An Spidéal, Conamara, Galway, Ireland
Cnoc Suain, a cultural retreat comprising of three hundred year old stone cottages in Conamara is one of the winnners of the 'Travel + Leisure 2010 Global Vision Awards', chosen for 'Cultural Immersion' in the 'Preservation' category. A total of nineteen winners were selected worldwide from a list of nearly 150 nominations.
The panel of seven distinguished jurors who selected Cnoc Suain for this honour included Bonnie Burnham, President of the World Monument Fund and Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economist & chair of Columbia University's Committee on Global Thought. Introduced in 2005, the awards recognise the outstanding efforts of individuals and organisations that are working to preserve the world's natural and man-made treasures.
In the November issue of the magazine, Travel + Leisure writes, "A beautifully restored hill village that literally sits on layers of Irish history, Cnoc Suain offers a thorough immersion in local culture. Bog walks and classes on the Irish language, music and storytelling combine with picturesque surroundings and centuries-old stone cottages to form a microcosm of traditional Ireland. Thanks in part to its ecology program for local students, Cnoc Suain has also made environmental stewardship a key element of its heritage preservation efforts, [while also displaying an] exemplary approach to Cultural Tourism."
Writing to Dearbhaill Standún and Charlie Troy, owners of Cnoc Suain, Nancy Novogrod, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure, conveyed the "heartiest congratulations from the editors of Travel + Leisure for serving as a trailblazer and a powerhouse in promoting sustainability and mindfulness of the earth's – and mankind's – precious resources."
For more details:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/global-vision-awards-2010/3