Irene Hamilton has just finished a day of Zoom meetings, when speaking to The Clare Echo this week.
What you might assume to be downtime for the Scattery Island Tours’ owner, is in fact a busy period of marketing the business to the international market for the year ahead, and preparing and licensing the vessels for the next summer season, when Irene can “be out on the water, which is the place I enjoy the most, interacting with the customers”.
The international market Irene speaks of is vital to businesses in West Clare like Scattery Island Tours, however it’s an audience they survived without in 2020 and 2021. “As a seasonal business, we’ve been luckier than many businesses who have had to work through this for a longer period. We were able to open at that time when there was a pent up demand to get out and about and restrictions had eased during those summer months, so we were very blessed in that regard.”
In developing her businesses, Irene is grateful for funding and training supports from LEO Clare which helped prepare their website to target that domestic market, along with capital supports from CLDC. “Without the support of both, we wouldn’t be able to build a business,” says Irene, adding, “if I was to give advice to anyone starting a business, it would be to look for those invaluable suportss because they are there, both in terms of grants and training”.
Scattery Island Tours formed in 2017 and in doing so, Irene continued her familial links to the historic island. Her father, Brendan Griffin, a retired Shannon River Pilot was born on the Scattery and indeed the connection goes back to when families of the Kilbaha pilots relocated to Scattery in the 1840s. The Scattery pilots worked the Western division of the Shannon Estuary, and at the time, used curraghs to service ships. Her uncle Gerry Griffin, another islander, was the previous operator of ferries to Scattery and Irene says it is “a great honour” to be able to continue the tradition.
Scattery Island Tours upgraded their initial 12-capacity boat to a 70-seater catamaran in 2018 and business is building every year as the island’s profile as a populAR visitor destination increases. “The OPW do a fantastic job in managing the monastic site and offer a great guided tour while on the island. Scattery offers a wonderful experience for visitors to West Clare and the town of Kilrush.”
Since launcing Scattery Island Tours, Irene has continued to branch out and develop other services on the Shannon Estuary. ‘Sionnan Luxury Cruises’ offers private excusions on the river in the comfort of a luxury cruiser. “Kilrush is well located in terms of it proximity to five star hotels such as Trump International Hotel in Doonbeg, Dromoland and Adare Manor, so I felt there was a gap the market to offer this type of service” commented Irene. While last year the Kilrush-based business moved into adventure tourism and launched ‘West Coast RIB Adventures’. “The Rib Adventures and Sea Safari service to Ballybunion Cliffs is a really nice fit for the more active market and particularly the type of people that visit the Aqua Park [in Kilrush Marina]; The more services we can offer in Kilrush, the more we can encourage people to come and spend a full day in the town and avail of other services, like having lunch or doing some shopping. Kilrush is a great town for shopping!’
The Marina itself is becoming what Irene describes as “a catalyst for water based activities within the town” and through the work being down by ‘Kilrush Town Team’, of which Irene is a member, the town itself is getting better at marketing it’s natural assets, like the Vandeleur Gardens, the newly restored Turret Lodge or the simple pleasure like walking Aylevaroo or crab fishing at Cappa. This summer, a dedicated tourist office was opened within the town, which was funded by CLDC & Leader.
“The range of services available in the marina is growing every year. In addition to our own services, you also have Dolphin Watching and the Aqua Park. There is also a new dinghy park, which offers sail training courses and a new campervan park. it’s a wonderful hive of activity right throughout the summer, offering lots to do for visitors coming into Kilrush.”
Irene says she is “cautiously optimistic” for 2022. “The town has plenty to offer, and we can only hope the domestic market remains as active and suppotive of local businesses as it has been, and that we see some level of international tourists return.
Scattery Island Tours will start operating its summer offering in May, 2022.
