Could be up and running this summer
THE seaplane era could be on its way back to Limerick, opening up huge tourism possibilities. Steamboat Quay is targeted as the ideal landing/takeoff location for internal commuter flights, if Clare-based seaplane company Harbour Flights, can secure a foreshore licence and planning permission from Limerick City Council.
The company has been in talks with the Clarion Hotel about the possibility of making it their city-centre base.
They have also revealed their intentions to add Foynes, which is considered the home of flying boats in Ireland, to their list of destinations.
Harbour Flights’ engineer Adam Cronin, told the Limerick Post: “We will be applying for a single pontoon adjacent to the hotel”.
Although the operation will be focused on tourism, it will open up the possibility of internal commuter flights to Dublin, Cork, Galway and the Aran Islands.
It is envisaged that the planes will land downstream of Steamboat Quay, and company director, Ronan Connelly, said: “The Shannon provides a natural runway in the city centre for landing tourists, there should definitely be more activity on the Shannon in Limerick”.
Their objective is to provide a more efficient method of transport. “At present, it takes almost three and a half hours for a tourist to travel from Limerick to Inishmore, but this proposed service will dramatically reduce that”.
A demonstration of how the seaplane will operate attracted a lot of local interest at Mountshannon, this week, and to which this newspaper was invited on board.
Most local people welcomed the initiative as a positive development for tourism, but some local fishermen and ecologists were worried about the environmental impact of planes landing on Lough Derg.
The group are confident of securing planning permission in Limerick.
Operations director Stewart Curtis, said: “We had virtually no objections in Galway, and all going well, we could be up and running this summer”.
Margaret O’Shaughnessy, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, is excited about the possibility of a aeronautical activity returning there.
“It’s a great idea and we will welcome and facilitate anything that adds to tourism in West Limerick”.
She added that infrastructure to West Limerick needs to be improved: “There is no connectivity out this side… bus services are infrequent and there are no trains”.
She suggested that the West Limerick Railway should be reopened in conjunction with the new sea plane initiative: “It would be fantastic for Limerick tourism to have the old steam train running, with stops in Adare, Askeaton and Foynes”.
Our pictures shows that Harbour Flights held a series of test flights at Mountshannon County Clare to demonstrate to locals the low impact of the sea planes on the lake, as a few people had voiced concerns of the impact to the local environment. Local fisherman, Pat Boucher, follows the plane as it lands.
Pic Seán Curtin/Press 22
