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Expensive airfares deterring US visitors

MAYOR of Shannon Michael Fleming was in New Jersey representing his town for St Patrick’s Day and said there is a lot of interest there in visiting Ireland but the cost of transatlantic travel is the main stumbling block.“I’ve spoken to some people about the airport and it seems to be the airlines who are stopping people from coming in here at the minute. I hope something can be done about it because the big thing that I brought away was the price of the flights,” he told The Clare Champion this week.Councillor Fleming said one American couple had been interested in flying into Shannon over St Patrick’s weekend but were discouraged by a charge of $1,700.He said major efforts were made to promote Shannon and Clare in the US. “There are still very big blisters on my feet from all the walking. We put out the word about Shannon and County Clare, about The Gathering, about the airport. The …

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Blarney Castle gardener joins festival line-up

THE head gardener at Blarney Castle has been announced as the latest high-profile speaker confirmed to appear at this year’s Clare Garden Festival.Adam Whitbourn will join other speakers including Clare’s organic guru Jim Cronin, GIY patron Klaus Laitenberger and plantsman and RHS tutor Ciarán Burke at the festival to be held at the Ennis Showgrounds in April. The theme this year fitting to the Gathering is Going back to your roots! with all areas of gardening set to be covered.Adam, a trained horticulturalist from Askham Bryan college, York, England, took on the role as head gardener at Blarney Castle in 2009 and has overseen the transformation of the gardens into a must-see destination for anyone with a passion for horticulture, having featured in Irish Garden magazine and The English Garden magazine. “I am excited to visit Clare and be part of what is promising to be a great festival with an amazing line-up of speakers and exhibitors. It will be …

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Different faces, same politics

IT was another disappointing week in Irish politics for all those who believed a new dawn had broken after the last general election. There are thousands of young people all over the State who thought that by electing TDs like Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan in Roscommon-South Leitrim, Mick Wallace in Wexford and other candidates, they would be sending out a message that the young people of Ireland were no longer going to tolerate the old ways that passed for politics in this country for decades. Corruption, cronyism and hypocrisy were to be consigned to the pages of history.Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, in particular, seemed to represent that new order. He was totally different to the deputies of all parties who had represented the people of this very rural constituency of Roscommon along with South Leitrim in the past. He dressed differently and he spoke out in favour of ideas and practices that his predecessors would have roundly condemned. His anti-establishment stand on …

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Heathrow flight change not well received

AS all connected with Shannon Airport know, its connectivity to Heathrow, one of the world’s most important hubs, is absolutely crucial. Given that there will be some disappointment that Aer Lingus are putting their first service of the day to Heathrow back by a little over an hour, from 7.30am to 8.45am.In a statement, Aer Lingus said it was because an existing arrangement had come to an end. “The timing of the flight has been changed as the original slot pair is no longer available to us. This is due to the expiry of a lease. In order to ensure that the frequency and capacity on the route is unaffected, we have acquired another slot pair.“The timing change is unavoidable, however, we have conducted an analysis of the onward connectivity available at Heathrow for those travelling at the new timing and are confident that there is no material effect of the timing change.”Shannon-based Councillor Sean McLoughlin said the decision to …

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Beach clean-up at Spanish Point

MORE than 70 locals from Spanish Point and Miltown Malbay turned on Bank Holiday Monday for the annual Armada beach clean-up to prepare for the busy season ahead. The sun shone down on hotel employees and management, who donned the rubber gloves to scour the beach for rubbish.  The beach clean-up was managed by Noralynne Murrihy from the Armada Hotel and started at 2pm, with young and old braving the cold to reclaim the beach to its former glory. Over 100 bags of litter and debris were collected and within an hour, the group had achieved their goal. The inaugural beach clean took place in 2009 and due to the phenomenal local reaction, it has now become an annual event. Commenting on the success of the event, Frank Minogue, general manager at the Armada said, “We are very proud of our unique location and our natural surrounds and it is a privilege to allow our employees time out to participate …

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Milestone in the history of St Joseph’s Church

THE years were rolled back in Ennis on Tuesday night when the times of  The Union Workhouse from the 1840s were recalled. The occasion was the celebration of a special mass to mark the 40th year of St Joseph’s Church, Ennis, which is situated on part of the site of the former workhouse and church, which were demolished in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Clare County Council to make way for the new church and hospital.The special mass of thanksgiving on Tuesday, the Feast of St Joseph, was celebrated by Bishop Kieran O’Reilly, SMA and among the 16 concelebrants were Bishop Willie Walsh, Fr John McGovern, administrator St Joseph’s and past administrators and priests attached to St Joseph’s.Among the past administrators  who concelebrated  the mass were Fr Seamus Mullen, Miltown Malbay; Fr John Bane, Broadford and Fr Jerry McInerney, Barefield. Remembered in prayers during mass were past administrators, Fr Sean Saunders, Fr Rory McInerney and Fr Hugh O’Dowd, …

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€5k per week on Shannon protection

OVER €5,000 a week was being spent by the defence forces on the provision of security at Shannon last year, according to information provided by Minister Alan Shatter in the Dáil.According to the information provided by Mr Shatter, €275,008 was spent last year and €4,060,455 in the years 2003-2012. The greatest expenditure in a single year was in 2003, when it reached €1,113,200, while it fell by over a quarter the following year, down to €760,500. In 2005 it was €225,900, in 2006 €403,375, in 2007 €275,054, in 2008 €286,273, in 2009 €258,040, in 2010 €203,366 and €259,739 in 2011.Mr Shatter provided the information in response to a question from Clare TD Timmy Dooley and speaking in the Dáil, the minister said; “An Garda Síochána has the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of aid to the civil power …

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