Kilkee tourist office could move to library

Shannon Development, who are responsible for the operation of the seasonal tourist office in Kilkee, will make a decision by the end of the month with regard to relocating the branch.
If the office is moved, it may operate from Kilkee library or from an existing business in the town. The office opens during the summer months and provides visitors with tourist information to Kilkee and the peninsula area from May until September.
A meeting on the issue will be held in Kilkee on Thursday, which will be attended by John Quinlivan, Shannon Development, Fine Gael TD Pat Breen and Mayor of Kilkee, Lily Marrinan Sullivan. “I understand Shannon Development are looking at the library as one possible alternative location for the tourism office,” Deputy Breen told The Clare Champion.
“Obviously if you put it into an existing business the cost won’t be as high and also you could have longer opening hours. Shannon Development have said that they have problems with cash and haven’t the same amount of money they had in the past. They rent an office in Kilkee for the summer and they feel that it’s not productive at the moment. There isn’t much business being done there and what they’re looking at is trying to incorporate the tourism office into an existing business or somewhere like Kilkee library,” he explained.
“What Shannon Development are saying is they won’t be making any decision on this until the end of January but, in the meantime, they are looking at the possibility of relocating the tourism office,” the Clare Fine Gael TD added.
Deputy Breen is adamant that the provision of a tourist office in Kilkee is a must, wherever the location.
“It is extremely important that we have one there because a lot of tourists that come into Kilkee don’t know what’s happening, not just in Kilkee but throughout the Loop Head peninsula. It’s extremely important that we have a tourist office in Kilkee during the high season. And possibly that we’d have a more enhanced service for tourism and for the people of West Clare,” he said.