Forde sorry for tweets as shannon role is withdrawn
AARON FORDE, the former CEO of Sligo-headquartered argi co-op Aurivo, has apologised for the Twitter comments which led to him losing the post of chairperson of Shannon Group Plc, to which he was going to be appointed.
It was announced on Tuesday that Mr Forde, a native of Cavan who has been living in Ballygawley for many years, was to be appointed as the new chair of the company which runs Shannon airport, a property business and tourist attractions, including Bunratty Castle in Co. Clare.
However, on Tuesday night, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, who had earlier announced the appointment, then announced that he would not be going ahead with the appointment, which was to have been for five years. A spokesperson for Mr Ryan said: “In a phone conversation this evening Mr Ryan indicated that Mr Forde’s use of social media was below the standard expected of the chair of a state board.”
Mr Ryan was referring to a number of comments by Mr Forde on his Twitter account, which had come to light, which criticised the Traveller community, social welfare recipients, the Green Party and the Tanáiste Leo Varadkar.
It has been reported that the Twitter account has since been deleted.
Mr Forde wrote to Mr Ryan on Tuesday night and said: “Further to our conversation this evening, I have reflected on my position and decided to withdraw from my appointment as chairperson of Shannon Group Plc.
“I wish to apologise unreservedly for remarks I made on Twitter which have become the subject of focus. The language used in a particular Tweet was wrong, insensitive and needless. I am truly sorry.”
He said he wanted to “apologise to people from the Traveller community”. He added that he wanted to also “apologise to you personally and your government colleagues for the inconvenience and distraction this has caused at what is a crucial time for the country.” “Throughout my over 30-year career to date, I have always strived to contribute professionally and thoughtfully in everything I do.
“As those who know me best will attest to, I am a passionate believer in the economic and social advancement of the country and the important contribution we can all make.”
Mr Forde was chief executive of Aurivo for 16 years, stepping down from the post in 2019. He had also served as chairman of dairy company Ornua from 2013 to 2019 and was also involved with the Sligo Economic Forum, IBEC, MidWest Radio and the external advisory board of IT Sligo. He also is a non-executive director with a number of private companies and An Bord Iascaigh Mhara.