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Aer Lingus has announced that its Shannon / New York JFK service will operate year-round in 2019. Shannon is set to operate it largest Transatlantic service in 17 years with eight transatlantic services operated by six different carriers across seven destinations from Shannon in 2018. Matthew Thomas, Shannon Group CEO said, “We are delighted that Aer Lingus will be operating a New York / Shannon service year-round in 2019. With 40% of US foreign direct investment in Ireland within Shannon’s catchment area, this is great news for our business community, and makes our region much more attractive for future US FDI.” Andrew Murphy, managing director, Shannon Airport said, “We welcome the decision by Aer Lingus to restore it year-round New York service, which will benefit the business community and leisure travellers who will have more options to avail of onward connections to over 90 destinations at the JFK airport, JetBlue’s largest hub airport.” Describing the Shannon / New York JFK …

THEY may have already taken a step but a group of Ennis students are now hoping that, with some help, they will be able to take a giant leap towards a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Six students from St Flannan’s College in Ennis have taken second place in an international competition, run by US space agency NASA, for their plans for a ‘space elevator’. The fifth-year students now have an opportunity to attend a conference in Los Angeles, featuring some of the biggest names in space exploration, including former astronauts and the founder of Amazon, Jeff Benzos, who is developing technologies to allow for space tourism. However, in order for them to reach for the stars, the students have yet another out-of-this-world task to accomplish, with €12,000 in funding needed in order to take the trip. They are hopeful that a sponsor might come on board and support them in making their dream trip a reality. Students George Harrington, Cyrus Gillan, Micheal …

FOLLOWING the death of Winnie Mandela on Easter Monday, former airport police officer John O’Halloran recalled a stopover she made at Shannon Airport in 1990. It was shortly after her husband’s release from 27 years of imprisonment, and the visit was quite unexpected. “At the time this photo was taken she was due to come to Ireland about a month later on an official visit,” says John. He ended up with the first photos of Mrs Mandela taken here with her husband. “He [Nelson Mandela] was on a tour of a handful of nations around the world. He had gone from Johannesburg, arrived in Rome, stayed there for a while and he was going to Ottowa in Canada. “On the way they were running low on fuel and they diverted into Shannon unexpectedly. On the day I was in charge of Airport Police and I didn’t call anyone in, we looked after them while they were there.” John added, “She …

THE University Maternity Hospital in Limerick is one step closer to providing water births as it plans to introduce a water immersion service for labour by the end of May. Although it will not be offering water births, the new immersion service will be offered for the first time in Limerick as part of a range of labour supports in the home-birthing room to facilitate natural labour. Although UMHL has said water birthing will not take place at the hospital yet, the facilities provided will bring the hospital closer to providing that service in the future. Currently just one hospital in the country offers a water birthing option – the Coombe in Dublin. This is available to pregnant women presenting between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy with no medical, surgical or obstetrical risk factors or complications. At present, the pool at the Coombe is reserved for women who consent to participate in the hospital’s research study, ‘Use of water …

Corofin man Joe Killen takes over as the new president of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation today (Wednesday) at their annual congressin Killarney. Joe Killeen, who is principal in Lough Cutra NS, Gort since 1987began his teaching career at Kiltrusten NS, Strokestown, County Roscommon. Joe became Gort Branch Secretary in 1987 and represented Gort INTO Branch and District 6 of the INTO (Galway/Roscommon) for over 20 years. In 2008 he was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the union to represent INTO District 6. He represented District 6 on the Small Schools Task Force set up in 2012 by the union to advise the executive on opposing proposals by the Department of Education and Skills to close small schools. Joe is also actively involved in a range of community, rural, cultural and sporting organisations. He comes to the role at a time of industial unrest among primary and secondary teachers over pay inequality.

Gardaí investigating a single car crash which occurred in Ennis on Easter Sunday have confirmed that there has been a second fatality. Teenager Oisín Cahill was pronounced dead at approximately 4.20am when the car he was travelling in struck the wall of the Woodstock View housing estate on the outskirts of Ennis. Gardaí have confirmed today [Tuesday] that his cousin, Darragh Killeen lost his fight for life at University Hospital Limerick at approximately 3pm. Their friend Enda Hickey remains in hospital in critical condition. All three were from the Clonfeigh area in Inch. The parish of Kilmaley was left trying to come to terms with the tragic accident. On Tuesday morning a special mass was offered in a packed Connolly Church for Oisín. Fr Pat Larkin PP asked all present to support and pray for all the families involved. “I’m asking all in the parish and beyond to stand shoulder to shoulder over the coming days and weeks,” he said. …

Property prices in Clare have risen by almost €5,000 in the first three months of the year. The latest MyHome.ie Property Report, in association with Davy, for Q1 2018 shows that the median asking price for a property in the county now stands at €175,000. This is up €5,000 or 2.9% on the level it was at, at the end of 2017. Year-on-year prices are also up by the same amount leaving asking prices back at a level they were last at in Q3 2012. Despite the increases, the asking price of a three-bed semi-detached house in the county fell slightly by 0.03% in the first quarter of this year to €149,950. Despite this minor fall, prices remain 5.2% ahead of where they were a year ago when the asking price for a three-bed semi in the county was €142,500. While the asking price of three beds remained almost unchanged, the price of four-bed semi-detached homes in Clare continued to …

Gardaí in Ennis are investigating a single vehicle fatal road traffic collision that occurred at Woodstock, Shanaway Road, Ennis, in the early hours of this morning, Easter Sunday. At approximately 4.20am  a male passenger (18 years) was fatally injured when the car he was in, hit a wall directly oppposite Woodstock Hotel. The other occupants, the driver and passenger (both young men, 19 and 21 years) were seriously injured and were removed to University Hospital Limerick. None of the three young men has been named. Garda forensic collision investigators are on the since, where the vehicle is screened off, and there are some diversions. Gardaí are appealing to any persons or motorists who may have witnessed the collision to contact them at Ennis Garda Station on 065 – 6848100, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.