*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.

Clareโ€™s potential as a location for shooting films has not been capitalised on, he maintained. Within the Shannon MD, he pointed to the โ€œdistinctiveโ€ landmarks of Bunratty Castle and Dromoland Castle as potential locations. โ€œWe 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, โ€œEven closer to home, if we took inspiration from Sixmilebridge native, the late Brendan Oโ€™Regan, without whom Shannon wouldnโ€™t exist as it does. Oโ€™Regan was a visionary who strived for better, bolder ideas, constantly pushing the boundariesโ€.

Haugh said, โ€œOโ€™Regan recognised the need for vision and persistence, Oโ€™Regan himself stated โ€˜If youโ€™re involved in developing an important idea, you have to let it possess you. If you keep knocking on the door, the door will open. Youโ€™ll get there, not particularly with your own abilities, but with others that you gather around youโ€™,โ€.

Shannon Airport remains โ€œa huge asset to the Mid-West regionโ€, he noted. โ€œImagine how much the region could develop if there was a light rail system linking to Ennis and Limerickโ€.

 

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