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Liz Constantinescu tells Jessica Quinn about her breast cancer journey and the importance of being vigilant LIZ Constantinescu recalls the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer, leaving the hospital and looking blankly at the parking ticket machine, her mind racing and wondering what had just happened. The Ennis mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 told The Clare Champion how her life was saved by a local GP and has urged women to ‘Care For Your Pair’ by being breast aware and checking their breasts regularly. Liz was diagnosed with breast cancer when her youngest child was just two years of age. Her mother had had breast cancer 25 years ago, and her fiance Gio’s mother had died from the disease, so she was aware of the need to check herself. However after the birth of her baby and breast feeding she wasn’t sure what she should be looking for and decided to go to her GP, …

In Ireland, aviation accounts for 20% of the carbon emissions from transport. Bridget Ginnity highlights some changes we can make as individuals to reduce our impact on the climate. There’s something about the fading autumn days that turns our thoughts to holidays abroad. Maybe it’s the allure of a seaside holiday without fleeces, an outdoor meal without the patter of raindrops or prices that don’t break the bank. And there’s definitely the desire to see family – many of us have loved ones living abroad that we haven’t seen and hugged in so long, it almost hurts. After travel restrictions were lifted, heading abroad became a possibility again. After two summers of staycations and few if any visits with family abroad, some of us were like a greyhound from a trap at the prospect of foreign holidays. But the news is filled with disasters linked with climate change and can make us feel guilty, defensive or anxious about flying abroad. …

PROGRESS with the creation of the new Clare-Tipperary Garda Division is expected to accelerate in 2022, according to the Garda Commissioner. Commissioner Drew Harris, outlined how the pandemic has posed challenges for some aspects of the merger process. Despite that, he said the development of the amalgamated division, whose headquarters are in Ennis, will ramp up next year. Outlining the Garda Siochana’s new operating model, Commissioner Harris said policing at divisional level is among the force’s main priorities. “The Division is the unit by which policing is delivered,” Commissioner Harris said. “The model involves more frontline garda, enhanced national and regional support and improved performance.” Commissioner Harris outlined how changes to the force, at regional level, have already been introduced. “Under the new divisional structure, Clare will join Tipperary,” he outlined. “Covid-19 did set the plans somewhat askew, however, the work carried on in the background on administrative and support functions. “In 2022, we will start to move on operational …

A MAN has appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting and falsely imprisoning a woman on multiple occasions over a two-year period in Clare. The 47-year-old man has also been charged with coercive control of his spouse in what is understood to be the first domestic violence charge of its kind to be brought before the courts in Clare. In total, the man is facing 22 charges comprising 12 counts of sexual assault; six counts of false imprisonment; two counts of assault causing harm; one count of criminal damage and one count of coercive control. The charges arise from alleged offences at two locations in Clare, allegedly committed on various dates between 2018 and 2020. The case concerns one alleged female victim. The charge of coercive control states that on a date unknown between January 1, 2019 and May 5, 2020, the accused man did knowingly and persistently engage in behaviour that was controlling or coercive and which had a …

GOOD neighbours are a “vital component” in preventing crime against older people, gardaí in Clare have urged. “Older persons can feel vulnerable and more fearful of becoming a victim of crime and may be feeling isolated coming into the winter months. Good neighbours are a vital component in crime prevention and helping an older person to feel safer – keeping an eye on their property and calling regularly to make sure everything is ok will do wonders for the person living alone,” said Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. She has issued security advice for older people to help them feel safer in their homes. “Fit a door viewer and a door chain/limiter. Don’t open the door to anyone before you’ve checked who it is and what they want and check identification. Don’t leave strangers into your home and ensure the back door is locked when you answer a call at the front door,” she says. Front and rear …

EMERGENCY services have dealt with a chemical incident close to a popular beach in Clare, reports Pat Flynn. Clare County Fire and Rescue Service and Gardaí were alerted at around 1.30pm today following a report that a drum had washed onto rocks at White Strand near Miltown Malbay. Units of the fire service from Ennistymon and Kilrush stations responded to the incident. On arrival, fire crews carried out an assessment of the scene and confirmed that a 40-gallon container had washed onto the rocks about 300 metres from the beach and close to a popular walking path. Firefighters wearing specialist chemical suits for dealing with hazardous materials used a ladder to reach the scene. The incident was located in a small cove at the base of a 15m cliff. Fire crews confirmed that the plastic barrel had split and its contents had spilled onto the rocks. As a precaution, fire service personnel set up a cordon around the scene and …

KIERAN Mulvey, a former Director General of the Workplace Relations Committee, has been appointed to mediate talks aimed at bringing the dispute at the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to a close. The IAA employs 332 people at Shannon and Ballygirreen in Newmarket, many of whom are air traffic controllers. The latest move follows a letter sent to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan on behalf of a number of disgruntled air traffic controllers, which made a number of charges. It claimed that Shannon and Cork airports had to close on separate occasions during the summer, due to non availability of air traffic controllers, who have been alienated by management. “The closures and non availability of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) is as a result of years of sustained abuse of the Air Traffic Control staff by the Executive Management team of the Irish Aviation Authority,” the letter alleged. “IAA management have repeatedly and unilaterally changed the terms and conditions of employment of the …

When titles are rarely captured by a club the delight is evident when in three weeks a hat trick of honours are annexed, and this is the case with Parteen. Junior B football and now the double achieved by their busy U13’s as the hurlers with a late salvo of scores took the honours in Broadford on Saturday morning. Whitegate will look back that despite a solid honourable effort they let chances go abegging and with Parteen possessing slightly the more physical side these misses were costly. Leo Bogenberger, Jake Gibbons and a long range free by Whitegate team captain Matthew Ryan gave the large Whitegate following a lot to cheer about in the first seven minutes as they raced three clear and looking more than capable. There was no further score in the first quarter as Parteen managed to curb the attacking tendencies of Whitegate. Finn Cahill and Sean Geoghegan got Parteen on the scoresheet in the 17th and …