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SHANNON-based Aer Lingus cabin crew will remain laid off from work despite expectations of a return to work in early June. Fórsa trade union has confirmed that a roster published today shows cabin crew will remain laid off until at least June 20. The union said the extended layoff is another devastating blow for staff and for the region. Fórsa official Ashley Connolly said the union is calling on Aer Lingus to provide a commitment to Shannon base and to those who work there: “Uncertainty remains over the recovery and future of aviation, despite signs of hope as more people are vaccinated against Covid-19. Slowly but surely we are seeing roadmaps to reopening, which is encouraging after more than a year of restrictions, but there is no equivalent plan for aviation, an industry that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ireland. “The news today from Shannon reveals the continuing vulnerability of the industry and the economy of the Shannon …

  Nominated partners will be given 45-minute visiting slots in University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) next Monday, as Covid-19 restrictions ease. Partners will be able to visit in postnatal wards, M1 and M2, between the hours of 6pm and 8pm daily. This follows the recent reintroduction of the option to have nominated partners present for anomaly scans, and visiting for fathers/parents of babies in the neonatal unit at the hospital. Meanwhile, visiting on compassionate grounds will continue to be facilitated, as it has been throughout the pandemic. Birthing partners will also continue to be supported in attending the Labour Ward and theatre. All nominated partners must adhere to the wearing of face masks, observe hand hygiene and social distancing. Temperature monitoring is in place at the main reception, along with the completion of a Covid-19 screening questionnaire. The measures are subject to change, and hospital management will continue to review the situation on a weekly basis, to plan for the …

THE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of fewer than five additional cases of Covid-19 in Clare and four additional deaths related to Covid-19 nationally. There has been a total of 4,918 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Thursday, May 6, the HPSC has been notified of 434 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 251,904* confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 221 are men / 212 are women 80% are under 45 years of age The median age is 31 years old 197 in Dublin, 44 in Cork, 34 in Kildare, 20 in Limerick, 20 in Meath and the remaining 119 cases are spread across 16 other counties**. As of 8am today, 126 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 34 are in ICU. 15 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. As of Wednesday, May 5, 1,700,538 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland: 1,233,067 …

A TEENAGER has appeared in court charged in connection with an alleged money laundering offence in Ennis, reports Ronan Judge. Lee McNamara (18), with an address at Childers Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis, was brought before Ennis District Court on Wednesday evening (May 5). McNamara was arrested and charged after gardaí carried out a search of a vehicle in Ennis on Tuesday. Members of the Clare garda divisional drugs unit seized just under €37,000 in cash, alleged to be the proceeds of crime. In court, Detective Garda Paul Heaslip gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He told the court the accused made no reply to the single charge against him after caution. Defence solicitor Laura Stephenson said she had no questions regarding the arrest, charge and caution of her client. Sgt Aiden Lonergan told Judge Sandra Murphy that bail conditions had been agreed between gardaí and Ms Stephenson. He said the State consented to the accused being released on bail. After …

AS part of ongoing investigations targeting the assets and activities of an organised criminal group involved in incidents of burglary, theft and distribution of controlled drugs, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) conducted a search operation in Clare on Friday. In the course of the operation seven locations were searched in the Ennis area by CAB personnel assisted by local Gardaí in the Clare Garda Division, Garda Armed Support Unit (ASU), the Revenue Customs Dog Unit and the Revenue Customs Marked Mineral Oil Unit. As a consequence of the operation €197,500 was restrained in financial accounts, documentation in relation to financial matters was seized and the use of marked mineral oil in a private vehicle was detected.

AN increase in traffic volumes in the vicinity of both the Ennis and Meelick Centres is expected over the coming weeks. People attending for their vaccination are advised that they should only attend within five or 10 minutes of their appointment time. Gardaí have advised that at the Ennis Centre, once the numbers attending increase there will be no right turns into the hotel site. People coming from the Ennis side will need to continue past the hotel to the next roundabout and then enter the site with a left hand turn. There will also be no right turn out of the Abbey Court / Abbey Ville estates,and people exiting from this development will need to go left down to the roundabout and then continue. Sergeant Triona Brooks, Crime Prevention Officer said, “At the  Meelick Centre as the traffic volumes to the Vaccination Centre will probably affect the normal flow of traffic at the roundabout close to the Radisson, people …

AN Ennis woman who lost her sight at the age of 20 has described getting a guide dog as “life changing” as she urged people to support this Friday’s national Guide Dog Day. 39-year-old Cara Gibbons got her first guide dog, Uri, in 2013 describing him as “my rock”. Uri has since retired as a guide dog, though he is still with Cara, and she is now training with two-year-old Sadie. The Master’s student told The Clare Champion that having a guide dog has given her a freedom she never experienced while using a cane. “What I’ve found since having a guide dog, now I go for a walk just to go for a walk. I would never have done that with a cane, it was purely getting from A to B. Now I have that freedom of being able to leave the house and say I’m just going for a walk. It’s such a simple thing for so many …

A SURVIVOR of ovarian cancer has paid tribute to her late sister on what would have been her 50th birthday. Anne Murphy, a nurse from Tulla, is also urging other women to be aware of the symptoms, as World Ovarian Cancer Day is marked on Saturday. While Anne’s cancer was found early, her sister Gráinne was at stage four when her condition was diagnosed. “Tragically, Gráinne passed away before her 42nd birthday,” said Anne. “She had been attending various doctors for two years and when she was finally diagnosed, her cancer was terminal. Ovarian cancer presents with symptoms that are often put down to other conditions, from endometriosis to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Gráinne had had a baby six months previously and she was told her symptoms were connected to pregnancy.” Gráinne’s diagnosis was, in many ways, the catalyst for the detection of Anne’s own condition. “After Gráinne’s cancer was discovered, I went back to my own doctor and asked …