News

THE parents of the late Laura Brennan have spoken of their pride at the impact of her campaigning and of the comfort they receive from knowing how many lives will be saved through a vaccination programme named in her memory. They were speaking as Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced the opening of the HSE’s online registration portal for the Laura Brennan HPV (human papilloma virus) Vaccination Catch-Up Programme. Eligible people can register on www.hpv.ie for an appointment for a free vaccine which will be administered through HSE vaccination clinics and schools. The programme is supported by Bernie and Larry Brennan, parents of the late Laura Brennan who campaigned for higher uptake of the HPV vaccine before her death from cervical cancer in 2019, aged 26. Free HPV vaccines will be offered to all boys and girls in second-level education who were previously eligible to receive the vaccine and who have not yet received it.  It is also open to young women up to …

As many as 10 Traveller families may be involved in violent feuds in Ennis, a court has heard. At Ennis district court, solicitor Tara Godfrey said she had been told by a garda that up to “10 Traveller families” are involved in different feuds. Ms Godfrey was representing a 41-year-old Ennis man who gardaí allege is one of the “main aggressors and instigators” in one of the feuds. Patrick McDonagh, a married father of eight with an address at Dun Na hÍnse, Lahinch Road, Ennis, appeared in court charged in connection with a violent incident in the Considine Road area of Cloughleigh on Tuesday night, December 13. McDonagh, faces two charges of criminal damage and a further charge of producing a weapon during the course of an offence, contrary to section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. Judge Mary Larkin refused McDonagh’s application for bail and remanded him in custody. Detective Garda Brendan Rouine of Ennis garda station …

A WEST Clare couple have lent their voices to this winter’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) fundraising campaign that shows the sacrifices made by volunteers each Christmas. As the RNLI launches its annual Christmas fundraising appeal, the search and rescue charity is highlighting the volunteers who will be on call over the festive season to save lives at sea. Kilrush couple, Pa Ryan and Liezel Brand both volunteer on the lifeboats but this Christmas only Pa will be on call, as Liezel gave birth to their son Conor, earlier this year. Pa and many more volunteers around the country may have to sacrifice their precious family time over the festive season to save others this Christmas. That is a very real possibility, as over the past five years, RNLI lifeboats have launched 55 times in Ireland during the festive period, bringing 44 people to safety. Liezel Brand came to Clare from Robin Island in South Africa and joined the lifeboat …

Record high attendances at the Emergency Department (ED) in University Hospital Limerick in recent days have led management to cancel all but the most urgent elective surgery and outpatient diagnostics at the hospital this Monday. The unprecedented level of ED attendance is driven by a surge in patients with respiratory infections, including COVID-19, flu and RSV, and significant numbers of people with trauma injuries resulting from slips and trips on the ice over recent days. Yesterday saw 221 people attending the ED, and 251 on Saturday: the busiest weekend ever recorded at the hospital. This morning’s decision, taken in line with our Escalation Plan, includes the redeployment of medical staff to the ED, and the transfer of appropriate trauma patients to Croom Orthopaedic Hospital for treatment. A spokesperson for UL Hospitals Group said, “We have been directly contacting all patients with surgery or diagnostics appointments scheduled for today, and these appointments will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity. We apologise …

Are you a qualified Dietitian, and eligible for CORU registration? HSE Mid West Community Healthcare is hiring permanent Basic Grade & Senior Dietitians to work with adults and children in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary.   HSE Mid West Community Healthcare has immediate vacancies for full-time and part-time Senior Dietitians and Basic Grade Dietitians. Successful applicants will join one of our dynamic multidisciplinary community-based teams to deliver dietitian-led one-to-one clinics and group education to adults and children. They will work in well-equipped Health Care Centres throughout the Mid West. There are currently vacancies available in a number of specialities including Adults, Paediatrics, Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes, Adult Weight Management, Care of Older Persons Rehabilitation Services, Mental Health and Health Promotion and Improvement. What our Dietitians enjoy about working in our service: “Our work helps keep people out of hospital” “There is an extremely supportive and knowledgeable team” “I improve peoples’ quality of life every day by delivering active and preventative care” …

TEENAGERS racially abused and spat at a woman while she was walking in Ennis in an act which has been described as “unacceptable” by a local councillor. Details of the incident were relayed at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where Councillor Johnny Flynn highlighted the woman’s ordeal. He outlined that the woman is from Georgia but now living in Ennis and wishes to remain anonymous. “She never experienced a racial incident until she came to Ennis,” he said pointing out that the county capital has recently been named ‘Ireland’s Friendliest Place’. “A group of young teenagers racially abused her and ran up and spat at her, she was very upset,” he said. “It is not acceptable for a woman to not feel safe within our town, that level of behaviour is not acceptable.” He added he would be raising the matter at an upcoming meeting of the Joint Policing Committee. His comments came as Councillor Mary Howard …

A passenger flight from the United States to Europe diverted to Shannon Airport this morning after a cabin crew member was reported to have fallen ill. United Airlines flight UA-74 was travelling from Newark in New Jersey to Frankfurt, Germany at the time. There were 175 passengers and crew on board. At around 8.30am, when the Boeing 767-300 series jet was about 500 kilometres southwest of Shannon, the flight advised air traffic controllers that a member of the cabin crew had fallen ill. At the time, the flight crew was in contact with controllers at the Irish Aviation Authority’s North Atlantic Communications Centre at Ballygirreen in Co Clare. The crew advised controllers that they wished to divert to Shannon and requested emergency medical services to be alerted and placed on standby. The ill cabin crew member was cared for by colleagues as the flight diverted to Shannon. On the ground, the National Ambulance Service was alerted and requested to mobilise …

IF a commercial deal was handled as badly as the transfer of the Shannon Heritage sites to the County Council, those in charge would probably be looking for new employment, said Clare TD Michael McNamara this week. It should be far easier to establish if Clare County Council can get the finance it says it needs, he feels. “If money isn’t available, money isn’t available. I’ve never been one to make little of money or to say that €15 million, which is reputedly what’s being asked, is a small amount of money, it’s not. “On the one hand you have Government representatives saying that it’s a small amount of money, which I don’t agree with, and on the other hand they’re saying that every effort is being made. “It seems to me that the dispute isn’t even about money, there seems to have been a lack of interaction between the Government and its various departments, Shannon Airport which is a …