News

THE terms that Ryanair sought from Shannon Airport before announcing plans to slash its service were unrealistic, it’s being claimed.

THE first phase of the so-called swine ’flu vaccination programme at an Ennis clinic got off to a “smooth start with only a few minor teething problems”, according to the Health Service Executive (HSE). Clare people who are categorised in the “at-risk” group were the first group to receive a swine ’flu jab free of charge in a dedicated HSE vaccination clinic at Tobartasocan, Ennis.The high-risk category includes pregnant women – from 14 weeks pregnant to six weeks after giving birth – and anyone aged over six months and under 65 years who has long-term lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, neurological disease, cancer patients, diabetes and morbid obesity.According to official figures, 148 people were vaccinated on Monday and 171 on Tuesday at the clinic from 9am to 5pm.Clare people in this category are also being vaccinated at their local general practitioner surgeries but the HSE has pointed out that it will take some time before these figures …

COMMENT I USED to be a good trade unionist. Not any longer. I still could not pass a picket and never have. Even if I did not particularly agree with the picket.

ABBEY Street, O’Connell Square and O’Connell Street in Ennis will be pedestrianised on certain days in the lead-up to Christmas.

HISTORIAN Seán Spellissy has stood over his claim that Muhammad Ali’s roots are not in Ennis, following criticism at this week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.

COMMENT There was a slight element of pilgrimage in the trip we took last weekend. We left the freezing north of Britain and headed south to the renowned Cotswolds region.

A SPATE of burglaries and thefts in County Clare in recent weeks underlines the national trend of increasing crime, as revealed in this week’s Central Statistic Office figures.While these incidents are worrying, the overall situation in the Clare Garda Division for the first nine months of 2009 points to a reduced number of recorded offences under several headings, including theft and related offences, burglary, dangerous or negligent acts and damage to property and the environment. Stand-out statistics on the down side during this period record one homicide, compared to none, and 21 sexual offences, compared to 15 last year.Instances of elderly people being attacked and robbed in their homes, in some case with fatal consequences, have caused huge upset across the country, particularly in rural areas.In supporting An Garda Síochána, organisations such as Muintir na Tíre and Macra, along with many other community groups, are always reminding people of the importance of keeping an eye out for elderly people living …