News and Media Releases
Appointment of Christy Loftus as Mayo External Affairs Advisor
13/02/2006
Well known Mayo journalist, Mr Christy Loftus, has been appointed by Shell E&P Ireland (SEPIL) as an external affairs advisor in Mayo. Christy will take up duties in early March and will work out of the company’s main office in Bangor.
A native of Newport, Christy has worked in the provincial media sector for more than three decades, most recently working with the Western People newspaper in Castlebar over the past twenty-eight years. Christy has served as Cathaoirleach for the Irish Executive Council of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and also served a term as President of the Union from 1999-2000.
Christy has been deeply involved in community development work in Mayo throughout his life. He is a former Secretary and Chairman of Mayo GAA Board, a founding member and chairman of the South West Mayo Development Company, and a member of the Board of Meitheal Mhaigh Eo. Christy was also a member of the Mayo 2000 lobby group who campaigned in the late 1990s to bring the Corrib gas find ashore in Mayo and lobbied for Objective One status for the western counties.
Christy is a member of the Mayo County Community Forum, a member of Mayo County Council’s Housing Strategic Policy Committee and stood, unsuccessfully, as an Independent candidate for Mayo County Council in the Westport area elections in June 2002.
Commenting on his appointment to the Corrib Gas Project, Christy Loftus said, “I have been a supporter of bringing Corrib gas ashore in Mayo since the find was first discovered. To say that the project is bogged down at the moment is a major understatement. Shell recognises that it has a huge amount of work to do to re-build the trust and confidence of the people in Rossport and the wider community in Erris. I hope I can play some role in helping to restore trust, re-build relationships and support Shell’s goal to work in partnership with the local community.”