AS LIMERICK’S most popular tourism attractions reopens for business. it has been confirmed that Shannon Heritage managing director Niall O’Callaghan is leaving his role to take up other opportunities.
Mr O’Callaghan headed up the heritage operations arm of the Shannon Group, including King John’s Castle, and Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Craggaunowen and Dunguaire Castle as well as Malahide Castle and the GPO Witness History Museum in Dublin.
Bunratty and King John’s Castle reopened last week, having closed since the Covid-19 lockdown as part of public health precautions.
A native of Adare, Mr O’Callaghan joined Shannon Heritage in October 2017 after working as Mid West business development manager with the Industrial Development Authority (IDA).
Commenting his departure from Shannon Heritage, Shannon Group chief executive Mary Considine thanked him for his contribution to Shannon Heritage and Shannon Group during his tenure as Managing Director of Shannon Heritage and wish him every success in the future.
The heritage attractions have been closed since lockdown started and the company announced that the opening of both will be for the peak tourism season until August 31 only.
But the original plan not to open King John’s Castle and Bunratty until July was changed in light of the government decision to escalate the reopening strategy nationally.
Both Mid West concerns employ hundreds of people on a full time basis and many more as seasonal and contract workers, with huge spin-offs for other business concerns in the region.
The business relies heavily on international visitor support, with up to 70 per cent of revenue coming from overseas, a sector which has disappeared since the Covid lockdown.
