deborah kanakis

PhD Candidate (2011 - present) BA (Hons) National University of Ireland, Galway (2011)
Room:	114, Geography
Email:	d.kanakis1nuigalway.ie

Biography

Deborah currently resides in county Galway, but was born and raised in England.  Deborah moved away from England as a teenager and lived in Greece on the island of Kefalonia for ten years.  During her stay in Greece she became fluent in the Greek language, she also gained a hands on understanding of the Mediterrenean culture and way of life.  Whilst living in Greece Deborah worked in the tourism industry, an industry which had a big influence on the decisions she took whilst an undergraduate at NUI Galway.  Deborah’s current research focuses upon rural recreation, rural tourism, access to the countryside, collaborative schemes and rural partnerships. 

Working Title:

Walking in the Irish countryside:  Exploring a collaborative approach towards access provision.

Research Description:

Use of the countryside for recreational walking is a topic of academic and policy interest internationally, involving issues relating to alternative uses for land.  This research addresses the issue of providing access to the countryside in Ireland for recreational walking, through the medium of collaborative schemes.  In particular it will assess the role of collaborative schemes in providing a solution to the countryside access problem.  Access to the countryside of Ireland has become one of contention particularly in the last decade.  This contention has stemmed from new demands with respect to recreational activity from a more affluent and mobile (and predominately urban) society (Buckley et al. 2009a, p.1053).  Alongside the increasing demand comes the recognition that rural recreation has the potential to generate significant tourism revenue and could provide a catalyst for rural and regional development (Failte Ireland, 2005; Vaughan et al., 2000).  However, despite increasing demands and widely recognised potential, there are serious problems relating to access provision.   This is because, unlike many of its European counterparts, Ireland does not have legislative or customary agreements which allow the general public freedom to walk on private land in the countryside.  At present public access to the countryside of Ireland is dependent largely upon by-product provision; such as access to public forests (Buckley et al. 2009b, p.846). 

In order to tackle the problem of access, the National Countryside Recreation Strategy was formed in 2004 by Comhairle na Tuaithe (CnaT) (the Countryside Council).  The purpose of the strategy was to define the scope, vision and a suggested framework for the implementation of Countryside Recreation.  CnaT developed a Walks Scheme which actively promotes the involvement of farmers and landowners in the development of access schemes.  Following the successful implementation of the Walks Schemes another scheme was created.  This is known as the Mountain Access Scheme (MAS) and is currently being piloted at two locations, Carrauntoohil, county Kerry and Mount Gable, county Galway.  It is the first direct attempt at solving the problem of upland access in Ireland.  Under the scheme there are no direct payments to landowners/stakeholders.  Landowners do however receive insurance indemnity, and all essential maintenance of stiles, car parks and gates are undertaken by local people under the remit of the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).  This research will focus upon the MAS and the role it plays in countryside access provision.         

Supervisors:

Dr Mary Cawley

Research Cluster:

Research Interests:

• Rural Recreation and Tourism
• Rural & Regional Development
• Governance (particularly Local Integrated Development Networks formally LEADER)
• International legislation/statutory arrangements re: ’Right to Roam’ and ’Rights of Way’
  

Teaching Involvement:

Tutor/teaching assistant for:

• TI331 - Geographies of Tourism and Recreation

Awards:

• University Scholar 2009/2010

Selected Readings

Buckley. C., Hynes, S., van Rensburg, T.M. and Doherty, E., (2009a). Walking in the Irish countryside: landowner preferences and attitudes to improved public access provision. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 52 (8), pp. 1053-1070

Buckley, C., van Rensburg, T.M., and Hynes, S., (2009b).  Recreational demand for farm commonage in Ireland: A contingent valuation assessment.  Land Use Policy, 26 (3), pp. 846-854

Cawley, M., (2010) Negotiating Access to the Countryside Under Restructuring in Ireland. In Winchell, D.G., Ramsey, D., Koster, R., and Robinson, G.M. (eds) Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Rural Change. Manitoba: Brandon University

Colby, K. T., (1988). Public Access to Private Land – Allemansrätt in Sweden.  Landscape and Urban Planning, 15 (3-4), pp. 253-264

Curry, N.R. and Ravenscroft, N. (2001). Countryside recreation provision in England: Exploring a demand-led approach. Land Use Policy, 18, pp. 281-291

Failte Ireland, (2005). Special interest tourism plans 2005. Dublin [online]. Available at: http://www.tourismireland.com/Home/about-us/press-releases/2005/Tourism-Ireland-Failte-Ireland-Regional-Briefings-.aspx   Accessed 17/10/10

Hynes, S., Buckley, C., and van Rensburg, T.M. (2007).  Recreational pursuits on marginal farmland; a discrete-choice model of Irish farm commonage recreation. Economic and social review, 38 (1), pp. 63-84