A new 40,000sq ft movie studio proposed for Galway Airport could create up to 200 jobs for the county.
Spiddal based Danú Media is behind the proposal to create Atlantic Studios at the Carnmore airport site.
The project has been approved to proceed to the planning stage, with an agreement in principal to lease the airport site from the city and county councils.
The initial investment in the Atlantic Studios development is expected to yield €10 to €15 million per annum to the Galway economy while creating between 150 and 200 production specific jobs.
Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, Atlantic Studios Director said “We have a strong strategic plan and vision for what it can deliver for Galway and the West and Ireland as a whole.
“This development will be crucial to fulfilling the current lack of availability of appropriate full service studio space in Ireland’s audio visual sector. Growth has been severely restricting in the sector as a result.”
The studio will be delivered in a phased basis, with the first phase involving developing the existing hangar building to provide over 40,000sq ft of film and TV studio space, along with offices and suites of support facilities.
Phase two of the development will include additional studio space, with the goal of becoming a prime location and hub for production companies, who’re focused on delivering key services to support film and TV production.
Atlantic Studios has been established by Danú Media with backing from the Western Development Commission, Údarás na Gaeltachta and a wide range of industry stakeholders, including Screen Ireland and Galway Film Centre.
It is hoped that the studio would help make Galway a key location for high scale movie and TV production in Ireland, showcasing local talent and the locations of the west of Ireland.
John Brady of Atlantic Studios went on to say, “Today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction, as Galway has a long standing history of TV and Film production.”
“The establishment of Atlantic Studios will allow us and Galway to attract large scale international projects to shoot here in the West which will also have an obvious spin off for the local economy and the tourism industry.”
“It is an exciting initiative and we look forward to progressing the plans with Galway City and County Council to bring this project to fruition and to placing Galway on the international map in 2022.”
Galway Chamber CEO Kenneth Deery also welcomed the announcement, saying that creative industries such as film and tv are “significant employers” for Galway, and praised Danú Media as “ambassadors” for the region.
“We in Galway Chamber wholeheartedly support the Atlantic Studios project, which will lead to an increase in jobs and a positive economic impact across the film and TV Sector and Galway as a whole”
