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NUMEROUS people in parts of East Clare didn’t receive a national Census form, it emerged this week. Deputy Michael McNamara has confirmed people living in Scariff, Tuamgraney, Feakle, Killaloe and rural locations near Flagmount didn’t receive a Census form, which they were required to complete on Sunday night. The Independent Deputy said it seemed there was a blanket exclusion for some rural parts of East Clare as well as those living within the urban speed limits of Scariff. “The legal obligation for people is to fill in a Census form if you are given one. Everyone should have been given a Census form. “If the government didn’t have enough enumerators, they should have sent the Census forms by post,” the TD said. “Completing the Census is important for a variety of reasons. Funding is allocated based on population. “If Shannon was a town with a population of in excess of 10,000, there would be more funding streams open to it. …

REIGNING Tidy Towns champion Ennis was the location this morning for the launch of the 2022 competition with Minister Heather Humphreys doing the honours. The Minister for Rural and Community Development was joined by Managing Director of SuperValu, Mr. Ian Allen to launch the competition which is sponspored by the supermarket chain. Speaking at the launch of the competition in Clare’s county town this morning, Minister Humphreys said, “It is wonderful to be here in Ennis, Ireland’s Tidiest Town, to launch the 2022 SuperValu TidyTowns competition. “Seeing the competition back to its normal cycle is very welcome news and no doubt thousands of TidyTowns volunteers across the country are thrilled to see the competition back in full swing. “TidyTowns groups have shown great strength in recent times and have continued to put their shoulder to the wheel in keeping our towns and villages and indeed the country, looking its best, when we needed it most.” Minister Humphreys continued, “My Department …

AN ambulance base for west Clare has been identified as a priority for HSE Mid-West and a number of possible sites are being assessed. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey says the health authority is examining sites in Kilrush for suitability. Deputy Carey, a long-time advocate of an improved ambulance service for West Clare, raised the issue in a recent parliamentary question to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. He has since been informed by National ambulance Deputy Director William Merriman that a new ambulance base in Kilrush has been identified as a priority. “An option appraisal of sites in the Kilrush area is currently under way and a capital submission will be prepared with detailed briefing document, programme and costs once an appropriate site has been identified,” Mr Merriman explained. Describing the response as a positive development, Deputy Carey said that he would now be asking the HSE to move ahead with the next phase of the project without delay. “The …

Gardaí are appealing to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 40-year-old Thomas Gattringer. Thomas was last seen in the Liscannor area of Clare on Sunday, April 3 at approximately 4.30pm. Thomas is described as being 5’ 9” in height, with a medium build, black hair and brown eyes. When last seen, Thomas was wearing a distinctive yellow and orange jacket with green and white stripes. He was also wearing dark trousers. Gardaí and Thomas’s family are concerned for his wellbeing. Anyone with information on Thomas’s whereabouts is asked to contact Ennistymon Garda Station 065 707 2180 on the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

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 …