The new Tourism Network, The Kingdom of Midhe, set up by Johnny Guirke TD Meath West that covers Cavan, Meath and Westmeath welcomed their first direct International visitors into the area this week.

Private Guide and KOM Secretary Bartle D’Arcy has a new tour “The Lost Kingdom of Midhe” on his site with International touring company Tours By Locals and a group from Utah, U.S.A. were the first to book in.

“Normally my clients don’t leave Dublin and I tour the Book of Kells in Trinity Library all the time. My Utah group were so excited to be going to the town of Kells itself as they didn’t realise it even existed. We are looking at using Kells as our Gateway into the Kingdom of Midhe with its obvious name recognition and proximity to Dublin being very important” said Private Guide and KOM Secretary Bartle D’Arcy.

The Utah group met Historian and KOM Chairperson Chris Murphy for a High Cross tour in Kells before enjoying lunch at nearby Scullery No.4 restaurant. They also visited Newgrange, Knowth, Loughcrew and Balrath Woods with a joint logistical effort from the three counties, with local Guide and Driver Richard Ball from Clonmellon joining Bartle and Chris in delivering the tour.

“This was great and hopefully just the beginning seeing how excited and enthuastic the group were to be in Kells. As well as my talk I gave them a monastic map of Kells which they are going to frame and put in pride of place in their home” added Historian and KOM Chairperson Chris Murphy.