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THERE is nothing stronger than the paternal bond and when a child is sick there is an inherent instinct as a parent to do whatever it takes to fight for them. That was never more true for the O’Shaughnessy family in Shannon because it was the most subtle of behavioural and physical changes that led them to Accident and Emergency with their 10 year old son Alex. Their gut instincts told them something just wasn’t right and their persistence to get to the root of it led to the diagnosis of a rare form of cancer, a one in a million case, normally only detected when the condition is at an advanced stage. “The first time we were worried was Paddy’s Weekend [2019]. We went away to Galway for Alex’s twin brothers 21st. Alex wasn’t himself and was tired. He was just misery, we could see he was trying but he physically couldn’t. We took him to Shannondoc the Tuesday …

“GARDAÍ are keeping an open mind on the latest tragedy to hit the county- the death of a young woman whose body was found in a burned out mobile home in Tubber last Friday afternoon.” The Clare Champion, April 15, 2005. When your world comes crashing down, it’s often when your phone rings on a perfectly ordinary day. That’s how it happened for Johnny O’Loughlin 14 years ago. On a spring evening, Shane Bowe, the partner of his 23-year old daughter Emer, rang him in a state of distress, just as Johnny was clocking off. “I was driving a truck, I was drawing pre-cast flooring out of Whelan’s. I was finished and I was coming out of the quarry heading home. I got a phonecall from Shane, her boyfriend, they were lovers for years and years. He was a carpenter, he rang me and told me that Emer was missing, her camera was there, the keys of her car were …

FOURTEEN years after his daughter Emer’s life was taken, Johnny O’Loughlin believes the man wanted in connection with her death is at large in Morocco. However, he feels little is being done to investigate the possibility that John Griffin is living in the North African state. This week, Mr O’Loughlin, who is from Ennistymon but now lives in Inagh, spoke about how raw the emotion over the loss of his much-loved daughter still is. Emer was murdered in 2005 and her remains were found in the burned-out mobile home of John Griffin. Mr Griffin was admitted to a psychiatric facility in Ballinasloe following an incident a few days after Emer’s death. He would subsequently check himself out of the facility, apparently attempt to fake his own death on the Aran Islands and has been missing since. Mr O’Loughlin said he has received credible information from an Irishman, who came across Mr Griffin, while in Morocco. While he says the person …

IN a document sent by Moneypoint Shop Stewards to management, they claim that the goal of having the significant cost cutting, which involves over 100 redundancies at the West Clare plant, complete by October is “unrealistic”. They declined to attend a briefing as they claimed “there is not a complete range of options to be discussed.” Their email made four points; that they are of the view that there should be no compulsory redundancies, that maximum employment should be maintained at the plant, that terms and conditions for workers should be maintained, and that there should be a specific voluntary service scheme for Moneypoint. They stated that they are willing to engage with management, but need to have a situation where “a complete suite of options” has been communicated, in advance.   Owen Ryan

SOURCES have told the Clare Champion that staff at the Moneypoint Power Plant have today been told that management wish to reduce its staffing level from 192 to 86. It had been widely expected that job losses would be announced at the plant today, while ESB representatives are set to meet Clare’s Oireachtas members later this week. The ESB issued a statement this evening, but declined to confirm how many staff they wish to make redundant. “Since its commissioning in 1985, Moneypoint Power Station has played a key role in supporting the national economy through the delivery of secure, reliable and affordable power.  However, in recent years Moneypoint has been operating in an increasingly competitive energy market, actively competing to sell power and competing in auctions to acquire capacity contracts for the plant.    “In addition, the growing volume of renewables in the market and the impact of carbon prices on the price of Moneypoint output, has meant that Moneypoint …

IT is understood that workers at Moneypoint are today being informed of major job losses at the plant. When contacted this afternoon the ESB said that they will be making a statement, but that its employees must be briefed first.   More to follow…

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will be broadcasting almost twenty hours of programmes live from the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, this year. The live shows kick off on Sunday 7 July, with the Éire ‘s Alba concert, featuring top drawer musicians from Ireland and Scotland, and joined this year by musicians from Wales as well.  They will include Iain and Mary MacGillivray, Maighread Stiùbhart and Murdo MacDonald, Shona Donaldson and Paul Anderson, Ceri Rhys Matthews and Julie Murphy, Ceri Jones and Elsa Davies, Laoise Kelly and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn, Thomas Mc Carthy, Catherine McEvoy and friends.  The concert starts at 8 pm and will run until 10 pm, presented by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Music Editor, and musician, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha. Then from Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 4 pm, Seán Ó hÉanaigh will present Binneas Béil live from the Ródaí outside the hall in Miltown.  The programme will feature interviews, live music, song and …

US Vice President, Mike Pence, is to visit Ireland in September. Mr Pence, who has close family links to Doonbeg, is likely to arrive at Shannon Airport and may meet with Taoiseach there. Mr Pence’s great-grandparents are from Doonbeg although it has not been confirmed that he will visit West Clare during his trip.