Tag Archives: Shannon Heritage

A number of members of Clare County Council raised concerns about difficulties small local businesses may have in tendering for contracts to Designated Activity Companies run by the council. In a joint motion they called on the council’s chief executive Pat Dowling “to examine the impact on local businesses and suppliers of services who make rate contributions to the County budget and now find that the creation of Designated Activity Companies is having a negative impact on their business and placing them at a disadvantage in regards to the tendering regime for goods and services”. They also warned that the new situation “has the potential to impact on employment and the loss of jobs in County Clare and the possibility of companies going out of business.” Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind) warned that “the small suppliers of services to Clare County Council for many years are now on the hind foot”. He said these businesses, rate payers in Clare, are at …

CLARE County Council this week signed a contract with Lambert Smith Hampton to undertake an in-depth review of the Clare-based assets of Shannon Heritage. The property condition survey of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park, Knappogue Castle and Gardens, and the retail unit at the Cliffs of Moher Experience will guide all future investment in maintenance, remedial and conservation works at the sites. The results of the technical audit will be presented to the local authority before the end of the year. “In order to commence our programme of investment in the assets, it is of critical importance that a detailed technical audit be carried out to determine the scale and nature of appropriate repairs and retrofitting measures that may be required,” said Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council. “Clare County Council is committed to investing in the future development of these sites for the benefit of the tourism sector and the wider economy, as …

A CABINET meeting earlier today saw approval granted for a funding package that is set to see Clare County Council take over responsibility for Shannon Heritage attractions in the county. It is understood that the Council will receive €6 million in funding this year. They will also receive a ‘letter of comfort’ promising further support in 2024 and 2025. Clare County Council are set to discuss the offer in the coming days and are likely to accept it, which would end a long running saga around the future of the sites. In a statement this afternoon Clare TD Cathal Crowe welcomed the development. “Today the Cabinet met and approved a funding package which will now go to Clare County Council to be ratified. “This funding package secures the future of the iconic sites in our region including Bunratty Castle and brings certainty to the workers of these sites who, for far too long, have been left wondering what the future …

AN assurance has been given that jobs at Shannon Heritage sites in Clare are secure, as the transfer to the local authority is expected to be approved shortly by government.  Leonard Cleary, Director of Services for Tourism, said the authority expects sign-off very soon for the transfer of the sites to Clare County Council. “We would like it to happen, with government approval, before summer,” Mr Cleary told a meeting of the Council’s Rural Development committee.  Efforts to transfer the sites from the Shannon Airport Group met an impasse at the end of last year, when the government offered a fraction of the €15 million funding package sought by Clare County Council. Since then, a range of options has been explored and meetings have continued into this week in an effort to resolve the issue and protect amenities and jobs at sites including Bunratty Castle, Craggaunowen and Knappogue Castle. Addressing a rural committee meeting in Ennis on Tuesday (February 21), …

DESPITE much speculation that there could be progress on the transfer of Shannon Heritage to Clare County Council pre-Christmas, it hasn’t happened as mid-January approaches. Clare TD Joe Carey this week said that no progress has been made as of yet. “It’s still where it was, they are trying to come up with a package to get it over the line with the Council,” . The lead department is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which is under the stewardship of Darragh O’Brien. It does involve other departments too, but that’s the main one. There have been efforts to get this over the line, but they have been unsuccessful.” He called for a new impetus to resolve the matter. “I have spoken to all the stakeholders in this repeatedly and we need a resolution for the tourism offering in the county. With the New Year I think there should be a new concentration of minds to get this …

RETAINED losses totalling €6.352 million and a loan owed to the Shannon Airport Group of €9.2 million have been outlined in Shannon Heritage’s accounts ahead of any proposed transfer of tourism sites to Clare County Council. In the Due Diligence report submitted to government, Clare County Council detailed significant neglect of the sites, the urgent need to halt the deterioration of the assets and estimated government investment totalling €15 million is required to achieve to allow these tourism attractions to reach their full potential. The Shannon Airport Group hasn’t given any indication whether it is in a position or is willing to write off some of the accumulated losses or the loan that is due to the overall group as part of any agreed transfer to the local authority. Responding to Clare Champion queries, the Shannon Airport Group confirmed it invested approximately €6 million in capital expenditure in Shannon Heritage to upgrade facilities between 2015 and 2019. “In addition, the …

CLARE County Council insists it requires the full €15 million government funding package to ensure the proposed transfer of Shannon Heritage sites proceeds. The council has consistently argued that assuming ownership of Shannon Heritage sites can’t have any significant impact on services or commercial rates in Clare, which it believes demonstrates their case for the full funding package it has requested. In order to secure the future of the heritage assets and employees, the Department of Housing told the Clare Champion the Shannon Airport Group has had extensive engagement with the relevant local authorities since early 2021. “Shannon Airport Group continues to engage with Clare County Council in relation to the proposed transfer of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Craggaunowen, Knappogue Castle, and Cliffs of Moher Retail Outlet. “As part of its engagement with the Shannon Airport Group, Clare County Council identified a funding gap for which it sought Government assistance to enable it to take over the sites. The …

IF a commercial deal was handled as badly as the transfer of the Shannon Heritage sites to the County Council, those in charge would probably be looking for new employment, said Clare TD Michael McNamara this week. It should be far easier to establish if Clare County Council can get the finance it says it needs, he feels. “If money isn’t available, money isn’t available. I’ve never been one to make little of money or to say that €15 million, which is reputedly what’s being asked, is a small amount of money, it’s not. “On the one hand you have Government representatives saying that it’s a small amount of money, which I don’t agree with, and on the other hand they’re saying that every effort is being made. “It seems to me that the dispute isn’t even about money, there seems to have been a lack of interaction between the Government and its various departments, Shannon Airport which is a …