News

AN East Clare boat operator, who been conducting tours to Holy Island for 32 years, has questioned whether Clare County Council’s purchase of the old Mountshannon Rectory represents a value for money deal. Described by the council as a “landmark tourism project” on the banks of Lough Derg, plans were lodged for a proposed new Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) visitor centre in the heart of Mountshannon village last February and were adopted by the council last May. The Old Rectory Visitor Centre building will comprise a reception area, three exhibition areas interpreting stories from Mountshannon and the island of Inis Cealtra as well as a community/co-working space and a revitalised Rectory Garden. Councillors were told at the January meeting of Killaloe Municipal District this visitor centre is expected to be operational by early to mid-2023. The Visitor Experience project to interpret the 41-acres island is a collaborative initiative involving the council, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands (Fáilte Ireland), Waterways Ireland, the Office …

SHANNON Chamber is joining forces with the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum and Modular Automation to host an event that will showcase the wide range of Government-funded flexible learning courses available in the region. The event will be held in Modular Automation in Shannon on Thursday, September 22 from 9.30am to 12.30pm. The event is free of charge to attend but online booking is required via Shannon Chamber’s website www.shannonchamber.ie/events-training Its purpose is to ensure that that the Mid-West region continues to have a highly skilled and trained workforce, given that talent is now the determining factor for companies to maintain competitiveness. Launching the event, Mid-West Regional Skills Forum manager Joe Leddin said: “Lifelong learning is not new; however, what is new is the rapid pace of change in technology with career pathways less defined. “This event will give people working in Shannon the opportunity to meet with representatives from the University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology, Limerick and Clare …

A LIMERICK-based medical technology company has announced an investment of €100 million in its existing plant which will potentially create 80 new jobs. Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland UC, a global leader in eye health and part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, today announced an expansion of its existing facility in Plassey, Limerick. The €100 million investment has the potential to create 80 new jobs and will support the company’s ambition to redefine healthy sight for life for more people around the world. The Johnson & Johnson Vision¹ site in Limerick is one of the largest contact lens manufacturing facilities in the world. The investment will expand the facility’s manufacturing capacity, with the installation of fully automated flexible manufacturing lines built with industry-leading technology. This will support the future growth of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care’s ACUVUE® Astigmatism product family and deliver the company’s future new product introduction pipeline. Construction is currently underway with production expected to commence in …

A NUMBER of councillors in West and North Clare have raised concerns about the impact of tourist vehicles using smaller roads and boreens in the district. The Green Party’s Liam Grant was first to raise the matter at a meeting of councillors, in a motion stating, “A number of bus operators are using unsuitable roads to travel to tourist attractions in North Clare. I call on Clare County Council to write to the National Transport Authority and request stricter enforcement of the allocated routes. “I would also request that the Cliffs of Moher consider not allowing bus operators, who do not take the allocated routes, park at the visitor centre.” The finger was also pointed, however, at GPS navigation systems, which routinely point drivers towards the quickest, most direct routes, regardless of the state of the road. Later in the meeting, Councillor Ian Lynch had a motion which asked for signs to be put up in certain places, urging people …

IN perhaps a fitting end for somebody planning on joining the priesthood, Councillor Mark Nestor’s final Ennis Municipal District meeting saw him raise issues relating to a religious grotto and Drumcliffe graveyard. Before announcing he was stepping down from his role as an elected official the Fianna Fáil councillor raised two final motions at the September Ennis Municipal District meeting. The Cloughleigh-based councillor requested works be carried out on the steps beside the grotto in nearby Hermitage “to ensure they are safe for use for residents in the area”. Ian Chaplin, acting senior executive engineer, told the meeting the location has been assessed by Ennis Municipal District. “The steps leading up to the grotto are in an accessible condition including steel handrails to aid access to the grotto itself. The concrete base and mosaic style tile used at the top of the grotto has become fractured. “We will request the Rural Development Officer to engage with the residents association to …

THE case of a man accused of using a hatchet to assault a man during an alleged incident in Kilkee is to proceed in the circuit court. At Ennis district court this week, Judge Alec Gabbett refused jurisdiction to hear the case against Andre Donegan (30). After hearing a summary of the alleged facts, Judge Alec Gabbett said, “I’m slow enough to accept jurisdiction where there is a hatchet. We may need the benefit of a jury. I’m going to refuse jurisdiction.” “It’s a serious matter, chasing a man down the street with a hatchet,” Judge Gabbet added. In the case, Andre Donegan, with an address at Smith’s Gardens, Kilkee, is charged with assault causing harm to Brian Clancy. Donegan is further charged with the production of hatchet during the course of a dispute, in a manner likely to intimidate or cause injury. Both charges arise from an alleged incident at St Patrick’s Terrace, Kilkee, on June 1, 2019. Donegan …

SIPTU members working in early childhood care and education have welcomed the establishment of an Employment Regulation Order (ERO) that sets minimum pay rates for the sector, and comes into effect this Thursday, September 15.  The pay deal, negotiated by SIPTU Organisers and activists on behalf of the union’s 6,000 members in the sector, and which was signed off by the Government last week. will set legally binding rates of pay.  The minimum rates contain in the ERO are as follows: Early Years Educator: €13.00 Lead Educator: €14.00 Graduate Lead Educator: €15.50 Deputy Manager: €15.70 Manager: €16.50 Graduate Manager: €17.25 Early Years teacher and SIPTU activist, Claire Casey said: “The signing of this ERO by Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, marks an historic day for our profession. “After years of campaigning, we finally have our first pay deal. Thousands of Early Years Professionals will see a pay increase that will end poverty wages and set us on a path to professional …

An investigation is expected to be launched into an incident at Shannon Airport early today when a helicopter suffered difficulties while landing. The incident occurred at around 6.20am as the Eurocopter EC155B was about to land at a small aircraft park at the airport. It’s understood the helicopter landed heavily but the pilot managed to maintain control of his aircraft and keep it upright. It’s believed the pilot had been cleared to land on a taxiway from where he would then taxi to the light aircraft park. As the helicopter was setting down on the taxiway the pilot experienced difficulties and the aircraft appeared to land heavily. The incident occurred about 100 metres from the airport fire station so crews were able to respond very quickly. Airport crash crews mobilised the short distance to the scene and found that pilot was uninjured. It’s not yet clear whether the helicopter was carrying passengers at the time. Operations at Shannon Airport were …