*Photograph: Paschal Brooks
CLARE COUNCILLORS have unanimously backed a €6m offer from Government which will see the County Council boost its tourism offering and take over ownership of four Shannon Heritage sites.
Last Tuesday, Cabinet approval for €6m in exchequer funding for 2023 was agreed to facilitate the transfer Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Knappogue Castle & Medieval Banquets, Crauggownen Bronze Age Park from Shannon Heritage under the control of the Shannon Airport Group to Clare County Council’s ownership.
Despite the transfer of sites, Shannon Airport Group are to hold onto 129.42 hectares of land in the Bunratty Folk Park environs.
Briefings were held by elected members of the Council and senior management on Wednesday and Friday where queries were raised and any concerns abated in the second sitdown.
At a special meeting of Clare County Councill on Monday, elected members from all corners of the county and political divides in their united views to take control of the four heritage and tourism sites.
Along with agreeing to a shared purchase agreement, the local authority will also work out a property contract with Shannon Airport Group plus establish legal governance and structures for a new Designated Activity Company called Clare Tourism.
On foot of the decision, the Council will complete negotiations with relevant parties over the coming days to complete the shared purchase agreement. “We won’t rush into it and we will sign that, I anticipate all going well that will happen in the coming days,” Chief Executive of the Council, Pat Dowling outlined. “Following immediately after that, the Mayor and I will be more than happy to meet the staff of Shannon Heritage,” he added.
The Clare Echo understands that the Clare Tourism DAC will see the county’s tourism offering divided in three. It will include subsections, Clare Tourism North, Clare Tourism West and Clare Tourism East.
Clare Tourism East will have the largest portfolio with Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Knappogue Castle & Medieval Banquets, Crauggownen Bronze Age Park joining Inis Cealtra. Clare Tourism North accounts for the Cliffs of Moher with Loop Head Lighthouse and the Vandeleur Walled Gardens included in Clare Tourism West.
Newmarket-on-Fergus based Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) proposed the transfer proceed with Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) seconding the recommendation. All councillors who spoke at Monday’s meeting backed the call for the Council to take over the sites.
