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Breaking News

No grounding high-flying Clare aviation company

EMPLOYMENT in a Shannon aviation company will more than treble over a six year-period from this Friday when a new takeover of a neighbouring business takes off. Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) employs 320 in its existing hangar, 120 in its UK base and will take on about 300 new employees from Lufthansa Technik. The new hangar, which is almost three times the size of the AAG building, can accommodate nine narrow body Ryanair sized aircraft or two wide body and four narrow body aircraft. Back in April 2015, when investor Patrick Jordan bought the company it was employing about 217. Revenue have grown from €15 million to a projected figure of €80 million by the end of the year, with AAG chief executive, Shane O’Neill expecting growth to more than €100 million over the coming years. Barring some unexpected major setback, Mr O’Neill believes overall employment could increase up to 1,000 in a few years. AAG services, maintains and repairs …

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Clare jockey’s point-to-point domination continues

Derek O’Connor continues to dominate on the point-to-point scene and the Tubber jockey partnered two winners at the recent Tipperary Foxhounds’ fixture at Lisronagh. The first race at the Clonmel venue was the Goffs UK Aintree Sale four-year-old maiden. Nine faced the starter here and it was fitting that O’Connor – who is Irish agent for Goffs UK – should take the spoils when guiding the impressive Act Of Authority to victory. Trained in County Kilkenny by Ellmarie Holden, this son of Authorized, who was one of seven debutantes in the nine-runner field, went off 2/1 favourite. Sent to the head of affairs after half-a-mile, Act Of Authority stayed on well in the closing stages to repel the challenge of fellow first-timer Jet Smart by two lengths. A €145K store purchase at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale, the winner is now more than likely to come under the hammer at the upcoming Aintree Sale. Half-an-hour later, O’Connor completed his …

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Clare’s Demyd speaking up for his Ukrainian compatriots

WITH many of his fellow countrymen and women arriving in Clare, 24-year-old Demyd Yatsenko now spends much of his time helping translate their requests. Originally from Chernigov in the north of Ukraine, Demyd moved here with his family 17 years ago.  Demyd’s family home is in Ballynacally, while he now lives in Ennis. He holds an accounting degree and works for Pepper in Shannon and has been pleased to be able to help the arriving refugees. “When they started to come over I was probably one of the few people in the area that can speak the language, so I just starting putting up messages saying I’d help if I could. “People have been sending me lists of medicines they need, for instance, people write down lists and they get sent to me to explain what they are. “One woman was looking for blood thinners but she had no clue how to explain that to anyone. I was down in …

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Power of good training opened up world to John

THE stark differences between the green landscape of the Loop Head Peninsula and the concrete jungle of urban India was graphically illustrated for John Bonfil during an overseas work assignment. In July 1992, the Moneypoint Power Generating Station mechanical fitter was offered an “opportunity of a lifetime” to work for ESB International Engineering on an 11-week secondment for the construction of a coal plant similar to the Killimer plant in India. The ESB’s equivalent in India, National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) needed a mechanical engineer with experience of working in a coal burning station to oversee the commissioning of their new ash handling project. Before his departure from Moneypoint, for what proved to be a “great experience” John received a company letter advising him to bring a number of items for his long trip. These included three notebooks, one clutch pencil with leads, two pairs of gloves, markers, three car magazines, one Irish Times, five bars of chocolate, five …

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Clare star reflects on happy school days and future goals

Gort Community School held its deferred 25 years of GAA celebration event recently. Ivan Smyth spoke to Clare senior hurler Patrick O’Connor about his fond memories in the school and his hopes for the county side. GORT Community School recently celebrated the many excellent hurlers and camogie players that have come through the doors of the school, since it opened on September 4, 1995, the day after Clare beat Offaly to be crowned All Ireland champions. The Transition Year students hosted the event with numerous awards handed out. Also on the night the 25th Anniversary All-Star Hurling and Camogie Teams compromising of past students from the school was announced. The hurling team saw two Clare men make the cut. Tubber’s Ronan Taaffe was named in goal while Patrick O’Connor was selected at wing back. Aidan Harte, who was part of the St. Joseph’s Tulla management team, was also named on the team. Other notable names included Galway hurlers Shane Cooney, …

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Clare children’s art under judges’ eyes for Texaco competition

THE judging process for this year’s Texaco Children’s Art Competition is well underway with many entries from Clare under consideration. These youngsters are following in the footsteps of leading Irish artists who took part during their early lives – renowned figures such as Graham Knuttel, Robert Ballagh, Dorothy Cross and Bernadette Madden. Winners in the seven age categories, including one exclusively for artworks by young artists with special needs, will be announced in late May. Currently in its 68th year, the Texaco Children’s Art Competition is the longest-running art sponsorship in Ireland. First held in 1955, it is hosted by Valero Energy (Ireland) limited – the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.

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Late Kilkee man was a fount of genealogical knowledge

“WHEN an old man dies, a library burns”. This saying was certainly true with the death on March, 21, 2002, at 12.30am, of Michael Falvey. Born on April 3, 1924, Michael spent most of his life working on the family farm in Kilkee. The Falveys ran a dairy, delivering milk to the people of Kilkee and surrounding areas.     He left Kilkee Lower for a short period to take up employment in the midlands with Bórd na Móna where Michael kept payment records for the workers. But he soon returned to his native place. In full health, Michael was a regular traveller by bus and ship to his brother Tommy and family in Birmingham. A proud father, he looked forward to visits and phone calls from his family at home and abroad and loved to follow their life journey and careers. A keen genealogist and founder member of Clare Roots Society, Michael had an exceptional brain for tracing families …

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Lions Club PHEW appeal aims to bring relief to families in need

THE latest fundraising initiative by Ennis Lions Club aims to fuel support for vulnerable local families who are facing the desperate choice between being able to pay for food or heat their homes. With homes across the country benefiting from the government’s €200 energy credit the Lions Club is urging those who do not need the payment to donate it towards supporting families in need. The local chapter has launched its aptly named PHEW (Poverty, Help, Energy, Waiver) appeal to bring relief to struggling families coping with rising fuel costs. Tommy Murphy of Ennis Lions Club explains that while many people welcome the €200 rebate and it will give short-term relief for increasing costs, a lot of families do not need the payment. The Lions Club in Ennis is supporting up to 50 families locally and sees first-hand the effect that fuel poverty is having. The group hopes that those who do not need all, or even some, of the …

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