Farm diversification business goes from strength to strength

Located on the shores of Lough MacNean and one mile from the picturesque village of Belcoo, the park is located on the family farm and provides high-quality facilities in a tranquil lakeside setting. It has also been accredited five star classification by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

After acquiring the family farm, Cathal, a former civil servant and his wife Brenda, a former midwife, along with their four children were at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. The farm wasn’t big enough to be sustainable so after much thought, the diversification project was born.

Plans were drawn up and permission was granted but it wasn’t until 2006 that Cathal and Brenda bit the bullet, and with the assistance of some North-South grant funding, the caravan park was built and opened to the public in 2007.

In 2010 the park was awarded “Best Caravan Park in NI” and won this award for six consecutive years in a row.

The caravan park started off with 24 pitches and in 2012 another 14 pitches were added with 20 static pitches added last year. The business has gone from strength to strength and last weekend 56 families were staying at the facility. This is also great for the rural area of Belcoo and attracts families from both North and South to the vicinity.

Cathal and Brenda have always had their insurance through NFU Mutual. In 2013 they thought that taking out UFU membership would also be a valuable addition. Since taking out this membership, the pair have both enjoyed the discounts afforded to members and benefited with help on farm related issues. They also value being kept in touch with updates via text message and the weekly UFU e-bulletin and would encourage anyone with a rural background and interest to make use of this membership and the benefits afforded to them.