The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE transfer of the Shannon Heritage sites in Clare to the County Council has united the county’s politicians, with a number of statements welcoming the move.
Independent TD Michael McNamara said, ““Last summer I went to Clare County Council to propose that the local authority express its interest in taking over Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Craggaunowen, Knappogue Castle and the retail unit at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience having discussed the matter directly with staff of Shannon Heritage and Shannon Group plc management.”.
He continued, “I am glad that this proposal is coming to fruition as it will give a new lease of life to these vital heritage tourism assets and to staff who have found themselves in a precarious position over the past 16 months.”
The Scariff man said he had raised the matter with Government numerous times and believes it is a step in the right direction.
“This is a good move for the visitor attractions as Clare County Council has, unusually among local authorities, a lot of experience in managing world class tourism sites. This move will hopefully serve to seek to balance their control of these assets to drive a greater dispersal of revenue and visitor footfall across all of the county, particularly when combined with their plans for Holy Island (Inis Cealtra),” he concluded.
Fianna Fáil’s Cathal Crowe also backed it. “The past 15 months have been dogged by huge uncertainty and many of the 200 or so Shannon Heritage staff in our county have endured huge stress and worry levels as they faced uncertainty about their futures.
“I think Clare County Council is very well positioned to run these sites – the team has a proven track record of managing Cliffs of Moher, which is now a world-class site and Ireland’s second most visited tourism attraction, and they’re also now enhancing the tourism product at the Loop Head Lighthouse and developing a top class facility on Inis Cealtra, Lough Derg.”
He added, “I think going forward, Clare County Council needs to strike a very delicate balance between the commercial and heritage potential of the sites.
“There’s huge historical importance to these sites and this has to be kept to the fore, in parallel with the commercial aspects such as banqueting at Bunratty Castle and the lucrative Christmas season.”
He said it should have no impact on staff’s terms and conditions.
Fianna Gael’s Joe Carey said it is good news for Clare’s tourism sector. “There will be synergy between the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty/Craggaunowen/Knappogue. It’s important that staff are fully briefed on developments. These facilities are rich assets for the region and must be marketed and developed properly thus ensuring the best possible return from the sites in terms of footfall and the complementary economic spin off for local businesses. The loyal staff that have worked in these amazing sites have been in limbo for an extended period of time. Today’s announcement is welcome and sets out a roadmap for a new exciting future and it’s important that the whole region works together to make this move a success.”
Sinn Féin’s Violet Anne Wynne also welcomed the move. “I have been raising this issue in the Dáil for some time now as I firmly believe the Clare County Council are best set to manage these heritage sites. The tourism sector has been decimated over the course of the last 15 months, but this is a very welcome development for the preservation of and re-opening of sites in the near future.”
She added, “Clare County Council, with the help of two subsidiary companies have successfully managed existing visitor attractions and I don’t doubt that they are well placed to oversee the set of Shannon sites that will require additional supports to get back to pre Covid-19 levels, but if managed correctly stand to give the region even more opportunity to attract tourism to the region. I commend the Clare County Council and Chief Executive Pat Dowling in particular, for stepping up to the mark and entering discussions around a potential transfer.
In a video posted on Facebook, Clare senator Timmy Dooley also claimed the move is good for Clare. “I think it will be very positive for Shannon Heritage, very positive for the region. Over the last decade Clare County Council have developed a very strong ability in the area of tourist development, particularly in the work they have done at the Cliffs of Moher and also at Loop Head and other tourism strategies that they have undertaken and are developing.”
He said he expects the Council to further improve the attractions, while he said that workers will need to be consulted with, and their pay and conditions must be protected.
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
