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SHANNON’S future as an independent airport isn’t predicated on major reductions in labour costs, while legal advice on complying with State aid regulations was obtained from the Attorney General prior to Shannon’s separation from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), according to Transport Minister Leo Varadkar.Mr Varadkar, who spoke to The Clare Champion on New Year’s Eve, the day before Shannon split from the DAA, also said the new targets set for Shannon are “very doable”. Staff at Shannon have been given assurances that they won’t be facing cutbacks for a number of months at least, but there is concern that adjustments will be sought next year. Mr Varadkar said that while the business plan for Shannon isn’t based on cutting staff, some adjustments will probably be required.“The terms and conditions that the employees have transfer with them. The transfer happens today and those terms and conditions can only be changed by negotiation, so that may take some time, it’ll be …

Clare County Council has strongly denied a claim that hundreds of homes in Clare were devalued after they were listed on the Register of Protected Structures, without their owners’ knowledge. Christopher Eccles of Kilballyowen Manor House, near Carrigaholt, has told The Clare Champion his home has been devalued by more than €500,000 and cannot be sold.  In 2001 Clare County Council drew up a list of historic buildings in the county. “They were supposed to have given notice to all the owners of these buildings, allowing them to object to the inclusion of their homes and to allow claims for grant aid but it appears that, in many cases, notice was not given,” Mr Eccles claimed. “Auctioneers have told me that my house is virtually unwanted and interested buyers have walked away after they found out that the house was on this list. I have had my family’s property and my children’s inheritance devalued by over half-a-million euro and I …

The year just gone has been dubbed one of the worst on record for publicans and in Ennis alone it is estimated that up to 60 jobs have been lost in the trade in recent years. For Vintners Federation Ireland (VFI) Clare chairman, Declan Brandon, 2012 has been the worst since he went into business in Ennis almost 30 years ago.“It’s the worst in my experience anyway and I’m in business since 1984. We did a survey here in town recently and over 60 jobs went in the last couple of years and that’s just from pubs in Ennis itself, so it’s a huge amount,” Mr Brandon said. Asked why he believed 2012 saw the trade suffer so much, the VFI spokesperson said it was probably a combination of factors including the recession, supermarket prices and the lack of tourist footfall, which he attributed to the decrease in activity through Shannon airport. “I’d say the recession is a big part …

House prices in Clare plummeted in the last quarter of 2012 by between 10% and 16%, according to new reports out this week. The percentage fall in asking prices for three-bedroom semi-detached properties here was the second highest in the country.The MyHome.ie Property Barometer shows that the price of a four-bedroom semi-detached home in the county during the last quarter of 2012 dropped more than 11% compared to the same period in 2011, but was up 3.3% compared to the third quarter of the year. It states the median asking price for these homes in Clare is now €155,000, the lowest in Munster. The MyHome.ie report shows the median price of a three-bedroom semi-detached home in the county is now €125,000, down 10.4% from the previous quarter and 53.2% from the peak. Three-bedroom homes in Clare are now the sixth lowest priced in the country.The county experienced the second largest drop in asking price for this type of property, with …

THE All-Ireland Music Competition, the finals of which were set to take place in the West County Hotel, Ennis this weekend, has been cancelled.The show’s producer has blamed poor ticket sales saying he is “disappointed” with the cancellation of the talent search, which had been supported by both Shannon Development and the Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau.Shadowhawk Entertainment, the company behind the competition, has since ceased operations after financial support was pulled. The finals of the competition, which sought to find the next big Irish singing talent, was due to be held in the Ennis hotel over two nights this weekend. Sixteen acts, including Ennis’ Thomas Dormer, had made it to the finals with Gemma Hayes and Paul Harrington set to perform.Anthony Joseph, who was producing the show for BTM Management and Shadowhawk Entertainment confirmed, “We had very bad ticket sales. This is not the first time that something like this has happened with a music competition. The Voice …

RECENTLY released State papers show that in 1982, a certain Fidel Castro left a present at Shannon for the then taoiseach Charles Haughey.According to reports this week, a letter of thanks from Haughey to Castro dated December 9, 1982, stated, “I am most grateful for the magnificent gift which you were so kind as to have passed on to me on the occasion of your recent stopover at Shannon Airport. The hand craft casket is most impressive and the cigars will be greatly enjoyed by my family and friends at Christmas.”  

CLARE Chief Superintendent John Kerin will outline details of the proposed policing plan for the East Clare area to deal with the closure of Broadford Garda Station at a public meeting next Monday night.It is expected that Superintendent Kerin will be accompanied by Inspector John O’Sullivan and other members of Clare gardaí at the meeting in Broadford Community Hall at 8pm.This meeting, which has been organised by the local community alert group, will be preceded by an update on the plan of action to secure the re-opening of Broadford Post Office at 7.30pm.Justice Minister Alan Shatter is planning to proceed with the closure of Broadford Garda Station as one of eight earmarked for closure this year, despite the expenditure of about €40,000 upgrading the building about two years ago.Councillor Joe Cooney said €40,000 was spent on new equipment and floor covering as part of an internal refurbishment, as well as tarmac outside the building. He said it is important that …