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Brendan O'Regan

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Brendan O'Regan
Born(1917-05-15)15 May 1917
Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ireland
Died2 February 2008(2008-02-02) (aged 90)
England
NationalityIrish
Known forDevelopment of Shannon Airport and the Shannon Free Zone

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.[1] 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".[2] 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."[3]

Early life

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Born in Sixmilebridge, County Clare in 1917, O'Regan attended Blackrock College.[4] He studied hotel management in Germany, France, Switzerland and the UK as his family had interests in hotels (the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon).[5]

Career

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Early career

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For a period, he was manager of the Stephen's Green Club in Dublin. In 1943, he was appointed as catering comptroller at Foynes flying boat base, which was a refuelling point for transatlantic seaplanes between Britain and the United States.

Shannon Airport

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In 1945, he was appointed catering comptroller at Shannon Airport. From this base, he embarked on a series of projects which transformed the Shannon Region, many of which were replicated internationally.[6] In 1947, he invented the concept of the airport duty-free shop, establishing the world's first at Shannon Airport. In 1951 he established the Shannon College of Hotel Management.

Shannon Free Zone

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In 1961, he was the key driver in the establishment of Ireland's only regional development agency, Shannon Free Airport Development Company. He developed the Shannon Free Zone, a model for similar zones established throughout the world. He was chairman of Bórd Fáilte, the Irish Tourist Board from 1957 to 1973.[2][7] After a visit to the United States under the Marshall Aid Plan, he drafted a report that became the blueprint for a vision of Shannon revolving around tourism, air freight and industry.[8]

Shannon Town and Region

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The success of the airport and industrial zone led to the development, spearheaded by O'Regan, of Shannon Town, the first new town in Ireland in over two centuries. He was responsible for initiatives such as turning Bunratty Castle into a tourist attraction with the co-operation of its owner Lord Gort, the model for similar initiatives at Knappogue Castle and Dunguaire Castle.[9]

Peace and co-operation

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In 1978, O'Regan founded Co-Operation North (now Co-operation Ireland), a non-denominational and non-party organisation aimed at fostering co-operation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 1984, he established the Irish Peace Institute to promote peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. He also founded the Centre for International Co-operation at Shannon in 1986.[2]

Honours and tributes

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He received a number of tributes for his work. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993 for his contribution to peace. He was voted "Clareman of the Year" in 1984 and was made Freedom of the City of Limerick in 1995. He received a number of honorary doctorates including from the National University of Ireland in 1978, from Queen's University Belfast in 1999 and from the University of Limerick in 2001.[10]

In February 2007, Clare Museum held an exhibition, opened by the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to mark his achievements.[11]

In 2015, a portrait of O'Regan was unveiled by Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht at the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum.[12]

Several initiatives have been named after him, including the O'Regan Park, a sporting and recreational facility in Newmarket-on-Fergus,[13] and three restaurants, one at the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum, another at Shannon Airport[14] and the third at the Old Ground Hotel.[15]

Personal life and death

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In 1950 he married Rita Barrow and they had two sons, Andrew and Declan, and three daughters, Geraldine, Margaret and Carmel.[16] He died on 1 February 2008, aged 90.[17][18]

2017 centenary

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Shannon Airport announced that it would commemorate the centenary in 2017 of the birth of O'Regan, described as "founder of Shannon Airport and the man behind so many of the great innovations of the region"[19][20][21] In line with a call by Clare County Council,[22] a bronze bust sculpture of Dr O'Regan was unveiled at Shannon Airport to commemorate this milestone on 15 May 2017 (the centenary of the birth[23]) and RTE's Nationwide programme dedicated a special transmission to his legacy on 27 September 2017.[24] The Irish Times published a comprehensive assessment of his life's work in 2018.[25]

A second, life-size, bronze statue of O'Regan was unveiled beside his birthplace in Sixmilebridge on Monday 10 July 2023.[26][27]

References

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  1. ^ "Tributes paid to Clare man who pioneered duty free at Shannon". The Irish Times. 4 February 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "Dr. Brendan O'Regan (1917–2008) Founder of Duty Free Shopping Died, Aged 90". Irish Examiner USA. 6 February 2008.
  3. ^ "President praises O'Regan's contribution". RTÉ News. 4 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Empowering the People". Clare Museum. February 2007.
  5. ^ "Shannon: the man behind the vision". Clare Champion. 24 October 2015.
  6. ^ "How it began: O'Regan's innovative dream allowed region to take off". Irish Independent. 10 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Dr Brendan O'Regan". Shannon Airport.
  8. ^ "Founder of duty-free shops and peace activist". The Irish Times. 9 February 2008.
  9. ^ "Brendan O'Regan A quite extraordinary and innovative businessman whose legacy will live on in the success of the Shannon region". Irish Independent. 10 February 2008.
  10. ^ "Dr Brendan O'Regan". University of Limerick. 5 December 2001. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  11. ^ "'Empowering the People' – Brendan O'Regan Exhibition". Clare Museum. February 2007.
  12. ^ "Brendan keeps watch over Foynes museum". Limerick Post. 19 June 2015.
  13. ^ "O'Regan Park upgrade a step closer". The Clare People. 30 January 2013.
  14. ^ "The O'Regan Restaurant". ResDiary.
  15. ^ "Brendan O'Regan Room". TripAdvisor.
  16. ^ "Dr. Brendan O'Regan". Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum.
  17. ^ "Tributes to airport duty-free visionary". Irish Independent. 4 February 2008.
  18. ^ "Brendan O'Regan dies in England". RTÉ News. 4 February 2008.
  19. ^ "Shannon Airport to Honour Key Figure". Clare FM. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Iconic Irish rugby moment immortalized in Shannon Airport sculpture". Irish Central. 28 July 2015.
  21. ^ "Latest News". Shannon Airport. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Plans afoot to honour key founder of Shannon Airport". Clare FM. 17 January 2016. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016.
  23. ^ "'One of the most fascinating and influential people of our time' – Businessman Dr Brendan O'Regan honoured". The Irish Independent. 29 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Nationwide to feature Dr Brendan O'Regan". The Clare Herald. 27 September 2017.
  25. ^ "The Irish 'father of duty free' and saviour of Shannon: Brendan O'Regan's eureka moment came in 1950, but his legacy goes beyond cheap booze". The Irish Times. 4 October 2018.
  26. ^ Cooke, John (10 July 2023). "Honoring the man behind a global duty-free industry". RTÉ. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  27. ^ "Morning Focus Live From Sixmilebridge Ahead of Dr. Brendan O'Regan Statue Unveiling". clare.fm. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

Biography

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  • Brendan O’Regan: Irish Innovator, Visionary, Peacemaker by Brian O'Connell with Cian O'Carroll, published by Irish Academic Press, 2018.
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