Tag Archives: Shannon Airport Group

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), …

OVER 1.51 million passengers travelled through Shannon Airport in 2022, 88% of its pre-pandemic transit figures. This strong recovery in the airport’s fortunes came about despite travel still being impacted in the early part of last year. “The accelerated pace of the rebound in air travel from Shannon has exceeded our expectations and shows the pent-up desire for international travel following the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions,” said Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine. European services recovered strongly in 2022 with over 532,000 passengers travelling through Shannon. This actually surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels by 7% and was a 225% increase on 2021. Shannon recorded over 638,000 passengers on its UK services in 2022, a 309% increase on the previous year. After an absence of almost two years, transatlantic services returned in March 2022 and saw a strong rebound of almost 240,000 passengers on services to New York (JFK), Boston and Newark. A further boost is expected from May 2023 when …

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 …

DEPUTY Cathal Crowe has that too many people who could have brought the proposed transfer of Shannon Heritage Tourism assets to Clare County Council to a satisfactory conclusion weeks ago “have dragged their heels”. He told The Clare Champion, “I think the Department of Transport in particular and Shannon Airport Group need to step up to the plate here.” He said that there was a certain level of hope for an early resolution however with Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton as well as cabinet members Darragh O’Brien and Michael McGrath all saying they hoped to have the matter resolved by Christmas. However he said there had already been many missed chances and a failure to really engage on the matter. “As I understand it at the moment there’s an over and back squabble between the Department of Housing and Local Government, which is the parent department of local authorities, and the Department of Transport, which is the parent department for …

THIS week saw the start of work on a new €6 million-euro commercial property development on the Shannon Campus. The multi-million-euro investment will see the development of a 40,000 sq. ft. research and development technology facility suitable for manufacturing, industrial and R&D needs, for FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) or Irish enterprises. This development is the third major construction project to be undertaken this year by the Shannon Airport Group and is expected to generate up to 70 jobs during the construction phase. Since the beginning of this year, the Shannon Airport Group has already committed a total of €18 million in developing property solutions. The new building will be located at the main entrance to the Free Zone. It will include two floors of office space, a high bay production and manufacturing area, and 56 onsite dedicated parking spaces. Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine said: “We are committed to supplying quality property solutions that attract indigenous and FDI investment …

SHANNON Airport Group CEO Mary Considine declined to meet with local councillors to discuss the uncertainty around the transfer of Shannon Heritage sites (including Bunratty Castle and Folk Park) to Clare County Council. In advance of Tuesday’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District independent Gerry Flynn had put forward a motion stating, “I am calling on Shannon Municipal District to contact the CEO of Shannon Airport Mary Considine, and arrange an urgent special meeting with elected members to discuss the serious issues facing employees of the Shannon Heritage sites that are located in our district. “The current situation and lack of engagement and transparency is bringing uncertainty and having a negative impact on the lives of employees and their families.” However the invitation had been rejected prior to Tuesday’s regular November meeting of the Municipal District, and Senior Executive Engineer Anne Griffin provided a written summary of the reasons given. “Commercially sensitive discussions are ongoing between Shannon Group and Clare County …