Car hire Shannon

Introduction

The city of Shannon is unique because of its late birth: after the Second World War. Despite its modernity, the city is located in a remote area in the west of Ireland. A few kilometers away from the town you will find a world-famous airport, an industrial center and beautiful landscape. Many people use Shannon as a base for going to one of these three places. Shannon itself offers good shopping and restaurants.

Population

Shannon was built after the Second World War on what was at the time moor land. The city was designed to house the thousands of employees of Shannon Airport, the industries and supporting services. The city did not grow as fast as expected, among other things because many people preferred to live in the beautiful villages nearby. At the moment, Shannon has about 9,000 inhabitants.

Location

Shannon is situated in the west of Ireland. A huge land tongue protects Shannon from the wrath of the Atlantic Ocean. Shannon has the same name as the river Shannon, which has its origins in central Ireland, flows through the town of Limerick and ends up in the Mouth of Shannon, where the city is located.

Economy

Shannon's economy is dependent on tourism only to a small extent. The tourists that are there use the town as a "gateway" to the magnificent countryside, beautiful villages and other Irish cities nearby. The economy depends much more on the industry in the vicinity of the city. n

Many international companies are located in the industrial zones around the city and they provide many jobs. Among others, Shannon Aerospace, Molex, Intel and Avocent are located around Shannon. The international airport also provides many jobs, as do the companies that start up because of the airport and the industries. Examples are hotels, restaurants, financial services, construction companies, etc.

The reason that there is so much activity in Shannon is that it offers cheap labor and low business taxes. This goes for the whole of Ireland.

Airports

Shannon has a world-famous airport, which lies a few kilometers outside the town center. Shannon Airport processes flights from Ireland, Europe and other parts of the world, in particular America. There are also low cost carriers that use this airport.

Public transport

From Shannon Airport buses depart bound for all major cities in Ireland. There is no train connection from Shannon Airport. The nearest railway link is in Limerick, which lies about 18 kilometers to the east of the airport. This means that there is no train station in Shannon itself. Nor is there a city bus, for which the town is too small. There are local and regional bus connections, however.

Traffic and Parking

First of all, it is important to remember to drive on the left side of the road in Ireland. The cars in Ireland have the steering wheel on the right side of the car, which means that the gear shift will be to your left. The maximum speed in inhabited areas is 48 kilometers (30 miles), in rural areas it is 96 km/h (60 miles), and on motorways the speed limit is 112 kilometers per hour (70 miles). Cars are parked on the left side of the road. In Shannon itself, you are unlikely to experience any trouble at all driving and parking. The town is simply too small for that.

Hotels

In and around Shannon there are hotels in all price ranges. The hotels are used primarily by business people. There are also tourists who stay for one night and move on the next day to discover beautiful Ireland. If you have a certain preference with regard to costs, luxury or location, we recommend you book in advance. If you have no preference, there is no need to book ahead, unless there is a (business) event.

External Sources

For more information about Shannon, we recommend Google, and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Shannon
• Shannon Tourism
• Shannon Development