Shannon Town

Situated in County Clare, the town of Shannon is one of only two towns in Ireland that were built on a green field site. The town was developed after World War II to provide people for employment in Shannon Airport and the spin off industries created by Shannon Airport. According to the 2002 census the population of the town were just over 8,500 people which as a 7% increase from 1996. The initial target population of Shannon was 6,000 people.

Marshland was reclaimed for the construction site close to the newly built Shannon Airport. The Shannon Free Zone Industrial Estate was built alongside the town. The town was designed to be a home for the thousands of workers needed to operate Shannon Airport and the spin off businesses. The growth of the population was never as fast as first expected partly because of the poor design of the town.

One of the main problems with the town was that it was divided by a dual carriageway and therefore not conducive for transport by foot. The town was also cut off from the surrounding countryside which was contrary to the initial idea. Much of the town layout was car orientated, with straight roads and rigidly laid out housing, rather than people-friendly design. The shopping districts in the town were also badly designed because the direction the streets followed funnelled the estuary winds through the town.

As regards the future of the town, the future has a rose coloured tint when compared to the past. Population numbers are on the increase and a recent bypass of the town has removed much of the traffic in the area

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