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FLYBE has announced it will be discontinuing its Shannon to Glasgow service. In January of this year the airline announced the Glasgow-Shannon route would be starting in May. Flights operated on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and around 10,000 passengers were expected to use the service in 2013. In a statement Flybe outlined its position; “The airline can confirm that its two routes from Glasgow to Paris Charles de Gaulle (currently operated via Cardiff) and Cardiff will be withdrawn with effect from January 19, 2014, together with its service to Shannon that will end on January 5, 2014. Flybe can also confirm that its summer only route from Edinburgh to Knock in the west of Ireland is being withdrawn. “Passengers affected by these changes are being contacted and will be offered an alternative Flybe flight or a full refund on their ticket.” Flybe were loss making in 2012 and despite returning to profits in 2013, they have announced plans to cut …

  SHANNON turned into a Christmas haven over the weekend for  4,500  children, who experienced a trip of a lifetime, a meeting with Santa 15,000 feet above sea level. Shannon Airport and Ryanair teamed up to put on free flights for the children, with the same number also due to fly out next weekend. Before take-off, the children were entertained in the terminal building. Operation Santa,  which had 10% of seats reserved for children with special needs from the region, marks a new deal between the airline and Shannon for 18 destinations next year, dramatically extending connectivity options for airport users.

GARDAÍ seized €1m in cash and arrested two people in Portrusha,  on the Clare Limerick border at the weekend. The operation, which is part of an ongoing investigation into organised criminal activity in the Limerick area, was carried out on Saturday afternoon. The cash was discovered when Gardai attached to the Divisional Drugs and Crime Units searched a property at Portcrusha near Castleconnell. Two males aged in their 50s and 40s were arrested and detained at Henry St Garda Station during the operation. On Monday, a male in his 50s remained in Garda custody where he is detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.  He can be held for up to seven days. The  second male in his 40s arrested has been released without charge.  

  CONSUMER confidence in County Clare is up this year according to businesses organisations in the county. Jack Kelly of Kilrush Chamber of Commerce said that from his experience people are “a bit more upbeat this year.” “I would call it optimistic, in the sense that people are a bit more upbeat this year. I think it is because this year wasn’t as bad or as recessionary as other years even though things are still fairly tough. There are little buds of light there and people are in a slightly better form,” he said. Mr Kelly said that West Clare businesses have had a strong year because of the good weather during the summer. “We had a reasonable year in West Clare in the sense that the weather has looked after us. In terms of tourists coming to the area we had the National Famine Commemoration and the Loop Head lighthouse. People are slightly more upbeat than they have been …

A GROUP of North Clare cousins received their ‘dream ticket’ recently meeting an internationally renowned actor and their story will feature on RTE television over Christmas. Twins Amy and Claire Costello from Ballyvaughan with their cousins Ciara Costello also from Ballyvaughan and Aoife O’Loughlin from Corofin, saw their dream come true when they got to meet Dan Ewing who plays Heath Braxton in the Australian soap Home and Away as part of Una’s Dream Ticket which will be broadcast on Christmas Day. “We remember coming back from playschool and watching Home and Away while eating our lunch and we have been watching it ever since,” Aoife told The Clare Champion. Una’s Dream Ticket is a wish-fulfillment show which will be broadcast on RTE TWO during the Christmas period presented by Una Healy from girlband The Saturdays. This 11-part series kicks off on Christmas Day and continues daily until Saturday January 4. “It used to be Jedwards Dream Factory and we watched …

Gardaí have issued a warning in relation to cold callers claiming to be water inspectors or trades people after receiving a report this week of a theft under these circumstances. Superintendent Derek Smart of Ennis Garda District said the incident occurred between 2pm and 3pm on Monday, December 2 when a man gained entry to a house in Connolly Villas, Ennis on the pretence of checking the water connections. While there, he stole a sum of money. Superintendent Smart said, “This person just turned up to the door. The advice is not to let anybody into your house. Legitimate people who are carrying out water metering checks do not need to go into your property, so you don’t need to let them into your house. If you are at all in doubt, just say you are closing the door and you are phoning the gardaí to establish their bona fides. Anybody doing this door to door stuff should have identification”. …

THE December meeting of Kilrush Town Council was abandoned in chaos on Thursday night following a heated row between town manager Anne Haugh and Councillor Tom Prendeville, who claimed he was more qualified than the town manager. During the row, it emerged that the town council executive had wanted Councillor Prendeville to apologise for a comment made to a council official earlier this year at a meeting discussing the placement of double yellow lines on both sides of the Back Road, outside St Senan’s National School. At this week’s meeting, Councillor Liam O’Looney asked the manager to report on any progress on the proposed layby on the road. The motion, inadvertently, led to the row igniting between Councillor Prendeville and Ms Haugh. “I have studied. I’ve a lot more qualifications than you have,” Councillor Prendeville told MsHaugh. “Could you withdraw that? Withdraw that comment. What qualifications have I got? How dare you,” the town manager replied. “I won’t be attending …

THE annual Team Hope Shoebox Appeal has, as usual, received phenomenal support in Clare, particularly from children, who are embracing the concept of sharing with those who have very little. Schools, families, communities and businesses across the county have helped bring great hope at Christmas to more than 4,000 needy children in disadvantaged areas overseas. By taking part in the 2013  appeal, they have turned just another day in a child’s life into something special in Africa, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In total, 163,513 shoeboxes were collected throughout Ireland. According to Niall Barry, Team Hope executive director, receiving the shoeboxes from Ireland is the highlight of the children’s year. In the receiving country the Team Hope network of partners are currently delivering the shoebox gifts right into a child’s hands ­ in hospitals, schools, shelters, churches, orphanages, community centres or family homes.