The Aran Island harbour of Cill Ronain on Inis Mor was en fete yesterday to mark the arrival of a new £2 million fishing vessel built under the Government's fleet renewal programme.
The 28-metre Shauna Ann was built in Spain for Mr Pat Fitzpatrick (28) of Inis Mor and will undertake trials for deep-water fishing off the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland in conjunction with Bord Iascaigh Mhara. Mr Fitzpatrick is one of the region's top herring fishermen and is chairman of the Galway and Aran Fishermen's Co-op.
Yesterday's ceremony was performed by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey. 2.2 million vessel is named after Mr Fitzpatrick's wife and daughter, and was built in Factoria Naval in Spain -- the boatyard which also built another new ship launched recently under the Government's scheme, the Emerald Dawn (italics) owned by Mr Michael Flannery of Dingle, Co Kerry. It was supported with grant aid from the EU and BIM.
Earlier yesterday, square foot complex is in Salthill and is owned by Ocean Life Partnership, a private investment consortium. It was built for over £5 million, and qualifies for tax breaks under the Seaside Resort Renewal Scheme.
The aquarium has been operating for some months, and is equipped with systems fed by 400 tonnes of salt water and 100 tonnes of fresh water. There are 170 species of marine life on exhibit and the complex is equipped with "touch pools", an aqua-culture centre, a restaurant and a gift shop.