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WHILE Shannon Airport has faced numerous crises over the last 20 years, one of its steady sources of revenue has been the ongoing business provided by the US military. How clearly this military use meant the alignment of Ireland with US policies has been hotly debated, with many protestors arguing it has left Ireland implicated in numerous human rights abuses, while successive Governments have argued neutrality is not compromised. Every Government that has allowed the US military use has been led by either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, but as time goes by it looks like that may not happen after the next election, with opinion polls showing Sinn Féin are likely to be the biggest party. The party is a staunch critic of the US military use of the airport, and while other parties have raised concerns before entering Government, if Sinn Féin does enter government it is very likely to be as the senior rather than junior party …

The importance of locally-produced food has been underlined by the pandemic, says St Tola’s Siobhán Garvey tells Conor Clohessy FROM fresh crottin to classic logs, Greek style to hard, Siobhán Ní Gháirbhith and the team at Inagh Farmhouse Cheese have been producing St Tola Goat Cheese for well over 20 years. Near the village of Inagh, St Tola was originally established by Meg and Derrick Gordan on their 25-acre farm in the early 1980s; since 1999, Siobhán has been continuing their legacy on her own farm, which she inherited from her parents. Siobhán recalls buying goat’s milk from the Gordans growing up, because her family would use it as a home treatment for the asthma that her sisters Róisín and Sinéad suffered with from an early age. She said: “I was a primary school teacher in Galway and my parents were also teachers, leasing out our land to neighbours. I thought it was a pity we weren’t using the land. …

COUNCILLOR Joe Garrihy has called on Clare County Council and partners Fáilte Ireland to focus as a priority on the regeneration and investment in the towns and villages of North Clare included in the Burren Discovery Trail, writes Conor Clohessy. The towns of Corofin, Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna are key, Councillor Garrihy stated, to the survival and sustainability of living communities, heritage and services associated with their adjacent rural catchments. He claimed they are in urgent need of focus and investment while the current opportunities of funding and objectives of the “Our Rural Future” are available. Councillor Garrihy added that while he supports and appreciates all of the beautiful projects happening around Clare, he worries that most are south of Ennistymon, and has a deep concern for the state of anything north of that. “Unfortunately, you’ll find a lot of town centre dereliction in these areas, and a lot of identity that has been lost for many, many years due to …

A BURGLAR in Ennis flew the coop after making off with some pigeons, and gardaí are appealing to anybody with information to contact them. At approximately 9pm on Thursday, February 3 a male was seen jumping the rear wall of a house in the Lenabeg estate on Drumcliffe Road. A short time later he got back over the wall carrying a black bin bag. When the owner returned home he realised that five pigeons had been stolen from their coop at the rear of his house. This is just one of a number of burglaries to occur in recent weeks which gardaí across the county are investigating. In Kilrush between 6pm Monday, January 31 and 12 midnight on Tuesday, February 1 the rear window of a house in Place de Plouzane, Kilrush was smashed. Entry was gained to the house and a number of electronic items including a black Sony laptop, a Samsung S7 mobile phone, a Huawei mobile and …

A 25-year-old man arrested in Shannon airport following an alleged incident aboard an airplane is due to make his second court appearance this week, writes Ronan Judge. Ioan Remi Makula, with an address at Fearran Rí, Doughiska, Galway, appeared before a special sitting of Ennis district court on Saturday. Judge Mary Larkin remanded Makula in custody to appear again in court on February 9, via video link. Makula is charged with a single offence contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport act. The charge alleges that on a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Shannon on February 4, 2022, Makula engaged in behaviour of a threatening, abusive or insulting nature whether by word or gesture with intent to cause a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might have been occasioned. Garda Chris Healy of Shannon Garda station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He told the court Makula made no reply …

THE newest fully qualified member Lough Derg RNLI’s lifeboat crew has told how good it feels to be able to help others, as the organisation urges others to volunteer and get involved. Following his final assessment with Helena Duggan, RNLI Assessor/Trainer, earlier this month, Tom Hayes has been passed out as a fully qualified lifeboat crew member with Lough Derg RNLI.   Encouraged by volunteer helm, Dom Sharkey, Tom joined the station first as a Deputy Launching Authority, a responsibility he held for two years.  The role of Deputy Launching Authority is central to operations within all RNLI lifeboat stations, as they make the decision to launch the lifeboat when a request is made by the Coast Guard to do so. Once the decision to launch is made, crew pagers are activated and both lifeboat crew and shore crew immediately travel to the station to attend to the call out.  Watching volunteers train and launch on ‘shouts’, and encouraged by Liam Maloney, …

CLARE gardai have issued a renewed appeal for witnesses to an incident in Lahinch in October when a man was struck by a horse, whose rider subsequently left the scene. The incident occurred between 2.20pm and 2.25pm on Sunday, October 24, 2021 when a male in his forties was struck by a horse while walking on Lahinch beach close to O Brien’s Bridge, which is located at the Liscannor side of Lahinch Beach. There was a young girl in her late teens with the horse. It is believed that the horse and the girl left in the direction of Liscannor. The gentleman received medical attention as a result of this. Local enquiries have been conducted but the identity of the horse and jockey remain unknown. An appeal is being made for any witnesses who may have any information to assist with the identification of the horse/ jockey or any transport that was used to contact Ennistymon Garda Station on 7072180.

THERE was a large attendance of Oireachtas members and councillors at the recent pyrite protest in Ennis when politicians were warned that their seats could hang in the balance if redress isn’t provided soon. They could also face a further challenge in the form of election candidates standing on the issue of pyrite redress. Deputy Cathal Crowe told The Champion the frustration of homeowners was “very understandable”. “We have to respect where they are coming from,” he said. “They’re slowly watching their homes fall around them and with each month, the structure of their home deteriorates further.” In relation to a meeting with Minister Darragh O’Brien which was cancelled, at short notice, last week, Deputy Crowe was confident it would be rescheduled. “I’m in constant contact with Minister Darragh O’Brien and also with the redress group here in Clare,” he said. “Minister O’Brien made a firm commitment in Mary Hanley’s front lawn in August last year and he stands over …