Former state sgency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation overview | |
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Formed | 1959 |
Dissolved | 10 November 2014 |
Jurisdiction | Ireland |
Headquarters | Shannon Town Centre, Shannon, County Clare, Ireland |
Website | Shannon Development website |
Shannon Development (legally the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited [1] formerly known as SFADCO) was an important regional development body for the Shannon Region of Ireland. Its area in the lower River Shannon basin comprised all of counties Clare, Limerick, and the former North Tipperary, as well as north Kerry and west Offaly. Its key founder was Brendan O'Regan. [2]
Shannon Development worked with, but was not an agency of, Forfás.
Shannon Development was set up as Shannon Free Airport Development Company by the Irish Government in 1959 to promote the airport and region. Shannon Airport was built at a strategic point on the early transatlantic flying route, but with the age of the jet, its fortunes declined. In 1969 Aer Rianta took responsibility of the airport.
Shannon Development was responsible for a number of areas of development of the region including tourism and industry similar to IDA Ireland. The agency was responsible for Shannon Free Zone and National Technology Park on which the University of Limerick is located. Shannon Town was also created and managed by the company until it was transferred to Clare County Council in 2004. This property transfer was the biggest property transaction in the history of the state.
Shannon Development also acted as a landlord for many companies in the region. Companies that qualify, paid rent to Shannon Development. In return the company can apply for Enterprise Ireland grant funding through Shannon Development. This constitutes a symbiotic relationship.
The government reviewed the role of the agency in July 2005 and its functions are being realigned. Under the new arrangements, Shannon Development will have an enhanced regional economic development role with a particular emphasis on addressing the needs of the less developed parts of the Shannon region. It will also retain responsibility for the Shannon Free Zone industrial park. The existing enterprise support functions (carried out by Shannon Development in relation to both indigenous and overseas enterprises) will be assumed by the national agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.
Shannon Development became part of Shannon Group plc on 10 November 2014. To emphasise a more commercially focused property remit, Shannon Development was renamed Shannon Commercial Enterprises Ltd, trading as Shannon Enterprises.
Shannon Heritage, a member of the group, is a semi-state commercial body responsible for operating tourist sites including the GPO, and Craggaunowen. [3] In August 2019 Fingal County Council announced Shannon Heritage were to be appointed to run the Fry Model Railway when it re-opens in addition to Malahide Castle and Demesne which they already operate. [4]
Limerick is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 census, Limerick is the third-most populous urban area in the Republic of Ireland, and the fourth-most populous city on the island of Ireland at the 2011 census. It was founded by Scandinavian settlers in 812, during the Viking Age.
County Clare is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 at the 2016 census. The county seat and largest settlement is Ennis.
County Limerick is a western county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. It is named after the city of Limerick. Limerick City and County Council is the local council for the county. The county's population at the 2016 census was 194,899 of whom 94,192 lived in Limerick City, the county capital.
Shannon Airport is an international airport located in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is adjacent to the Shannon Estuary and lies halfway between Ennis and Limerick. The airport is the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, and the fifth busiest on the island.
Foynes is a town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. The population of the town was 520 as of the 2016 census.
Shannon or Shannon Town, named after the river near which it stands, is a town in County Clare, Ireland. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick and Ennis. It is the location of Shannon Airport, an international airport serving the Clare/Limerick region in the west of Ireland.
The Limerick Institute of Technology was an institute of technology, located in Limerick, Ireland. The institute had five campuses that were located in Limerick, Thurles, Clonmel, as well as a regional learning centre in Ennis. The main campus was located at Moylish Park in Limerick adjacent to Thomond Park and housed the Faculty of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology and the School of Business and Humanities. The School of Art & Design is located at the Clare Street and Clonmel campuses.
Craggaunowen is an archaeological open-air museum in eastern County Clare, Ireland. It is named for the 16th-century castle which is one of its main components.
The Shannon Free Zone is a 2.43 square kilometres, international business park adjacent to Shannon Airport, County Clare, in Ireland. It is 18 km from Ennis and 20 km from Limerick. It was established in 1959, as the world's first "modern" free-trade zone. Businesses based on the site enjoyed special tax incentives on staff and profits until 2003, which attracted a large number of multinational companies to the area.
Killaloe is a small town in east County Clare, Ireland. It lies on the River Shannon on the western bank of Lough Derg and is connected by Killaloe Bridge to the "twin town" of Ballina on the eastern bank of the lake.
Newmarket-on-Fergus, historically known as Corracatlin, is a town in County Clare, Ireland. It is 13 kilometres from Ennis, 8 kilometres from Shannon Airport, and 24 kilometres from Limerick.
A registration district in the United Kingdom is a type of administrative region which exists for the purpose of civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths and civil partnerships. It has also been used as the basis for the collation of census information.
The Shannon Estuary is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick City at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to the south. The estuary defines the main boundary between County Kerry/County Limerick to the south and County Clare to the north.
Bunratty is a village in County Clare, Ireland, near Bunratty Castle. It is connected by the N18 road to Limerick and Galway. The Raite river defines the parish's eastern boundary and flows into the Shannon Estuary, which defines the southern boundary.
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and is the capital of Ireland's Mid-West Region comprising the counties of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary. Traditionally Limerick's economy was mainly agricultural of which a lot of industry in the city was based around due to the city's proximity to the Golden Vale. Important industries at this time were the bacon industry and Limerick lace which provided much employment. Limerick Port was also the main port on the west of Ireland where much this produce was exported. Today Limerick's economy is driven by a cluster of industrial and business parks located along the Limerick/Shannon corridor which include the National Technology Park, Raheen Business Park and the Shannon Free Zone. Limerick/Shannon is also classified as a gateway city as part of the National Spatial Strategy.
Shannon may refer to:
The Mid-West is a strategic planning area within the Southern Region in Ireland. It is a NUTS Level III statistical region of Ireland. It consists of the counties of Clare and Tipperary, and the city and county of Limerick. Limerick City is the economic centre of the region. It spans 10,511 km2, 14.95% of the total area of the state and as of the 2016 census, it had a 2016 population of 473,269.
Michael Houlihan is a prominent Irish solicitor and former President of the Law Society of Ireland. He is noted for his achievements in promoting the development of the south-west region of Ireland.
Brendan O'Regan CBE (1917–2008) was an Irish businessman responsible for developing Shannon Airport, inventing the concept of the duty-free shop and transforming the Shannon Region of Ireland. He was involved in promoting peace in Northern Ireland and co-operation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. He has been described as one of Ireland's "most noted peace ambassadors and initiators of commercial and industrial projects". In a tribute to him, President Mary McAleese said that O'Regan was "a true visionary" and "leaves a legacy that permeates throughout all levels of economic, social and cultural life in Ireland."