Tag Archives: Shannon Heritage

SHANNON Heritage has been appointed to operate and manage the €7 million GPO Witness History Interpretive Exhibition Centre. It’s a major coup for Shannon Heritage, which is part of the newly established Shannon Group, also encompassing Shannon Airport and Shannon Commercial Properties. It already operates attractions in Clare like Craggaunowen and Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The contract was awarded following a competitive tender process, while the visitor centre is now under construction at the GPO. It is expected to attract up to 300,000 people a year following its opening at Easter 1916. Speaking about the contract award, Shannon Heritage CEO John Ruddle said, “Shannon Heritage is delighted to be involved with this nationally important project at the iconic GPO location. We have been managing visitor attractions for over 50 years and this new visitor attraction provides the company with a great opportunity to expand in the capital city and also play a vital role in the celebrations of the …

A BID to have the proposed National Diaspora Centre based in Bunratty has come to nothing, after the Government announced  that the project will not go ahead. Clare County Council had worked in partnership with Shannon Heritage and tourism advisers Sherwood and Associates to prepare what it called “an ambitious and detailed bid” for the project, which it wanted to build in Bunratty, which it claimed was an ideal site close to Shannon Airport and the M18 with an established tourism infrastructure. After learning this week that the Government has decided not to proceed with the project, Council Director of Services for Planning, Community, Enterprise and Economic Development Ger Dollard said, “The council has been advised that the process underway for the selection of a National Diaspora Centre has now been terminated. “This is disappointing in that a very detailed proposal had been prepared by the council, supported by Shannon Heritage and the Shannon Group. We will continue to work in …

Shannon Heritage has announced that an 11% increase in visitor numbers was recorded in 2014, offering further evidence of a resurgence in local tourism and indeed in the domestic economy. Shannon Heritage employs more than 300 people during peak season and it operates seven daytime visitor attractions, including Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Craggaunowen, Knappogue Castle and Walled Garden, Dunguaire Castle, the Brian Boru Heritage and Malahide Castle and Gardens. It also has another four evening attractions, with medieval banquets at Bunratty, Knappogue and Dunguaire Castle, as well as a traditional Irish night at Bunratty Folk Park. Overall, they drew 637,000 visitors last year, with the day attractions up by more than 13%, while there are said to have been particular gains from Britain, America and Europe. Indeed, last year was the company’s most successful in terms of visitor numbers since 2007. The single biggest success among the Shannon Heritage operations last year was at King John’s Castle in Limerick, …

SHANNON Heritage is to be asked to look at the potential of developing a medieval visitor attraction in the lanes of Ennis. Ennis Mayor, Councillor Johnny Flynn, proposed the move at the December meeting of the municipal district committee, saying, “In light of the success of the Shannon Heritage section of Shannon Airport Group in the development and management of heritage properties,” that they should be asked to look at the potential of setting up a medieval streetscape attraction. He said he would like to see an urban heritage visitor attraction using the medieval streetscape, as seen around Chapel Lane and the community centre. Councillor Ann Norton backed the suggestion and said having received a presentation from Shannon Heritage, she thought, “They seem to be very open to ideas and suggestions and probably would be interested in looking at it. I think there is a lot of opportunities there and the Shannon Group are open to ideas”. “Ennis is a …

This Friday is a yet another red letter day in the history of Shannon Airport. The Shannon Group plc has  been formally established by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Paschal Donohoe. The new company will be a key conduit for growth across the West of Ireland and beyond, its chairman Rose Hynes stated. She said that the four strategic business units that make up the Shannon Group will co-exist within the group, elevating the business into a single entity of significant regional and national importance. The Shannon Group plc brings together: · Shannon Airport, the only airport on the Atlantic seaboard serving all three key markets – the US, UK and Europe – and which has already achieved significant growth following its establishment as an independent company in January 2013 · Shannon Commercial Enterprises Limited, trading as Shannon Commercial Properties, which includes the Shannon Free Zone and a significant property portfolio across the Shannon region · One of Ireland’s …

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 …

CLARE County Council has passed the first selection stage, following a submission made to Fáilte Ireland, for Bunratty to be the location for the proposed National Diaspora Centre. However, the council is awaiting already postponed information meetings with Fáilte Ireland, which were due to take place at the end of July. It was envisaged in the circulated tender documentation that a meeting would take place between the selected county councils and Fáilte Ireland. Last March, the Government announced that it was seeking expressions of interest from potential partners to develop and operate a National Diaspora Centre. A Fáilte Ireland study had concluded that a diaspora centre could be viable and self-financing. The study found that a National Diaspora Centre has the potential to be a major tourism attraction, with particularly strong appeal for the Irish diaspora. However, the study found that it would also have to be of interest to people living in Ireland, as well as to overseas visitors, …

Re-enactors dressed in costume spanning the Iron Age and early Medieval period to the 16th century will add a time-travel feel to a  special Lughnasa celebration being organised by Shannon Heritage at Craggaunowen visitor attraction near Quin over the bank holiday weekend. John Ruddle, chief  executive Shannon Heritage said, “The ancient pagan festival of Lughnasa marks the first day of autumn and the start of the harvest season. The event will be staged by Claíomh Living History Group whose members have many years of experience as historical interpreters and living history specialists.” Visitors to Craggaunowen will have the opportunity to celebrate Lughnasa on Sunday and Monday August. “Claíomh Living History Group will add a time-travel feel to the event, giving visitors a glimpse of what living conditions were like for Hiberno-Norse families living in a Crannóg. On display will be a range of replica Viking Age clothing, artefacts, weapons and silverwork,” Mr Ruddle continued. A number of showcase events from …