Tag Archives: shannon

WILLIAMSTOWN Harbour in Whitegate has been sold for a figure believed to be just shy of €1 million and the new owners have plans to develop the location, to return it to its former glory. Lough Derg boating firm, Shannon Sailing Marina, whose general manager is Kilkishen man, Denis Dillon, has acquired Williamstown Harbour, which had been in receivership. Shannon Sailing Marina is a company set up 28 years ago in Dromineer, County Tipperary, directly across from Williamstown on Lough Derg. It is expected that the expansion to County Clare will see jobs created locally at the new site, as well as spin-off jobs during a planned construction phase. The sailing company’s base at Dromineer consists of a fully serviced workshop where the company carries out complete overhauls on boats. It includes a chandlery shop, where it sells boating equipment, and it also operates an ISA training school, where they teach people how to drive motor cruisers, drive power boats, …

Shannon representatives were before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee this afternoon where they were quizzed about the Shannon Development Accounts for 2013. Much of the session centred on a property transaction in Co Limerick as Deputy Joe Costello and Committee Chairman Deputy John McGuinness grilled them about Shannon Development’s sale of two units to Munster Packaging Ltd. Deputy Costello claimed that one of the conditions of sale was that the units be solely used for the purchaser’s business and not utilised for speculation. However he said that he understood that since the sale an individual had offered original tenants HL Commodity Foods a 13 year lease. He claimed that on the face of it, there seemed to have been “flagrant abuse” of the condition that the premises only be for Munster Packaging use. Ray O’Driscoll, Managing Director of Shannon Commercial Properties said that HL Commodity Foods had made enquiries about acquiring the premises in 2006 and 2008 but had opted …

Gardaí in Ennis are investigating an assault on a woman in which paint was sprayed into her face. The incident occurred on Tuesday September 30 last at approximately 9.25am, while the injured party was out walking at Aughanteeroe on the Gort Road, Ennis with some members of her family. She was approached by two other females and one of them sprayed red paint into her face. They then fled the scene. Gardaí in Ennis are appealing for witnesses to this crime, and anyone with information is asked to contact them. Separately,  in Ennis gardaí are investigating after windows in the glass houses at the Dulick centre on the Gort Road were broken by rocks. The centre, which is used by people with intellectual and physical disabilities, was targeted between 4pm on Friday September 26 and 9.30am on Monday September 29. Gardaí are treating the incident as criminal damage and are appealing for information for assistance. Further to these incidents Ennis …

Department of Social Protection supports available to employers and employees in the Mid-West will be outlined in a special morning briefing organised by Shannon Chamber next week. An open invitation is being extended to anyone seeking information of this type to attend the free briefing in the Oakwood Arms Hotel in Shannon on Thursday, October 2 from 8am until 9.30am. Shannon Chamber’s chief executive, Helen Downed outlined, “One of our roles as a chamber is to disseminate information that we feel will benefit our members and the wider business community. This breakfast seminar, which will outline the range of services, financial, recruitment and workplace supports available through the Department of Social Protection, will be informative and interactive. “It is aimed at anyone seeking information on the various schemes provided at no cost to employers, such as recruitment and employment schemes, grants and assistance schemes and workplace support schemes.” Ms Downes said this seminar would provide an ideal opportunity for employers and …

Shannon author and broadcaster, Rachael English’s second novel, Each and Every One, has just hit the bookshops. Rachael’s voice is among the most well-known in the country, as she presents Morning Ireland, and has more than 20 years’ experience on RTÉ Radio, after starting out on Clare FM, when Irish local radio was launched in 1989. Her first novel, Going Back, was quite well received on its release last year, but her nerves were still jangling last week, as she prepares to see how readers and critics react to the latest novel. Even presenting a radio show to hundreds of thousands of listeners isn’t adequate preparation, she said. “I’d love to be one of those people who doesn’t get nervous about these things but I do get far more nervous about book things than I have ever done about anything to do with broadcasting. It’s mad.” She said she feels like people will almost be passing judgement on a part …

One in every three aircraft in the world is leased out of Ireland and the sector accounts for 1,300 high value jobs, which Shannon and Dublin widely regarded as centres of excellence in the field. This was noted by Tom Caffrey, head of operational excellence, Shannon Aerospace and chairman of Irish Centre for Business Excellence, at a new programme launch in the University of Limerick this Tuesday. Minister of State for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English launched a Postgraduate Level 9 Specialist Diploma in Aviation Leasing and Finance at UL. It is a first at this advanced level and is a major step in supporting Ireland’s role as the global centre for aircraft financing and leasing. The programme has been developed as part of a unique collaboration between the University of Limerick and the Aviation Finance Finuas Network (Part of the Skillnets Networks www.skillnets.ie). It has been fully funded through the Aviation Finuas Network and the National Training Fund …

The Chambers of Ennis, Galway, Limerick and Shannon, which represent 1,355 members with a combined employment level of 45,700, have welcomed the recent signing into law of the Shannon Airport Bill. The Chambers’ concern about the length of time it has taken to complete this very necessary piece of legislation has been well documented but the presidents are now unanimous in their belief that a new dawn has finally arrived for Shannon Airport with new Shannon Group plc finally being in a position to bring their very ambitious plans for the airport to fruition. In a joint statement, the presidents said,”The ability of the new airport management teams now in place at the airport is clearly evident. A five-year decline in passenger numbers has already been reversed in its first year as an independent entity, and double-digit growth in passenger numbers is forecast for 2014. We can now confidently look forward to seeing further wins for the new strategic business units …

AFTER some difficult years, which saw significant job losses at Shannon, the pendulum has now swung the other way, with hundreds of vacancies in local companies. Speaking in the Senate recently, Shannon’s Tony Mulcahy said there are now hundreds of jobs available in the town and local business figures agree that things have definitely turned after a very severe recession. As the legislation on the independence of Shannon Airport went through the upper house, Senator Mulcahy said, “Between 600 and 800 jobs are currently being advertised on the industrial estate and I have no doubt that, in seven or eight years, there will be up to 8,000 jobs available.” When he spoke to The Clare Champion on Tuesday, he outlined numerous companies that are now looking for new employees. “Wipro are hiring, they’re the old Halifax and they’ll be hiring people in September. Pepper Finance are hiring. EI have been taking people on all the time and they’re one of …