Dossier BBR-18712/5/2/9 - Pipe Making Shannon Development

Included in a file marked ‘Shannon Development: Costings L. Byrne’ are draft & original correspondence between Breandán Breathnach and Nick Condon, Librarian, Shannon Development, Shannon Free Airport, Co Clare and Bruce W. Du Ve, Barr Rua, Feakle, Co Clare; and an undated photocopy of Lonan Byrne’s costs for ‘manufacturing uilleann pipes.’ The correspondence relates to a project being researched by Nick Condon ‘on pipe-making, ascertaining ways and means of making it a more productive craft industry’ (17 Feb 1977); Breathnach meets with Condon and recommends pipe-maker, Bruce De Ve; De Ve subsequently writes to Breathnach saying that ‘Shannon Development have been of little assistance of late, and although they are still working on processing my application I am not holding out great hopes’ he asks Breathnach to ‘help me by guaranteeing this bank loan’ (17 Dec 1977); Breathnach replies saying he is ‘unable to meet’ his request and notes that ‘when Shannon Development began dragging their heels I felt they had grown dubious about the enterprise and what I had earmarked for the piping I diverted elsewhere’ (3 Jan 1978).