchen.
Minister McEntee will officially launch the new venture on Friday 23rd of November at 12 noon. Both the Eco-House and the riding centre have already been awarded the Ecotourism silver award and more recently in 2012 have achieved organic status from IOFGA for the food supplied to guests. Gillian Westbrook, General Manager, IOFGA stated “We are delighted to have the Three Towers Eco House and Organic Kitchen registered with us and we wish it every success in the future. We applaud the Zyderlaan’s for taking the initiative and adding this excellent facility to the centre, they have listened to customer demand and are delivering a unique high quality service. This is something that can be easily replicated around the country, contributing to Ireland’s reputation as a fantastic tourist destination for everyone”.
Source: IOFGA – Three Towers Eco Lodge and Organic Kitchen Offically Opens
