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Safety being compromised, controllers allege, in letter to the Minister for Transport SHANNON and Cork airports both had to close during the summer due to a lack of air traffic controllers, and safety is being compromised by forcing those same controllers to work at short notice while tired. That’s part of the message contained in a letter which has been sent to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan by disgruntled air traffic controllers. The IAA employs 332 people in Shannon and at Ballygirreen in Newmarket-on-Fergus, many of them air traffic controllers. The IAA has rejected the claims included in the letter and said that any disagreements can be resolved using existing dispute resolution processes. The letter included stinging criticism of the IAA management, and said that Shannon and Cork Airports both closed during the summer due to staff shortages, which it claimed were brought about because of long term abuse of staff. “As you are aware on a number of occasions an …

LED by the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI), Make Way Day returns to Clare this Friday. Make Way Day is a campaign that brings the disability and wider community together to consider the needs of people with disabilities in the public spaces we all share. This year, DFI has developed an online tool that campaigners can use to test and rate their local area or 5k. The online tool is mobile friendly and can be used to draw attention to anything that is a barrier for people, meaning every corner of Ireland can be put to the test for basic access issues. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor PJ Ryan, said, “Clare County Council is happy to work with DFI in supporting the roll-out of Make Way Day in County Clare. Make Way Day is an important campaign to increase public awareness of the obstacles and access issues experienced by people with disabilities in public spaces.” Make Way Day focuses …

AMERICAN film star Lacey Chabert spent three weeks at The Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and was quite taken with the place. Chabert, of Mean Girls fame, recently stayed incognito at the hotel while filming her new movie, Christmas at Castle Hart, according to a spokesperson for the hotel. The Hallmark production, which co-stars Irish actor Stuart Townsend, was being shot around Clare and Limerick. The hotel spokesperson also revealed that the actress stayed so long at the Old Ground, because she thought it was “so fetch”. For those of you not au fait with the lingo, ‘fetch’ is another way of saying ‘cool’. Built in the early part of the 18th Century as a private dwelling, the manor house has been a hotel since 1895 and reopened under the ownership of Allen Flynn and the Flynn Hotel Collection in September 1995. They have undertaken five major refurbishments and extensions, bringing it from 11 bedrooms to 108, and it now operates …

MOTORISTS in Clare are being warned of the increased risk of wild deer on the roads, particularly in the east of the county, writes Fiona McGarry. The Irish Deer Commission said that particular caution is advised from late September to early November during the rutting or deer breeding season. A spokesperson said that while the rut is an amazing experience to witness, it is also a time when there is an increased incidence of road traffic accidents. “Male deer go in search of females and younger males are ousted by dominant males forcing deer to cross roads and motorways,” a spokesperson for the commission said. Dawn and dusk are the times at which deer are most active and high risk areas such as woodlands and mountains. East Clare has previously been identified by a national inter-agency report as a “deer hotspot”. The commission is advising that during the rutting season, drivers would reduce speed where they see a deer warning …

THE government’s new housing plan will fail Clare unless it addresses the unique challenges facing permanent residents trying to secure affordable housing around Clare’s tourist hotspots. That’s the warning delivered this week by Coucillor Cillian Murphy, who told a council meeting on Monday all the anecdotal evidence suggests there is a crisis in the availability of affordable housing stock, for both private ownership or long term rental for permanent residents. Councillor Murphy called on the local authority to conduct the relevant research to establish the current demand in Clare for affordable housing for permanent residents who do not qualify for social housing assistance, with a firm timeline for the delivery of this research. While Councillor Murphy applauded the vision and pragmatism in the government’s New Housing for All plan, he stressed the devil will be in the detail as to where housing solutions will be provided. “The demand for second or holiday homes is long recognised worldwide as a push …

A 16-year-old male has been charged with violent disorder arising from a late night row in Kilkee that saw three people sustain head injuries, writes Gordon Deegan. At the Children’s Court of Kilrush District Court sitting in Ennis, Sergeant Louis Moloney said that CCTV footage shows the teenager – then aged 15 – breaking a bottle off a wall and running with it towards a row which was off camera. In the case, the teenager is charged with committing violent disorder at the Strand Line, Kilkee, on July 31 2020 contrary to Section 15 of the Criminal Justice Act. Sergeant Moloney said that no injured party named the teenager as the person who carried out the attacks on the three injured parties. He said that one of those assaulted required 43 stitches and staples to injuries to his head and arm. Sergeant Moloney stated that another male required five staples to a head injury and a female required five stitches …

MEASURES should be put in place to ensure teenagers socialise responsibly during the Halloween break, according to a local councillor. Speaking at a recent Joint Policing Committee, Councillor Ann Norton acknowledged local gardaí have worked very well over the years with local nightclub owners. The Independent Councillor said she appreciated young people would like to enjoy themselves with their friends after being restricted over the last 18 momths during to Covid-19. Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran said apart from a few flashpoints in certain locations during the summer months, public order offences in the county have been in decline. Like previous years, he confirmed gardaí would be working in co-operation with nightclub owners to ensure there were no major incidents during holiday periods like Halloween. “It is something we are conscious of and we will continue working to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable night.” Councillor Joe Killeen said people were delighted with the increase in local tourists on staycations …

THE development of a rail link to Shannon International Airport would help to transform the international airport, according to the county’s first citizen. A renewed call for the provision of this rail link was made by Councillor PJ Ryan at a council meeting on Monday. Councillor Ryan urged Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to provide this rail link, which would provide a huge boost the airport, and would also provide some certainty for land owners, as two possible routes are currently identified in the County Development Plan. Down through the years, the councillor recalled he and other members such as Pat McMahon and John Crowe have called for a rail link to Shannon Airport. In view of Minister Ryan’s preference for rail transport, Councillor Ryan believes they should be pushing an open door in terms of securing his support for this venture. He urged Minister Ryan to secure a slice of significant EU Greenway funding to cover the cost of this …