News

ENNIS hospital is looking to engage with volunteers to welcome patients and visitors to the hospital. The hospital is looking for volunteers to be an ambassador for the facility in Ennis to carry out the following: Welcome visitors to the hospital; offer assistance; assist with wayfinding to various wards, clinics, and departments; walk with hospital visitors to their location if necessary; request wheelchairs on behalf of patients. At present this is a morning service with a minimum commitment of three hours per week. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Ennis hospital on 065 6824464 or email UHLPals@hse.ie for more details.

A MAN who died when the microlight aircraft he was piloting crashed near Miltown Malbay on Sunday evening has been named locally as Michael Flynn. Mr Flynn, a plumber who is understood to be in his 60s and well known in the local area, lost his life after the aircraft crashed at around 4.45pm in a field off the Ballard Road about a kilometre from Miltown Malbay. The local community has been shocked by the tragedy and are rallying around the Flynn family, says Chair of the West Clare Municipal District Councillor Shane Talty. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Michael Flynn at this time. This is a tragic and sudden loss and a difficult time for his family,” said Councillor Talty. “The community, friends, and neighbours will have them in their thoughts and try and help them to get through what is a difficult experience. “This is a very close knit community, he was very well …

A man had to be airlifted to hospital after he suffered an injury while hiking in North Clare. The alarm was raised shortly after 2pm on Sunday afternoon when emergency services received a report that a person had fallen in The Burren. The incident occurred on Blackhead Mountain in the extreme northwest of the county. The National Ambulance Service, Irish Coast Guard and Gardaí were alerted and responded the area. The Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter was also tasked to the scene. At the time, Rescue 115 was involved in a missing person search in the Woodford area of Galway but was retasked to Blackhead, reaching the scene in about 10 minutes. Because of the terrain in the area however, the helicopter was unable to land. Instead, the helicopter winchman/paramedic was lowered onto the mountainside. Doolin Coast Guard volunteers lay down a canister of orange smoke to indicate the location of the casualty and wind direction for the helicopter crew. …

ILLEGAL drugs, with an estimated value of €50,000, were seized with the assistance of detector dog Harley at Shannon Airport. Revenue officers, seized approximately 2.5kgs of herbal cannabis at the airport as part of routine operations. The drugs were discovered in a parcel that originated in the United States and were destined for an address in County Galway. 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.

A man has died after the microlight aircraft he was piloting crashed in Co. Clare this afternoon. The circumstances of the tragedy are still unclear however it’s understood the accident occurred at around 4.45pm in field off the Ballard Road about a kilometre from Miltown Malbay. National Ambulance Service paramedics, units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennistymon station and Gardaí rushed to the scene. The Athlone-based Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) air ambulance was also tasked to the incident. The man was however pronounced dead at the scene. While there is some confusion about the type of aircraft involved, it’s believed to have been a flexwing microlight which comprises a delta shaped hang-glider type wing and single motor. The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Department of Transport has been notified of the accident and is expected to send inspectors to the scene early on Monday. Gardaí have preserved the scene pending the arrival of the AAIU …

ENNIS native Professor Niamh Stack has recently been appointed as the new Head of Psychology at Mary Immaculate College (MIC). She takes up the position at an exciting time for the discipline at MIC as the college welcomes the first students on the new Bachelor of Science in Psychology this September. Professor Stack joins MIC following a two-decade long spell at Scotland’s University of Glasgow, where she latterly served as Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Psychology & Neuroscience. Professor Stack’s research focuses predominantly on highly able young people but also includes a wider interest in all forms of difference and diversity in development and the important role psychology has to play at a societal level in issues around development, poverty and social justice. This interest led to important research collaborations with the Children’s Wood and G20 Youth Group charities in Glasgow and to long term volunteering roles within the British Psychological Society, where she is currently Chair of the Education and Training …

WITH the amount of Ukrainian refugees in Ballyvaughan now greater than the permanent population of the village, the local Community Development Group has asked that no more be housed there. With local services struggling to cope, Ballyvaughan Community Development Group wrote to Minister Roderic O’Gorman last week about the issue. The group claimed the population of the area had suddenly risen from 300 to 700, and as a result the local national school is struggling, while there are long waits for appointments at its Medical Centre. It also warned that small businesses that rely on Ballyvaughan tourism will struggle if there is no tourist accommodation and that the winter could see a lot of boredom and frustration among the new arrivals, due to the relatively meagre facilities in the area. “The local community is becoming increasingly frustrated and angry with the lack of Government support and the lack of communication between IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Services ) and the local …

MOVING into her new home in Ennis’ newly launched Co-operative Housing Ireland Development has been an emotional “restart” for Amanda Shannon and her teenage son. Amanda sadly lost her husband five years ago, telling The Clare Champion her new home has become “healing” for her. “I think the attachment to the old house was too much so this new house has big, big meaning for me. It’s a restart.” A qualified teacher Amanda has been unable to work recently due to health issues including long Covid. Before moving into the Moínear development in Ros Leamhain she had been renting for eight years. She describes renting as “a challenge”, with her family experiencing issues such as damp and mould. “It would even be summer time and I’d have to wash the walls with a mask on because I didn’t want to breath in the mould. “During lockdown it was difficult to access care and we were in the house all the …