Shannon

HOUSING Minister Darragh O’Brien has announced draft legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes with fire safety defects constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Government is also set to cover costs already incurred, which is good news for owners of property at Bru na Sionna in Shannon; more than five years ago it emerged that works costing €4 million were required there. Clare TD Cathal Crowe said that it is a very welcome development for the property owners who were shocked to find that their homes hadn’t been built to the required standard.  “Today marks a major step in ensuring that the owners of the apartments in Bru na Sionna receive the remediation that they have long asked for,” said Deputy Crowe. “In a 2017 inspection, an inspection of the development identified serious defects, which caused serious concern among the owners about how the €4 million bill would be footed. “The scheme approved today will help to protect …

PEACE group Shannonwatch held its first protest of 2023 last Sunday. Spokesman John Lannon said that the monthly protests will continue throughout 2023. “The conditions at Shannon are still the same. There are US military planes landing and taking off, in particular the troop carriers are coming through, there are other planes as well. “There has been no response from the authorities or the Government to all the requests we have made over the years for proper inspections, for information about what’s on the planes and where they are going, so the protests will continue.” There were relatively small numbers there last weekend, but he said that is usually the case at the start of the year. “January is always a poor month in terms of turnout. I can’t remember how many we had there, I think there were 10-15. “The protests have been ongoing since January 2008, with the exception of the months during the Covid lockdown when congregations …

MET Éireann’s annual report for 2022 showed Shannon’s mean temperature was 0.5 degrees above the long term average, reflecting global warming trends. According to its findings Shannon had 3% less rainfall than its long term average, while enjoying 1501 hours of sunshine, 15% above average. There were some especially notable temperatures recorded Shannon this year, including its highest July temperature on record, when 30.8 degrees was recorded. The highest August temperature on record at Shannon was also recorded (30.0 degrees) and the highest minimum temperature ever seen in Ireland during November was recorded at Shannon as the temperature never dipped below 14.9 degrees on Friday, November 14. The report stated that Ireland’s warming trend continued in 2022, and we are warming in line with the global average. It noted that other countries are warming at a greater rate than Ireland and the summer of 2022 saw multiple heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures across Europe and around the world. The spring and …

THERE WAS good news for Clare this Monday with the announcement of 25 new jobs and the promise of more to come from Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon (LTTS). Announcing the further expansion of its business in Ireland with the opening of a new 2,000 M2 facility and the creation of 25 jobs in Shannon, LTTS said it was responding to significant worldwide increase in demand for its services. LTTS, a subsidiary of Germany’s Lufthansa Technik AG, is experiencing the increase market demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for aircraft engines and components following the recovery of the aviation sector after the Covid-19 pandemic. LTTS has been operating in Ireland since 1992 and employs more than 300 people in Shannon, Kildare and Dublin. The current expansion plans mean that the company urgently needs 25 highly skilled aircraft mechanics who will be based at its new facility in the mid-west, working on state-of-the-art aviation technology and equipment. It is expected …

NIALL has left the building. After 41 years at Shannon Airport, many of them as its operations director, Niall Maloney has now retired. Always hugely enthusiastic about his work and the success of Shannon, this week he said he had really enjoyed his career. “It has been a wonderful experience. Would I want to do it again? I’d absolutely do it again. I loved the airport, loved my job, but I knew it was time to move on. It’s about energy, about new thought processes. I really wish Niall Kerins well as the new director.” Shannon airport has been at the heart of the Maloney family, with Niall’s father working there before him, having been headhunted by Dr Brendan O’Regan in the early 1950s. Niall’s own career started there in the early 1980s. “I was very fortunate that I got a temporary job in the airport in 1981. I thought I was going to be there for six months but …

SHANNON Municipal District has introduced a new piece of inclusive playground equipment to the Tír na nÓg playground. The Ability Swing is suitable for children who use a wheelchair and it comprises a wheelchair platform and swing frame. The enclosed wheelchair swing is positioned near to the centre of the playground and can be exclusively opened by an independent access key, making it very safe and secure for users. Councillor Michael Begley, Cathaoirleach of Shannon Municipal District, said, “This fully fenced playground is a great choice for children of all age groups and, with the recent addition of the Ability Swing, Shannon Municipal District is very proud of the facility. The provision of high-quality play options is fundamental for all the children using our playgrounds.” This additional piece of playground equipment will enhance the existing play facilities which includes a soft flooring play surface throughout and more than 12 other different pieces of equipment. The playground also incorporates a sensory …

STEEPED in musical heritage, 25-year-old Hazel Park has chased her dream, and is now living it. After spending a few years teaching, she left education to go to London for an MA in Musical Theatre Performance and is starting her first professional role this week, playing Tinkerbell in the pantomime Peter Pan at University Concert Hall Limerick. She told the Clare Champion that Shannon Musical Society has been a big part of her life and her family. “My grandparents actually founded the society, my family have been in it over the years and I joined when I was 18.” Hazel has also been involved with Muse Productions and the Ennis Musical Society, while she was nominated for Best Female Singer in the Association of Irish Musical Societies Awards in 2020. She has always wanted to get into musical theatre as a professional, but didn’t go into it straight after the Leaving Cert. “It was always in the back of my …

A NEW multi-million euro College of Further Education campus in Shannon incorporating a national centre of excellence for aviation will form part of a €1bn investment in the region over five years by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. The announcement of the €1bn investment was made at the launch in Shannon Airport of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board’s new five-year strategy. Setting out its vision to enhance the quality of learning and life in the region, Strategy Statement 2022 – 2026 outlines the role the ETB will play over the five years of the plan. This includes fulfilling the personal, social, economic and employability needs of the community it serves. The launch took place at Shannon Airport and was attended by the ETB Senior Management Team, ETB staff and invited guests, including Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins TD, and other public representatives. Speaking at the launch, George O’Callaghan, Chief Executive, highlighted …