Kells spire to rub shoulders with Cape Town, London and Sydney landmarks

The spire of Loyd in Kells will be bathed in green light for St Patrick's Day, thanks to the efforts of Kells Town Council and the Kells Tourism Forum. The forum has also invited a representative of the American Embassy to turn on the lights. The greening of the lights is part of a worldwide initiative by Tourism Ireland, who are 'lighting' up monuments around the world to showcase Ireland's tourism product to a huge global audience. The 'greening' initiative this year includes the Table Mountain UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa, London's Millennium Eye and the Sydney Opera House to convey the idea that Ireland continues to offer a warm welcome, fun and spontaneity, alongside fantastic scenery and great cultural activities. Charge d'affaires John Hennessy-Niland of the US Embassy has agreed to turn on the green lights on Tuesday 15th March, so that Kells can be a part of this international spectacle. The Spire of Loyd, an important landmark since 1791, will be visible in green from 10km away. The first Earl of Bective erected the spire, a mock lighthouse folly in the form of a giant 30m high Doric column, in memory of his father, Sir Thomas Taylor. It is the only inland lighthouse in Ireland and, on a clear day, provides panoramic views of five counties as far as the Mourne Mountains in County Down. During the 19th century, the tower was used to view horse racing and the local hunt. The area around the tower has been developed as a community park (The People's Park) and includes the Paupers' Grave. Mass is still celebrated here annually as a reminder of Famine times. The spire is owned and maintained by Kells Town Council and plans are well advanced for the controlled opening of the tower to the public in 2011. Kells Tourism Forum is a community group set up to promote tourism products in Kells. It is in the process of printing and distributing a new high-quality tourism brochure for Kells, which will carry the Meath and Boyne Valley brands and will fill a sorely needed gap in visitor information. The forum is applying for grant aid and has to meet 50 per cent of the cost itself. To raise funds, the group is holding a race night on Friday 11th March.