*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
TOWNS in Clare have untapped potential as a location for films, a Newmarket-on-Fergus based freelance director has said.
Montpelier born John Haugh (AON) who is contesting the local elections in the Shannon Municipal District has worked as an assistant director on television productions such as Game of Thrones, Vikings and Hidden Assets since completing a masters degree in 2007.
Clareโs potential as a location for shooting films has not been capitalised on, he maintained. Within the Shannon MD, he pointed to the โdistinctiveโ landmarks of Bunratty Castle and Dromoland Castle as potential locations. โWe should be looking at what JP McManus has done in Adare as a model. The local businesses in the town of Adare are thriving alongside the success of Adare Manor,โ Haugh stated.
He continued, โEven closer to home, if we took inspiration from Sixmilebridge native, the late Brendan OโRegan, without whom Shannon wouldnโt exist as it does. OโRegan was a visionary who strived for better, bolder ideas, constantly pushing the boundariesโ.
Haugh said, โOโRegan recognised the need for vision and persistence, OโRegan himself stated โIf youโre involved in developing an important idea, you have to let it possess you. If you keep knocking on the door, the door will open. Youโll get there, not particularly with your own abilities, but with others that you gather around youโ,โ.
Shannon Airport remains โa huge asset to the Mid-West regionโ, he noted. โImagine how much the region could develop if there was a light rail system linking to Ennis and Limerickโ.