*Stephen Hanley (centre) has left his role as General Manager of Clare Tourism East.
TWO SENIOR FIGURES within Clare County Council’s tourism branch have stepped down from their roles.
The Clare Echo has learned that Stephen Hanley, General Manager of Clare Tourism East and Eoin Flanagan, Group Head of HR at Clare Tourism have left their roles.
Spending cutbacks have been introduced by the Tourism Directorate of Clare County Council which is understood to remain a strong bone of contention within staff in this sector. These include the removal of the jaunting cars at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and the ending of a contract with TikTok influencers Eoin Reardon and James O’Connor who between them have an online following in excess of three million.
When asked for comment on the departures of Hanley and Flanagan, both of whom who were viewed as senior personnel within Clare Tourism, a spokesperson for Clare County Council stated, “As you can appreciate routinely staff make employment choices suited to their personal and professional needs which results in movement into and out of organisations and companies. To this end, we don’t comment on individual choices. Of course, individuals may wish to discuss their own personal career paths, so it is probably best to consult with them about their plans”.
Prior to his promotion, Eoin was head of Group Head HR with the Cliffs of Moher Experience.
Hanley was appointed General Manager of Clare Tourism East, with responsibility for Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park, Knappogue Castle & Gardens, and the Inis Cealtra /Holy Island Experience in June 2023, this coming weeks after the Council completed a historic agreement with the Shannon Airport Group marking the official handover of the Clare assets of Shannon Heritage to the local authority.
At the time of his arrival, the Council said the Kerry native and former General Manager of The Shelbourne Hotel was taking on “a key role” whereas this week the narrative within Áras Contae an Chláir was to downplay his exit. He had been vocal in his view for the need to deliver “five-star experiences” at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park.
During his two years with Clare Tourism, Stephen was involved with the opening of the Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience in July, announcing plans of a €1m redevelopment at Craggaunowen which recorded a 27 percent increase in visitors in 2024 and Bunratty itself had a 14% jump in visitors in 2023.
At Knappogue, he had predicted it would be capable of catering for 1000 guests in 2025, 2026 and 2027 but was frustrated with the “teething problems” which has delayed its opening as a five-star residence.
Works completed last year at Craggaunowen include the replacement of palisade fencing surrounding the ringfort, essential upgrade works to the castle including upgrades to heating and electrics, the installation of a new photographic exhibition in the castle showcasing the creation and development of the site, the launch of a new Folklore Trail, and a refresh of the Brendan Boat exhibition with new Audio Visual, signage and photography. The park’s animation team also was also doubled to include a range of artisan craftspeople including the addition of a blacksmith, woodworker, willow weaver and medieval musician.
Exits of Hanley and Flanagan come in the midst of a difficult period for tourism both countywide and nationally.
July figures from the Central Statistics Office recorded 646,400 inbound visitors which was down 1.4 percent on 2024 and 44 percent on pre-pandemic levels when a different measurement metric was in operation. Inbound visitor numbers were down 12.9pc in the first six months of 2025. The average length of stay for foreign resident overnight visitors was 7.9 nights, down from an average of 8.1 nights in July 2024 and 8.7 nights in July 2023. The largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain (33%), followed by visitors from the United States (25%).
