*St Conaire’s NS finished joint first in the quiz.
BRENDAN O’REGAN’s legacy continues to inspire young people in Clare with the conclusion of a second annual primary school quiz in his name.
Schools from across Munster took part in the contest that saw St. Conaire’s of Shannon and St. John’s Kenmare tied as first place winners.
The winning teams from both schools received special medals bearing the Sixmilebridge Historical Society logo, who run in the quiz in honour of O’Regan.
150 students participated the quiz which was hosted in the hall of St. Finnacta’s National School in Sixmilebridge.
Both teams also received a bronze bust of O’Regan to be shared and were treated to a tour of Ei Electronics in Shannon.
Vincent Delaney of the Sixmilebridge Historical Society says it’s important to keep the memory of O’Regan alive.
“It’s amazing the number of people that don’t know about him. He was a great innovator, visionary, there aren’t that many around that would be akin to him,” he said.
O’Regan was a huge figure in the history of Clare in the 20th century, credited with the invention of the duty-free shop at Shannon Airport. He developed the Shannon Free Zone which dramatically boosted the area’s economy.
He also founded Co-Operation Ireland in 1979 to bridge divides and foster collaboration between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A life-size bronze statue of the man was unveiled in his native Sixmilebridge in July 2023.
“What we’re keen to do is raise awareness about O’Regan in the schools. We were keen to create awareness among the younger children about O’Regan’s vision and even to inspire them in years to come to explore the idea of entrepreneurship or social entrepreneurship”, Vincent explained. “He wasn’t someone who made a massive amount of money so he was driven by a very decent set of values. When you think of all the companies we have in Shannon, all these companies are really a consequence of Brendan O’Regan”.
