Opening hours at attractions cut as council says 'significant neglect' is hobbling their takeover

CLARE County Council has said it cannot proceed with the takeover of local tourist attractions without "real and meaningful" support from government.

A whole host of attractions across the Limerick region have transferred from the ownership of Shannon Heritage to the relevant local authority, depending on where they are located.

For example, King John's Castle is now being run by Discover Limerick, an arms-length agency of Limerick City and County Council.

However, in a statement issued this lunchtime, Pat Dowling, the chief executive of Clare County Council says, while the authority remains open to talks with government, at this moment, a takeover cannot proceed.

It comes after a report by the authority detailed "significant neglect" of the sites, and an urgent need to halt the "deterioration of the assets and the investment required to achieve this".

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Former Limerick council director Mr Dowling said, following engagement with local members, there is ongoing uncertainty around the legal guarantees and funding in relation to the transfer of all the assets.

These include Bunratty Castle, Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park, Knappogue Castle and Walled Garden, and the Cliffs of Moher Experience retail unit.

Mr Dowling said Clare Council was requested by government to conduct a due diligence process into the transfer last year.

A final report was submitted this year to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Transport in which a funding package to support the upgrading and maintenance of the sites for three years was identified.

"In the comprehensive independent report submitted to government, Clare County Council detailed significant neglect of the sites, the urgent need to halt the deterioration of the assets and the investment required to achieve this. The local authority also outlined its vision for overseeing the management, development, and promotion of the Shannon Heritage sites and their incorporation into a portfolio of signature visitor attractions and sites throughout Clare, including the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Loop Head Lighthouse, Vandeleur Walled Gardens, and Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience (currently under development)," Mr Dowling stated.

"Clare County Council has engaged constructively with all parties to the process approaching two years. Despite every effort made and the good faith demonstrated by the Council throughout the process and in the absence of any funding commitment from government and a resolution to outstanding significant elements of the draft legal agreement between the Local Authority and Shannon Airport Group, including the footprint of the site and indemnities at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, the Local Authority is unable to proceed with the proposed takeover at this time. To do so would have a significant impact on services and commercial businesses in Clare," he confirmed.

The intervention comes as workers employed at Bunratty Castle represented by the trade union Siptu staged a second day of protest after opening hours at the attraction were cut.

The protest also in response to the lack of governmental progress on a promised multi-million euro investment package to facilitate the transfer of Shannon Heritage tourism sites to Clare County Council.

In recent weeks, a Siptu spokesperson said, senior management of Clare County Council have informed Siptu members and other stakeholders that no funds had been made available by the Government to facilitate the transfer.

Instead, they have been advised by Shannon Group that Bunratty Castle and Folk Park will cease to operate on a seven day per week basis from January 8. The public will only be able to access the sites on a 4-day per week basis from the January 12 to March 1, 2023.

Organiser, Rachel Keane said: "Our members’ fears have been realised. In March 2020, we alerted local representatives that plans to close the Shannon Heritage sites due to Covid-19 will be used a smoke screen and will result in the site being mothballed and its access being restricted for three months of the year. 

"No rationale has been given for this latest decision, as the sites have outperformed Shannon Groups’ projections in terms of visitor numbers for 2022. If the sites had transferred to Clare County Council, as promised, we are confident that this site would be open seven days as week during these months as it did pre-Covid. Other sites in Limerick and Dublin, including King John’s Castle, Malahide Castle and Newbridge House and Gardens, which successfully transferred from Shannon Heritage, are fully open and trading," she added.

Limerick Live has contacted the relevant government departments for comment.