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A TRANSATLANTIC jet has made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport after suffering an engine problem off the south coast this morning. This is the second time in less than a fortnight that a United Airlines flight travelling from the U.S. to Europe was forced to make an emergency diversion to Shannon. This morning, a United Airlines flight UA-52 was travelling from Washington in the United States to Zurich, Switzerland with 126 passengers and crew on board. Shortly after 5am, as the Boeing 767-300 jet was passing south of Ireland, the crew declared an emergency reporting an issue with the aircraft’s left engine. As the flight was rerouting towards Shannon, emergency procedures were being implemented at the airport. Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Shannon and Enns stations were mobilised to the Shannon in support of the airport’s own fire and rescue crews. National Ambulance Service paramedics and Gardaí were also dispatched to the scene as part …

THE incidence of Covid-19 in Ennis has jumped 56% above the national average prompting a nursing union to call for the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing. The 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 has almost doubled in the Ennis area over the past week. There were 469 cases of Covid-19 in the Ennis Local Electoral Area (LEA) from March 1 to March 14. This translates into a 14-day incidence rate of 1,517, which was much higher than the national average of 1,188. Since then, the number of Covid-19 cases in the Ennis LEA has jumped to 885, and the 14-day incidence is 2,863 compared to the national average of 1,871 from March 15 to March 28. Apart from the Ennistymon LEA where the 14-day incidence is 1,657 following the detection of 272 cases during this period, the 14-day rate is higher than the national average in other parts of the county. There were 399 cases recorded in the Kilrush LEA during …

A NUMBER of Nigerian people who were living in Kyiv until a few weeks ago are now being accommodated in the West County Hotel. On Friday two of them, a 28-year-old female doctor and a male marine biologist of the same age said that they have had a fantastic welcome to the Banner. While neither wished to be named publicly, both said that the people of Clare have shown a lot of empathy, and done whatever they could to make them comfortable here.  Both originally went to Ukraine to study, and the woman said that it was possible to receive a very high standard of education there, at a reasonable cost. “Studying medicine in Ukraine is quite affordable compared to other European countries or in America, the tuition is much cheaper.” Her friend agreed, “Studying in Ukraine is quite affordable, and in the field of marine engineering they have some of the best universities, they have a very good reputation.” …

Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship Round 1 Limerick 3-7 Clare 0-15 A dream start descended into a nightmare at the death as Clare were agonisingly pipped at the post by Limerick in the opening round of the Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship in the TUS Gaelic Grounds, writes Eoin Brennan. Leading for the the last 45 minutes, Clare appeared to have weathered the storm on the field and in the skies to keep a frustrated Limerick at arm’s length. However, with only seconds remaining of the four minutes of injury-time, a foul on Colin Coughlan saw Cathal O’Neill step up to rifle a 25 metre free through a crowded goalmouth to the net before the senior pair also combined from the restart for O’Neill to subsequently add the winning point. It was a cruel twist in the tale for a Clare side that had displayed the greater hunger and application for the majority. Crucially however, they failed to convert any …

THE people of Clare will once again walk together in solidarity from ‘Darkness Into Light’ this year as the popular event in aid of Pieta returns to in-person walks on May 7. This year’s walk will launch on Thursday evening, April 7, in the Temple Gate Hotel with Davy Fitzgerald and Aoibhin Garrihy there to show their support. Representatives from all Darkness into Light walks within County Clare will also be at the launch. Plans are underway for events in Ennis, Shannon, Sixmilebridge and Kilmihil in the early hours of May 7, while a swim will also be held in Spanish Point with June Curtin. Darkness Into Light had its first walk in Ennis in 2011 with 550 people participating, growing to over 3,500 in 2019. The 2020 walk was cancelled due to Covid-19, and last year a virtual event was held. This year’s Darkness Into Light will be a hybrid event, with the return of in-person walks alongside the …

This was the Éire Óg senior football championship medal presentation parsed down to just ten words on Saturday night as a bumper crowd of over 250 people attended the club’s celebration of the 2021 Jack Daly Cup success, their first in the blue riband of Clare football since 2006. The Galway Tenors whipped the crowd with a rousing rendition of Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’, just as the guest of honour on the night Marty Morrissey did. And there was more, as the master of ceremonies in former inter-county referee Rory Hickey, who swapped his whistle for a microphone, was at his exuberant best as the Townies toasted their championship success long into the night and early morning on the Gort Road. “This is what we play for, get involved in management and support the club for,” the Townies’ manager Paul Madden told The Clare Champion. “We love the club and want to be successful. We managed that in 2021 …

ACTIVE Travel projects are transforming pedestrian and cyclist access in West Clare, a recent meeting of the municipal district has heard. However, some works cannot proceed until aspects of the design of the West Clare Greenway have been ironed out.  In response to a question from Councillor Shane Talty, members were updated on a range of projects across the area. Seeking the update, Councillor Talty said he regularly receives questions about “projects which have been announced but not seen”. “I fully understand that these are in the pipeline and the Active Travel project have massive visibility,” he said. “My only concern is that some of them are contingent on the Greenway, which is still a number of years away.” In a written response to the motion, Senior Executive Officer (SE), John O’Malley provided an update on range of works on paths, crossings and lighting installations.  Mr O’Malley’s response noted that Active Travel is a five-year programme of funding which began …

CLARE County Council has announced that the main street in Ennis will be closed to traffic for a period each day from this Friday to facilitate temporary pedestrianisation. The Council indicated on Twitter that O’Connell Street, Ennis, will be closed to traffic from O’Connell Square to the junction with Station Road, Friday, April 8, from 11:30am to 5pm, Monday-Sunday, seven days per week, to facilitate the introduction of temporary pedestrianisation. This road closure will remain in place until the commencement of the Ennis Public Realm Works, currently anticipated to commence on Monday, May 9, 2022. There will be no through road from Abbey Street to O’Connell Street for the duration of the closure. Diversion will be at O’Connell Square, at the junction of Bank Place and O’Connell Square.