Lifestyle

More than 240 Fixed Charge Notices (FCN) have been issued to cyclists in the first two months of the introduction of the new regulations. Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe said the new regulations are helping to promote better cycling behaviour and keeping our cyclists and other road users safer on the roads. ” An Garda Síochána has indicated that between July 31 and the end of September a total of 244 fines have been issued to cyclists who have broken the law and committed one of the seven road traffic offences identified under the regulations. “Unsurprisingly, most fines have been issued for the offence of breaking a red light (144), with failure to have appropriate lighting on a bike accounting for the next highest number of fines at 44. “This measure was introduced with a view to promoting safe cycling practices and changing poor cycling behaviour and preventing needless collisions and injury on our roads. Last year, 13 cyclists were killed …

Teenage gambling has become a major issue in the county, with a “notable increase” in the numbers presenting for help at Bushypark Addiction Treatment Centre in Ennis. Team leader at the centre, Gerry Murphy said the accessibility of gambling is now a major issue and the ramifications have led to a shift in the demographic of the typical person who is attending their treatment centre. “I would say we’ve seen more people presenting with gambling, more young people coming in with a problem. Their families are getting involved much earlier now and trying to do interventions with them. We’ve had quite a few 18 and 19-year-olds presenting with difficulty,” he said. “You could be gambling on your smartphone while you’re at work and it’s available 24/7, so it’s very accessible and it’s very well marketed. There’s a lot of advertisement on the television, even around the Rugby World Cup, you can back this or back that, just by pressing a …

MOST people in Clare will have grown up without thinking anything unusual about aircraft crossing the Atlantic from North America to Shannon every day of the week but when the first passenger plane made the journey on October 24, 1945, it was a massive event. ‘TRANS OCEAN FLIGHTS’ screamed the lead headline on the following weekend’s Clare Champion, with sub-headlines of ‘New Air Service to Rineanna’ and ‘Clippers Defy Gale’ beneath it. The accompanying report said, “The Flagship ‘London’ of the American Airlines system landed at Rineanna at 3.30pm on Wednesday, thus inaugurating the land plane passenger service between America and Europe. Taking off from La Guardia Airport at New York on Tuesday night and calling at Gander Airport in Newfoundland, it flew the North Atlantic in half a gale in eight hours and twenty minutes. It was followed an hour later by a second Skymaster of the same Line. “The Irish and American flags fluttered from the fuselage of …

This month, 70 years ago the first transatlantic flight touched down at Rineanna Airport – now Shannon International Airport and to mark this milestone, The Clare Champion has published a special supplement. Among the contributors is Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who writes: IN 1945, Shannon Airport’s geographic position between Europe and America made it an ideal stepping stone between the old and new worlds. On October 24 this year, the airport celebrates the 70th anniversary of the first commercial transatlantic flight from the US to Shannon. I would like to acknowledge this major achievement and congratulate the airport on achieving yet another milestone in its illustrious history. American Overseas Airlines was the operator 70 years ago of that historic first flight and today, American Airlines, its successor, flies from Shannon to Philadelphia. Today, Shannon Airport is a vital access point in the transatlantic journey of many passengers, with its location on the Wild Atlantic Way making it even more attractive to …

There is a largely unacknowledged silent killer of older people – and it’s called loneliness. A 2000 study by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland found that more than eight times the number of older people living alone felt lonely compared to the general population. A European study has linked isolation to mental health problems, including depression and self-harm, (Eurostat 2011), and more recently, a UK survey found that social isolation among older people was associated with increased risk of death. Loneliness may be lethal and is currently affecting at least 25,000 older people in Ireland. This is the number of calls Senior Help Line – Ireland’s only national telephone listening service for older people – received last year. In most calls loneliness was either expressed or implied. On Thursday, the 25th anniversary of UN International Day of Older Persons, the Minister of State Kathleen Lynch will promote the value of contact between people of all ages by joining …

As winter approaches, OFTEC, which represents the domestic oil heating and cooking industry in Ireland, is warning householders of the dangers of solid and multi-fuel stoves. This follows an increasing number of incidents across the country this year, including high-profile incidents in Wexford. There has been major growth in the sales of stoves in Ireland in recent years and as many as 40,000 are estimated to be sold here annually. Research commissioned by Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week (Monday to Saturday) illustrates a low awareness amongst consumers of the connection between carbon monoxide and fossil fuels, including home heating oil, with only 50% of consumers aware of the potential risk with oil heating and just 40% for coal. OFTEC Ireland manager, David Blevings said, “Whilst solid fuel stoves have fast become a trendy centre-piece in the homes of many families, people need to be aware of the dangers and ensure they are installed and maintained correctly. If a flue is installed …

Its been a while since I took over Bev’s column to tell you of my latest travels. I’m only thrilled this time as I’m going back to one of my favourite hotels, The Twelve, in Barna. Last Christmas, my humans took a photo of me wearing my Santa hat while posing on a copy of The Clare Champion and entered it in The Twelve’s Christmas competition. Despite the stiff opposition, I won! The prize was a night at the hotel with dinner in The West restaurant. It’s a terrible state of affairs though that I’m not allowed in the restaurant, even though I’m a Westie. Maybe I’ll get a little doggie bag. They really welcome dogs at The Twelve but I’ve heard they’ve upped their game with a new Dog Concierge service. It sounds wonderful and I had to try it out. As an added bonus, would you believe that RTÉ are sending a film crew along to record my …

It’s been a while since I took over Bev’s column to tell you of my latest travels. I’m only thrilled this time as I’m going back to one of my favourite hotels, The Twelve, in Barna. Last Christmas, my humans took a photo of me wearing my Santa hat while posing on a copy of The Clare Champion and entered it in The Twelve’s Christmas competition. Despite the stiff opposition, I won! The prize was a night at the hotel with dinner in The West restaurant. It’s a terrible state of affairs though that I’m not allowed in the restaurant, even though I’m a Westie. Maybe I’ll get a little doggie bag. They really welcome dogs at The Twelve but I’ve heard they’ve upped their game with a new Dog Concierge service. It sounds wonderful and I had to try it out. As an added bonus, would you believe that RTÉ are sending a film crew along to record my …