Shannon

Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has said he is very aware of the importance of connectivity to Shannon Airport and to business in Clare. There have been fears that Shannon’s Heathrow links could be lost if the mooted IAG takeover of Aer Lingus goes through, and while the Minister didn’t explicitly rule out a deal which could see the Clare airport losing connectivity, he stressed that he is very aware of how important the link is, and said connectivity would be an important consideration in making a decision on any bid for the State’s 25.1% stake. In an interview with The Clare Champion, he said, “We’re looking at all of the consequences that the proposed bid could have for connectivity. I’m very much aware of how important connectivity is for the Shannon region and how important Shannon Airport is. I have said throughout all of this that national connectivity and the particular impact on our regions will be vital if a bid …

SHANNON’S Ss John & Paul Church was attacked by vandals late on Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday. A large rock was thrown through a window and this morning Gardai began an examination of the scene, while an area of the church has been sealed off. Seating has been restricted for masses today, but they are still going ahead at 10am and 12.15pm. Gardai are appealing for any information on the incident and can be contacted at 061 365900.

PAT Madden, a resident of Cúl na Gréine in Shannon, has said he is having no luck with getting Irish Water to repair an apparent leak at his house, which is leading to a colossal waste of water. Speaking about his water meter on Monday, he said, “It went in on November 7 at 11am, I photographed the old meter coming out and the new one coming in. There were 23 litres on the new one which is acceptable for testing and that. They fitted it and went off about their business.” He said that from then on the meter was “ticking away merrily for itself” and it has recorded a massive amount of water, far beyond what his own use could justify. “From the seventh of November until the 24th of January, last Saturday there was 1,586, 000 litres gone down the tubes. You can take out the tiny bit that I use, because I live on my own.” To put …

SHANNON Airport saw passenger numbers increase by 17% in 2014, as its recovery continues. The total number of passengers went from 1.4 million in 2013 to 1,639,315 in 2014. Such an increase is very welcome at an airport, whose survival was in doubt just two years ago. In 2012, Shannon had just 1.394 million passengers, the lowest number since 1988. After its separation from the Dublin Airport Authority, the numbers kept falling in the early months of 2013, before beginning to move in the right direction in the second half of the year, with the overall figure slightly ahead of 2012. In 2014 the recovery picked up momentum, with 10 new destinations and 16 service enhancements. Following a deal with Ryanair, most of the 2014 growth was on European routes, with nine new destinations delivering a 70% increase in passengers. While the new services included some sun destinations, there were also high numbers of inbound visitors following the return of …

LOCAL woman Lou McMahon will be singing at Sixmilebridge’s Winter Music Weekend. “I’m playing on January 18 in the Mill Bar for the grand finale concert. Before that, during the day, I’m at singers’ session,” she said last week. Regarding her music, she said, “I’m a singer/songwriter and I’d consider myself to be in the contemporary folk genre. I’ve been playing for a number of years and I’m just off tour with Jack L. I was support act. “Musically, my influences are mostly American folk songwriters; people like Joni Mitchell and I always liked PJ Harvey. Also, country singers like Alison Krauss, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, all the old songwriters. Then the newer ones like Bill Callahan on Anna Calvi or Maggie Bjorklund, that kind of thing.” The tour with Jack L saw her visiting many parts of the country. “I was doing that for most of 2012 and ’13. I was gigging with him in arts …

CLARE is expected to get its most significant jobs boost for a number of years within the next 12 weeks. While there is some uncertainty about the exact number of jobs that are to be created, it’s believed that it will be in excess of 500, possibly even in the region of 700. The company in question is a multinational based in Shannon and it is understood they have won a significant amount of new business and need new workers. This week, some informed sources said they expect the jobs will be announced within the first quarter of the year. It is understood that there are likely to be a mix of highly skilled and unskilled positions created. The company that is set to create the jobs has been based in Shannon for a number of years. They already employ several hundred staff and have increased headcount in recent times, while management have previously said that Ireland is a very …

MORE than 1,000 people are expected to flock to Bunratty and Sixmilebridge for the annual Shannonside Winter Music Festival and visitors to Bunratty Castle & Folk Park will be in for some special performances as part of the line-up. The castle and folk park will play host a number of events on Saturday, January 17, from 12noon to 5pm, giving its visitors a flavour of all that the international music event has to offer. Each year, the Winter Music Festival showcases a variety of music genres and has been growing year-on-year both in popularity and in the diversity of the acts. For the fourth year-in-a-row, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park will play host to the best of this year’s talent across five venues. The acts change every hour and perform a 45 minute set each. John Ruddle, CEO of Shannon Heritage, which manages and operates Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, said, “It never ceases to amaze me how, each year, …

THE crises that have struck Russia in recent months are being put forward as the reasons that Shannon-based Transaero Engineering Ireland had to seek the protection of the courts this week. The aircraft maintenance company entered an examinership process on Monday with the aim of securing its future. It currently has 230 employees and around 40 contract workers. Examinership gives struggling companies breathing space as it gives them protection from creditors for 100 days, during which time the court-appointed examiner, in this case Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton, reports back to the court with recommendations. While the majority of businesses that enter examinership do continue to trade after successfully exiting, the examiner has to find there is a reasonable prospect of it becoming viable. Formerly Air Atlanta Aero Engineering, the company came under Russian ownership when it was purchased by Transaero Airlines almost three years ago. In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, TransAero Engineering Ireland (TEI) outlined …