A life size statue of Brendan O Regan will be unveiled next Monday July 10th in the village square!

Brendan O’Regan, pioneer in 1948 of duty free airport sales, founder of the Shannon industrial estate, and major contributor to Ireland’s economic development from the 1950s, was pivotal in opening Ireland to world trade and international tourism.

This project has being jointly undertaken by The Sixmilebridge Historical Society and The Shannon Chamber of Commerce. There is a huge connection between our club and O'Regan family dating back to 1904 when Brendan’s father James was elected our first chairman.

Dr. Brendan O’Regan was born 15 May 1917 in Sixmilebridge, County Clare. The son of James O’Regan and Nora Ryan, he attended Sixmilebridge National School before going on to Blackrock College for his secondary education where he won junior and senior Leinster colleges medals in 1933 and 1935. He played for Leinster colleges versus Munster Colleges in 1935. He married Rita Barrow in 1950, and they had two sons, Andrew and Declan, and three daughters, Geraldine, Margaret, and Carmel.

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). 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.

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

Brendan died peacefully in February 2008, at the age of 90. He left a permanent mark on Sixmilebridge, the Shannon region, Ireland, and the world.

An invitation to our community has being issued by the organisers to attend the unveiling and honour The O Regan family on this wonderful occasion for our club and community!