News

AN eight-year-old girl who was found with serious injuries at a home just outside of Clarecastle last week is no longer in a critical condition and is now “out of danger” in hospital, gardaí have confirmed. The youngster and her 46-year-old mother who had come to Clare from Ukraine were brought to University Hospital Limerick on Tuesday morning. The mother, who was found unconscious at the scene, is still under medical care but she is making a good recovery. The girl, who it is understood suffered a large number of stab wounds, was transferred last week from Limerick to a hospital in Dublin where she had been in a critical condition. A spokesperson for the gardaí confirmed to The Clare Champion this Wednesday that the girl’s condition is no longer critical. “She is still in hospital and she is out of danger,” he said. The mother and daughter had been living at a house in which a number of other …

Revenue officers have seized an estimated €40,000 of herbal cannabis at Shannon Airport this Wednesday. The illegal drugs, weighing approximately 2kgs, were discovered in a parcel that originated from Italy and were destined for an address in Limerick City. Investigations are ongoing. This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.

CLARE County Council has expressed “serious concerns” that a €25m HSE plan for an elderly care unit on Church-owned lands at St Flannan’s College in Ennis may prejudice the future expansion of the secondary school. Putting the project on hold, the Council has sent a Further Information (FI) request to the HSE to state that it has serious concerns that the proposed development particularly on lands zoned community may prejudice the future expansion of the school. The loss of “ancillary required sports/recreational grounds” and the potential removal of a number of mature trees on the site have been highlighted. In its request for further information, the Council has stated that it has concerns in relation to the potential overbearing impact of the proposal on existing dwellings in the vicinity. As a result, the Council has asked the HSE to relocate or redesign the proposed building so that greater separation distances are maintained. The local authority has also expressed concern over …

LANDOWNERS in upland areas of East Clare have raised concerns about a drop in payments for the protection of habitats for the endangered Hen Harrier.  Large tracts of North East Clare form part of the Slieve Aughty Special Protection Area (SPA) and farmers are incentivised to use methods that protect these ground-nesting birds, who live on bogs and marginal lands.  The Hen Harrier Project is managed from Oranmore and, according to Caher-based Councillor Pat Hayes, has been working very well. He said, however, that landowners in the scheme are now facing reduced payments, which could, in turn, make participation and conservation measures less attractive. “Up to now, the scheme has been somewhat independent of the Department of Agriculture,” Councillor Hayes said. “Farmers in the GLAS Scheme also got a top up for working with the Hen Harrier Project. Now, it looks like this will all be mainstreamed under the new ACRES [Agri-Climate Rural Environment] Scheme, through the Department of Agriculture. …

A STONEMASON was not in his “full senses” when he used a consaw to try and damage a wall outside a pub, a court has heard. At Killaloe district court, Brendan Ryan (37), with an address at Cooleen, Birdhill, Co Tipperary, pleaded guilty to the production of an offensive weapon during the commission of an offence and a further charge of being intoxicated to such an extent so as to be a danger to himself or others. The charges arise from an incident at O Riains public house in Ballina, Co Tipperary on November 1, 2021. Sergeant Aiden Lonergan said in light of the guilty pleas, the State would be offering no evidence on the two remaining charges of criminal damage and breach of the peace. Outlining the facts of the case, Sergeant Lonergan told the court that gardaí responded to a report of a man damaging a wall outside the premises in question. Gardaí spoke to staff who informed …

AN Garda Síochána have unveiled a newly developed mobile app for people to record their personal property. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks explains, “The new Property App supports An Garda Síochána’s efforts to encourage people to clearly mark their property and make a record of it – property that is well marked is less attractive to a thief and more difficult to sell on.” The app enables you to take photographs and record receipts, store registration codes and property markings. Any information entered into the app is either stored locally on the device or backed up to your cloud account. No data will be stored by An Garda Síochána, she outlines. If the user’s property recorded is stolen they can use the report feature on the app to report the theft to An Garda Síochána. “In addition, having a record on the app about your property will greatly assist investigating Gardaí in the event of a theft. “Also, …

PATIENTS are left to “wallow” in pain on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick for long periods after they are assessed, a local Dáil deputy has claimed. Having attended the ED recently with a family member, Deputy Cathal Crowe told a recent Dáil Health Committee meeting there isn’t enough follow up with patients who are left waiting in corridors. “Charts and extensive data can be seen by someone going to the toilet or the shop, people going into see their relatives can see patients with bedpans. There is no privacy there. There is very few people who come along with a cup of tea or a slice of toast to perk patients up.” “There is enduring pain when you are sitting on a trolley. People feel from triage to trolley, you are left to wallow.” Professor Brian Lenehan said UHL are focusing on providing privacy and dignity for patients following the HIQA report. He explained patients are triaged for care based …

THE Irish Blood Transfusion Service has organised a clinic in County Clare next week. The clinic comes at a challenging time for the service with RTE reporting that supplies of certain blood types are “critically” low and a pre-amber alert has been issued to hospitals as IBTS appeals for donors. One in four of us will need a blood transfusion in our lifetime and one blood donation may save three lives. IBTS Operations Director Paul McKinney said the problem is “simply a supply and demand situation”. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said despite clinic collections actually being very strong over what is traditionally a very challenging period for the service, the demand from hospitals, particularly for O-negative, the universal blood group, and other rhesus negative groups, is not being matched by supply. The Clare clinic takes place next Tuesday, October 11, at Scariff Community College 5.45pm – 9pm. Appointments may be booked on 1800 222 111. Existing and new …