Rain hits €10M Shannon Pot opening

The opening of the long-awaited €10 million Shannon Pot Discovery Centre has been push back by several months, partly due to weather-related difficulties, the Celt can reveal.

Backed by Fáilte Ireland as a flagship development under its Hidden Heartlands brand, the landmark tourist attraction won’t open to the public until late summer at the earliest, despite hopes of an earlier launch.

The centre, located at the very source of Ireland’s longest river, promises to tell the epic story of the Shannon through geography, history and mythology, featuring a state-of-the-art immersive exhibition and interpretive space. Visitors can also expect a full reception area, café, retail shop, public amenities and a newly developed 500-metre walking trail.

However, progress on site has proven slower than hoped.

“The Shannon Pot project is not going as fast as we’d like,” admitted Brendan Jennings, Director of Services with Cavan County Council.

Mr Jennings revealed that the contractor, PJ Treacy & Sons, has encountered “a few problems” - not least the challenge of building on a site that is partially “under water” for part of the year.

“That doesn’t help,” the council official told the Celt.

Despite setbacks, Mr Jennings struck a cautiously optimistic note, stressing that the council is giving the project intensive attention.

“There are a lot of meetings, a lot of on-sites.

We’re giving it a lot of attention, just trying to speed it up and support the contractor as best we can.”

Originally pencilled in for early to mid-2026, the completion date has shifted again and is now expected “more towards the end of the summer”, though Mr Jennings acknowledged that timelines remain fluid.

Once construction is completed, the next major phase is the installation of the interactive and immersive elements - a process he said will take “quite a number of months”.

“There are numerous challenges facing every project happening in Ireland, but we’re working through those and we’re looking forward positively at what can be done,” he added.

Some progress has been made, with sections of the new recreational trails leading down to the pot already completed.

The sod was officially turned on the project last July by then Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Thomas Byrne.

A new board of directors met for the first time in May 2025, and once operational, the centre will be run by an independent company.

The development also includes significant upgrades at nearby Cavan Burren Park, including a unique sky walk through the trees offering dramatic views across Ireland’s largest Neolithic relict landscape, a new outdoor performance space and expanded parking facilities.

The Shannon Pot lies within the Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark, jointly managed by Cavan County Council and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

Cavan County Council is delivering the project with €7.4M in funding from Fáilte Ireland under its Platforms for Growth Investment Grants Scheme for Immersive Heritage and Cultural Attractions, alongside €2.6M from the council’s own coffers.

The investment is expected to be transformative, with projections suggesting it could generate over €30M in visitor spend, and attract more than 600,000 visitors by 2036.

There is also the potential to create 10 new local jobs.

For comparison, the Shannon Pot currently attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors annually, with similar numbers visiting the Burren Park; while the Stairway to Heaven boardwalk draws around 200,000 visitors each year.