Fermanagh & Omagh District Council has said it is 'keen' to increase the number of weekly visits to Enniskillen attraction Cole's Monument.
£200,000 was spent in the development of Forthill Park and the monument in the Co Fermanagh town, with another £200,000 to be spent on refurbishment of the bandstand in the park.
However, there had been criticism that visitors to the town could only climb the 108 steps to the top of the monument on 'selected Saturdays and Sundays' and not on weekdays. Visitors can also only climb the steps with a pre-booked tour.
READ MORE: Further £200k needed to restore bandstand in Forthill Park after development
The local council said it was for 'safety reasons' that visitors must be accompanied by a guide and that they had planned to recruit more guides and offer tours more frequently.
"Fermanagh & Omagh District Council’s Museum & Heritage Service is currently offering the visitor experience, ‘Atop Cole’s Monument, Forthill Pleasure Park’. The tour includes the ascent of the 108 steps to the top viewing point with an experienced guide to highlight the history of the Monument, Forthill Park and the wider heritage of the town of Enniskillen," a council spokesperson said.
"For safety reasons and to maintain an enjoyable experiences for all, all entrants to the monument must be accompanied by a member of staff and groups are limited to eight people entering the Monument at any one time.
"Pre-booking is essential to guarantee a slot on the tours being offered. Available spaces on the tours can be booked online at any time through the Enniskillen Castle’s ticketing system that highlights the days/times being offered.
"In addition, tours of the Monument are offered without pre-booking as part of our special free family day events in Forthill. The next event, ‘Picnic in the Park’, on Friday, 29 July 2022, includes guided tours of the Monument as well as music, entertainment and children’s activities.
"The Council through its Museum and Heritage Service is keen to build on the number and frequency of tours of Cole’s Monument for future seasons to include weekdays. To facilitate this, we intend to recruit and train further guides for Cole’s Monument and other heritage experiences. If you would be interested in finding out more about working for the Museum and Heritage Service, please email: castle@fermanaghomagh.com."
Some Enniskillen residents had complained in a local Facebook group that the opening hours didn't offer enough variety to visitors.
"Fermanagh council don’t cater for the needs of visitors. One would have thought that July/ August would be the time when all tourist activities would be open every day and available. I’m pretty sure visitors don’t just come to the town on selected Saturdays and Sundays," one person said.
"All the money spent on it and it not opened," another said. "Especially over these few weeks when town heaving with tourists."
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