Tag Archives: Shannon airport

THIS week it was revealed that US Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ireland in the coming weeks and there are hopes that he flies through Shannon. Mr Biden has stopped over at Shannon in the past and on his Irish trip he is expected to visit Dublin, Mayo and Louth. Passing through Shannon Airport on December 8 of last year, a mass was arranged for him at the airport for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Just before St Patrick’s Day, Vice President Biden hosted a select breakfast gathering at his residence, which was attended by Shannon Group chairman Rose Hynes. On the day, Mr Biden said that one of the “great, great advantages” of the travel he has had to undertake has been the stops he has made at Shannon. Numerous US Presidents have arrived or left Ireland while in office, including George W Bush, John F Kennedy and Ronald Regan. By Owen Ryan

ON Monday night, Leicester City finally won an unlikely Premier League title and there is a slight Clare link to the story. The club’s chief executive, Susan Whelan, once worked for Shannon-based Aer Rianta International (ARI), going on to work in its stores in Russia and Thailand, before becoming involved with the new Premier League champions. Former director of Shannon Airport, Liam Skelly was also first director general of ARI and the Scariff resident remembers the Dublin woman’s time with the company. “ARI was operated in Shannon so she came there and then went to Moscow and worked there. Eventually, we got a contract to operate Duty Free in Thailand and she went out there. She was a buyer for perfumes and that,” he explained. After ARI finished business in Thailand, Ms Whelan left the company. “Our contract ended and Susan decided to stay on. The King Powers are from Thailand. King Powers got the contract in the airport in …

  A decommissioned Boeing 767 aircraft is set to make land at Enniscrone, Co Sligo tomorrow morning after being moved by barge on the high seas in a mammoth 36 hour exercise from Shannon Airport. Hundreds of people were on hand at the airport over recent days and legions more stopped at various points along the Shannon Estuary to catch a glimpse of what is amongst the most unique sea cargos ever to sail out of the West Coast of Ireland. Vast numbers again are expected to be present at Enniscrone tomorrow morning when it is lifted from the barge ahead of a short and final journey to the Quirky Glamping Village where it will become part of a unique seaside glamping facility being developed by businessman David McGowan. Watch the footage here

It was reminiscent of  the flying boats era on the Shannon Estuary early on Thursday morning when a giant plane was loaded on a barge for transport by sea to Enniscrone in County Sligo. The TransAero Boeing 767-200 was bought by business man David McGowan to be installed in his glamping site near the popular resort. It was a major logistical exercise, involving up to 60 people, to get the plane from Shannon Airport compound to the waters’ edge on Wednesday and onto the barge, as tides were a factor.

The CEO of Norwegian Airlines, Bjørn Kjos met Ireland South MEP and member of the EU Transport Committee, Deirdre Clune in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss transatlantic flights from Cork and Shannon to the US. Kjos, a Norwegian aviator, lawyer, and business magnate is best known as the founder and CEO of Norwegian Air. He agreed to meet MEP Clune in the European Parliament, as the approval process for Norwegians transatlantic license continues. Ms Clune described it as a constructive meeting. “I invited Mr Kjos to the European Parliament to discuss Norwegians flights from Shannon and Cork. He has told me that the process of granting a licence will take time and that there is a procedure to be followed. Ultimately, he wants to begin flying from Cork to the US from August 1 and has also reaffirmed his committemnt to flying from Shannon to the US, but did not give me a specific date on those flights. “The US …

DUBBED Ireland’s Guantanamo Granny, peace activist Margaretta D’Arcy was in Scéal Eile in Ennis this week launching her book of the same name. The book chronicles Margaretta’s early life through to her battle against Shannon Airport being used to facilitate war, which ultimately led to her being sent to prison. The first-hand account of D’Arcy’s struggle to open a debate on Shannon Airport is told in a witty way. It follows her journey from her roots in the peace movement to discovering Ireland’s “dirty little secrets” through to direct action, courtroom drama and imprisonment. Speaking to The Clare Champion, she said she could thank the media for giving her the book title. “My story was taken up by the press who christened me Guantanamo Granny. The one thing one loves is having a brand name. I love it,” she said. One of the things she explores is her time in prison. “Limerick jail is absolutely dreadful, it’s kind of like …

Everything from microchips inserted at birth to predict health problems to self-drive cars with workstations were imagined for a world 50 years from now as 700 students competed at the second Young Innovators competition at Shannon Airport. The students representing schools nationwide were set the tasks of imagining the world 50 years from now and coming up with new business ideas for then across six categories – how we Live, Work, Play, Shop, Learn and Travel. Top honours were claimed by St. Patrick’s Comprehensive, Shannon. The Irish Technology Leaders Group (ITLG) event, in association with LIT, saw the students mentored by representatives from some of the world’s leading companies including Dell, Intel, Analog, Johnson and Johnson, Cook Medical, Zagg and Logitech ahead of submitting their project. A short list of six schools – eventual winners St. Patrick’s Comprehensive, Shannon (Work category); Mary Immaculate, Lisdoonvarna (Play category, 2nd place); Patrician Academy, Mallow (Shop category, 3rd place); Salesian College, Limerick (Travel category); Castletroy …