Shannon Development
Set up in 1959 by the Government of Ireland to promote Shannon International Airport in the post-jet era, Shannon Development is to-day, Ireland’s only dedicated regional development company. The Company's brief is to develop industry, tourism and rural development in the wider Shannon area, known as the Shannon Region (the mid-west of Ireland). This covers an area of some 10,000 square kilometres spanning counties Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary, South Offaly and North Kerry, which collectively have a population of over 400,000 people.

For over forty years the company has worked singularly and with many different partners from the statutory, community and private sectors to develop the region to its full potential.
Its specific responsibilities include:

• Developing and strengthening the indigenous sector in the Shannon Region.
• Developing the Shannon Free Zone as a location for international investment.
• Managing and developing the National Technological Park in Limerick
• Tourism marketing and stimulating investment in new tourism products
• Managing a portfolio of some of Ireland’s leading tourism attractions and entertainments through its subsidiary company Shannon Castle Banquets and Heritage. Attractions & Entertainments include:
  
• Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Bunratty, Co. Clare
• O’Brien’s Tower and the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre, Co. Clare
• King John’s Castle in Limerick City
• The Craggaunowen Bronze Age Centre, Co. Clare
• Lough Gur Visitor Centre, Co. Limerick
• Killaloe Heritage Centre, Co. Clare
• Knappogue Castle, Co. Clare
• Dunguaire Castle, Co. Clare
• The mediaeval castle banquets in Bunratty, Knappogue and Dunguaire Castles
• Style – The story of Irish Dance, Bunratty Folk Park, Co. Clare
• The Castle Lane Tavern, Limerick City
• Developing the Shannon Estuary, with other partners, as an integrated coastal zone.
• Stimulating development at local and regional levels to ensure economic inclusion and spatial development.

About this site
This site has been developed by Shannon Development’s and will be maintained by its tourism and communication groups. It is intended as a helpful resource to keep media briefed on items of tourism and leisure news in the Shannon Region and the broader Western Regions of Ireland. Ultimately, our wish is to have media write or carry stories and snippets of news (freckles !) so that more visitors might experience Shannon and the Western Regions of Ireland. We hope the site proves of some value and we warmly welcome all feed-back.

Please give us feed-back
If you found this site useful or if it prompted you to feature the Shannon Region/West of Ireland in any way we would greatly welcome such feedback.

Contact information
If you have any questions about this site or its contents or wish to give feedback, we would be pleased to hear from you.

Tourism Group OR Communications Group
Shannon Development
Shannon Town Centre
Co. Clare
Tel. +353 61 361555
Fax. +353 61 363180
Email: info@irishfreckles.com
Web: www.irishfreckles.com