Lifestyle

Age Action is urging people to keep an eye on their older neighbours tomorrow night (Saturday). Justin Moran, head of advocacy and communications at Age Action, said,”Halloween can be a distressing time for many older people, especially those living alone, with people setting off bangers and fireworks or large crowds coming to the door after dark. “We would encourage people to keep an eye on your older neighbours, particularly if you are out trick-or-treating with children tomorrow night, to ensure they are not being bothered.

AWARD-winning Clare Champion photographer, John Kelly, is celebrating 25 years with the newspaper and, to mark the milestone, he will launch a special exhibition of his work on Friday, November 6 at Glór. “When I joined The Clare Champion in 1990, I remember covering the county show in the Showgrounds in Ennis and shooting 27 rolls of film. I went there and shot everything around me. Now, it’s about holding back and observing,” John said of the way his approach to photography has changed over the years. “I’ve learned now that you’re maybe watching and looking out for photographs and seeing what develops, rather than just looking at it in the moment. It’s about knowing that something can develop and putting your efforts into getting better rather then more photographs.” John said there are certain similarities between acquiring good timing as a photographer and being in the right place in a sporting context. “Someone said to me it’s like in …

Well the search is now on, as The People of the Year Awards, in partnership with The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1, are looking for that very person. Do you know someone who does extraordinary things that really make a difference to their family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues or local community? This is your chance to thank them on live TV. The team behind Ray D’Arcy Show is calling out to people all over the country to nominate their heroic partners, friends, parents, neighbours and co-workers that deserve some national recognition at the 2015 People of the Year Awards. Ireland’s Everyday Hero can be of any age, from any walk of life and from any part of Ireland but there is just one criterion. They can be the essence of community spirit, or they can be the person who puts everyone else before themselves and never asks for thanks. To nominate your hero, log on to peopleoftheyear.com or …

The Asthma Society of Ireland is urging people of all ages, with asthma and allergies, to take special care this Halloween and be mindful of the triggers that can worsen their symptoms. Hallowe’en can be a dangerous time for asthma sufferers, especially children, as there are many common triggers that will be magnified by its activities, worsening asthma symptoms. In Ireland, asthma affects one in 10 adults, and one in five children. Approximately one person a week dies as a result of asthma, yet 90% of these deaths are preventable. John Holohan, Asthma Society head of communications said, “Changes in weather, excitement and certain foods coupled with additional triggers such as smoke from bonfires and fireworks can all affect respiratory conditions, making Halloween a tricky time for asthma and allergy sufferers, especially children. Top Hallowe’en asthma tips: Make sure you or your child’s reliever (blue) is available at all times. Make sure that new Hallowe’en costumes do not contain latex. …

DUE to new legislation, it is likely over the coming months that lawyers will be required to advise their clients to consider mediation in order to resolve disputes and an Ennis-based solicitor has said the process could save a family years of pain. The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel are currently drafting the Mediation Bill which, if and when enacted, would make it mandatory for solicitors and barristers to advise parties who are in a dispute to consider resolving it using the mediation process. In circumstances where parties go to court, the Mediation Bill will also require the parties to state to the court that they have been told about the mediation process and have considered it as a way of resolving the dispute. Last July, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said there is no specific time-frame for the Bill. However, she said she expected it to become law ahead of the general election. Minister Fitzgerald said the new legislation would …

Clare storyteller Eddie Lenihan years of telling his own children stories at bedtime gave him the ultimate preparation to write children’s books on Irish mythology and folklore. Speaking to The Clare Champion at the time of the re-release of his children’s book Irish Tales of Mystery and Magic, the Crusheen man says children still love a good story. “When my own children were young, I told them bedtime stories and for whatever reason – now quite a number of years later, I don’t know why – I picked Fionn MacCumhail and the Fianna as the story at night time?” he says. “And then it went on and on and on and there’s at least 30 books I could still write based on the stories I have at home.” Eddie says they are all his original stories but are based on the Fionn MacCumhaill legend, while he maintains all the places, names, settings, characters and, of course, the Fianna. Irish Tales …

DR Brendan O’Regan is always spoken about as the most central figure in the development of Shannon, following a glittering career. On the day marking the 70th anniversary of the first transatlantic into Shannon Airport, it is appropriate to recall his invaluable contribution to the airport and the country at large. Born in Sixmilebridge in 1917, his father bought the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and urged the young Brendan to go into hotel management. He made his name managing the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon and the St Stephen’s Green Club in Dublin, before being appointed as catering comptroller at the Foynes Flying Boat base. Two years later, he was transferred to the still new Rineanna Airport and he would open the world’s first duty-free shop, selling Irish whiskey to arriving passengers. Sent to a conference on the post-war Marshall Plan, he was struck by inspiration on the way home. “Because I knew that my report for the Irish Government …

SHANNON International Airport is one of Ireland’s greatest success stories. It has had a pivotal role in the development of the Mid-West and even further afield; opening the doors to industry and employment and underpinning the economy of the region. Shannon Airport has given birth to a town of its name and helped, directly and indirectly, to support small communities, which otherwise would have slipped into oblivion. Having an international airport on our own doorstep is a huge advantage. It has set County Clare apart from other western counties, as a place where journeys begin and end, where passengers transit en route to and from far-flung places. On Thursday, May 18, 1939, the first aircraft to land at the then Rineanna Airport was the Irish Air Corps’ Aero Anson A43. Less than two months later, the first passenger aircraft landed at Rineanna on July 11, a Belgian airliner (a tri-motor Savoia Marchetti S-73 of Sabena). However, it was the first …