THE Shannon AIRPORTGROUP�
THE HANNON PORTG UP STAFF NEW ETTER
Shannon News
Celebrating a new season with events, new holiday routes from Shannon Airport and
In this edition of our Summer Staff Newsletter, we give a nod to the success of the recent Climate Action Event brought to you by our Sustainability Team, and a profile of the winning entry of the Biodiversity Competition. You’ll find some delicious summertime recipes and even some outdoor community events to mark on your
Climate Action Week
On behalf of the Sustainability Committee, we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended our first Climate Action Event for The Shannon Airport Group.
•107 staff across The Shannon Airport Group and Shannon Airport attended the event
•24 pieces of donated clothing were repaired by Tatjana from AL Alterations in Shannon.
•150 free vegan lunches provided by 8020 Food truck
•18 bicycles fixed for staff by Cycle Tech Ireland
•The energy consultant was fully booked for 15-minute intervals from 8am-5pm with great feedback from people on his support. Martin came for free 15-minute consultations for staff regarding a range of home energy topics like installing PV panels, insulating your home, installing a heat pump, or other home upgrades.
•Speakers from Clare County Council and Panda Recycling gave presentations on proper waste reduction and at home solutions.
If you weren’t able to make it, you can find more details on the event suppliers here:
• 8020 Food Truck
• Clare County Council
• Panda
• Cycle Tech Ireland
• Jaguar Landrover
• Tatjana Merzvinska with RL Clothing Alterations in Shannon Town Centre
• CoMotion
• FMCI
The Energy Wizard: Martin Kaiser (for anyone who didn’t get a chance to talk to Martin but would like a consultation or more info, please send an email to sustainability@snnairportgroup.ie so we can arrange another opportunity!)
Remember, together we can help tackle the climate crisis.
Thank you all again for your time and support. We look forward to seeing you at the next Sustainability event!
PLAY VIDEOBiodiversity Garden Competition
We ran an exciting competition to kickstart National Biodiversity Week, which took place between the 19th and 28th of May.
This competition was a wonderful opportunity for our team members to showcase their support for biodiversity and appreciation of nature!
As a proud supporter of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, the Shannon Airport Group is dedicated to implementing pollinator-friendly initiatives.
One of the ways we can contribute to this important cause is by creating wildflower meadows.
You can start recording insects and bees in your back garden as a family initiative, click on the below links to learn more about the Flower Insect Timed Count:
• Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count) » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (pollinators.ie)
• LINK: https://youtu.be/lrKqKm3dRV8
Congratulations to Joe O’Connell who was the winner of our Biodiversity Competition!
A startling one-third of Ireland’s bee species are under threat of extinction by 2030. This is very worrying as bees and other pollinators provide essential ‘services’ to us humans. They pollinate our crops and plants. Without them, we would go hungry – and our world would be a more desolate and colourless place. A very positive project to address this the threat was started right here in Ireland, called the All-Ireland Pollinor Plan (AIPP) and The Shannon Airport Group is a proud supporter of this pledge.
One of the key actions of this plan is the low mowing regime which we have started all around our Shannon Campus.
Instead of mowing lawns and verges on a weekly or fortnightly basis, they are mown just five to six times per year. The cuttings need to be lifted each time to ensure the soil is not over-fertilised, as this suppresses flowering meadow species. This cutting method creates short-flowering meadow type habitats which support pollinators. It also saves on costly labour and fuel. The floral diversity of the verges should become richer over time, transitioning from a few grasses and flowering species like Dandelion, Buttercup and Daisy, to denser patches containing more of these, plus Clovers, Selfheal, Bird’s-foot-trefoil and Ox-Eye Daisy. The type and abundance of species in each piece of land depends on what is contained within the original seed bank in the ground. It may take 2-3 years for flowers to merge fully, especially if the area has been regularly mown for a long time previously.
We’re practicing Low Mow across our Campus
PLAY VIDEO
Plan a back-to-school trip
to Paris with Aer Lingus from Shannon Airport
A new Paris service with Aer Lingus has been announced for Shannon Airport to the world-renowned international hub of Charles de Gaulle.
The service, which is available to book now, will fly twice weekly* between Shannon Airport and the City of Lights. The new service will kick off from 22nd September this year and run until January 7th 2024 before taking a short break and recommencing on March 14th to October 29th 2024.
Passengers will fly on an Airbus A321neoLR, Aer Lingus’ most sustainable aircraft delivering up to 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and close to 50% reduction in noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft.
The A321neo LR also operates Aer Lingus’ transatlantic services from Shannon direct to both New York JFK and Boston. Boasting 184 seats including 16 fully lie-flat seats, customers have the option to experience Aer Lingus’ premium seating which is part of its business class offering when flying to North America.
Vote for Our 2023/2024 Charities
After raising €70,000 for Sláinte an Chláir (Clare Cancer Support) and Children’s Health Foundation last year, our Charity Committee is asking all staff to partake in a vote to choose a national and local charity for 2023/2024.
LOCAL
An Cat Dubh Sanctuary
Clare Haven Services
Cancer Society Clare
Clare’s Wish Foundation
Clare Animal Welfare
Carrigoran House Day Centre
Children’s Grief Centre Limerick
Down Syndrome Limerick Ennis
Voices for Autism (EVA)
Limerick Animal Welfare
Milford Care Centre
Mid West Simon Community
Second Chance Animal Rescue (S.C.A.R.)
NATIONAL ALONE
Burren Chernobyl Project (CHY 13002)
Cliona’s Foundation
Hometree Charity
ISPCC Childline
Irish Cancer Awareness
Irish Cancer Society
Make-A-Wish Foundation
My Canine Companion - Autism Services
Pieta House
Peter McVerry Trust
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland
Women’s Aid
Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, Sky Dive for life
Choose 1 from each list and submit your vote via email to charities@snnairportgroup.ie or via hardcopy to the HR Department. The closing date for voting is the 21st of July at 17.00.
Summer Recipes
DRINKS
Classic Margarita
Ingredients:
55ml tequila
15ml Triple sec Orange Liqueur
30ml freshly squeezed lime juice
15ml Aguave Nectar
1 lime wedge or wheel
wedge of lime
Kosher salt
Curried spinach, eggs & chickpeas
Ingredients:
tbsp rapeseed oil
onion, thinly sliced
garlic clove, crushed
3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
tsp ground turmeric
tsp ground coriander
tsp garam masala
tbsp ground cumin
450g tomatos, chopped
400g chickpeas, drained
tsp sugar
200g spinach
2 large eggs
3 tbsp natural yogurt
red chilli, finely sliced small bunch or coriander, torn
Instructions:
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large frying pan or flameproof casserole pot over a medium heat and fry the onion for 10 mins until golden and sticky. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala, cumin and tomatoes, and fry for 2 mins more. Add the chickpeas, 100ml water and the sugar and bring to a simmer. Stir in the spinach, then cover and cook for 20-25 mins. Season to taste. .
Step 2: Cook the eggs in a pan of boiling water for 7 mins, then rinse under cold running water to cool. Drain, peel, and halve. Swirl the yogurt into the curry, then top with the eggs, chilli, and coriander. Season.
Strawberry Daiquiri
Ingredients:
500g strawberries, hulled
200g ice
100ml rum juice 1/2 lime
1-2 tbsp sugar syrup, optional
Garnish
2 slices of limes
1 strawberry, halved
2 cocktail sticks
Instructions:
STEP
2
Summer Meatballs & Spaghetti
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds
250g pork mince
large handful parsley, leaves chopped, stalks finely chopped
1 large courgette, peeled into ribbons all around the edge, centre grated or finely chopped
200g spaghetti
½a lemon, zested and juiced grated parmesan, to serve
Instructions:
STEP
Heat tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and soften for 5 mins, then add the garlic and fennel and cook for 2 mins longer. Tip into a bowl. Add the pork mince, parsley stalks and grated courgette to the bowl, season well, mix, and shape into 10 meatballs. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, add the meatballs and fry for 5-8 mins, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Set the pan aside.
STEP 2
2
Instructions (Serves 1):
1.Pour all of the liquids into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake the mixture until it is well-chilled
2.Strain your drink over some fresh ice into a rocks glass
3.Garnish it with the lime wheel and some kosher salt to taste
4.Serve in margarita glass
Blend the strawberries then push the resulting puree through a sieve to remove some of the seeds. Tip the sieved puree into the blender again and add the ice, rum, 1-2 tbsp sugar syrup depending on how sweet you like your drinks and lime juice. Blend again and divide the mixture between 2 Martini glasses.
STEP 2
Thread the lime slices and strawberry halves onto the cocktail sticks and place onto the edge of the glass, serve immediately.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for 1 min less than pack instructions. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the pan of meatballs, sloshing in some of the cooking water as you go. Add the courgette ribbons to the pan and put it back over the heat. Toss the pasta and meatballs with the courgette ribbons in the pan with a ladleful of pasta water and add the lemon juice. Season well, tip into bowls and scatter over the chopped parsley leaves, lemon zest and a generous grating of parmesan. 1
CoMotion Bike Scheme
Staff Go Free
We have available e-bikes at locations across Shannon Airport and the Shannon Free Zone business park, including the Starbucks parking lot! For our staff who would like to avail of this opportunity you can contact sustainability@snnairportgroup.ie for more information.
Employees Go Free!!
Giving back is a key feature of our company ethos so, we are delighted to announce a new CORPORATE PLAN to give FREE access to the CoMotion ebike share scheme for employees of our corporate sponsors.
FREE UNLOCKS - FREE JOURNEYS!
This initiative will power a further reduction of carbon emissions within the Shannon region and offer a viable and sustainable transport solution to staff of our sponsors. We will be able to supply individual statistical reports to each sponsor detailing the amount of users, journeys taken and CO2 saved by their staff. A list of all staff (name, mobile number, email address) wishing to avail of this new Corporate Plan can be forwarded to support@comotion.ie.
All users must first register via the CoMotion App and will be notified once their free access plan has been activated.
Upcoming Training
Negotiation Skills
Wednesday, 23rd of August: 11.00am-12.00pm
Optima Training and Consulting Ltd: Adrian Carmody
Discover your negotiation skills and learn how to craft successful decisions and agreements that achieve positive results for all parties.
Click HERE to register for this webinar.
Making Time for Fitness – Weight Loss
Wednesday, 20th of September: 11.00am-11.30am
Vhi: Tom Dalton, founder & CEO of TD Performance
This webinar will discuss the importance of keeping physically fit and provide some useful tips on weight loss and making time for fitness.
Click HERE to register for this webinar.
Recorded Training
If you missed one of our webinars, you can view the recording in the training section of Gateway.
Please find below links to some of our popular webinar recordings.
Your Employee Assistance Programme
Microsoft Outlook (Email)
Microsoft Excel (Intermediate)
Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
Summer Events in Clare 2023
Vandeleur Festival Kilrush (Free
To Visit)
Friday, 21st July, to Sunday, 23rd July, 2023
Kilrush,
West Clare
Vandeleur Walled Garden are hosting fantastic events for Vandeleur Festival Kilrush 2023, featuring incredible performers, including The Kilfenora Céilí Band.
View Profile
Kilrush Traditional Music & Set Dancing Festival
Wednesday, 2nd August to Monday, 7th August, 2023
Kilrush,
West Clare
This traditional music and dancing festival is in Kilrush. It has four free open-air Céilís in the square, displays, concerts and workshops.
View Profile
Feakle Festival of Traditional Irish Music
Wednesday, 9th August to Monday, 14th August, 2023
Feakle, East Clare
The Feakle festival is a globally renowned event on the world stage of traditional Irish music, song and dance.
View Profile
Caherconnell International Furnace Festival
CoolforKids!
August 26, 2023 → August 27, 2023
Carron, Co Clare
The creation of iron and steel from Irish iron ores. Spectacle and learning for young and old.
View Profile
THE Shannon AIRPORTGROUP�
