Shannon

SHANNON Development has appointed Nandi O’Sullivan as corporate communications manager following the retirement of Frank Larkin, who had held the position for 11 years.

JULY 22 of last year was an emotional day in Shannon as workers at Element Six were told that 370 of them were to lose their jobs.As it turned out, only around 160 jobs were ultimately lost but it has been a traumatic 12 months for many people who were hit by the fallout.Ruairí Price lost his job and has been out of work for a little over six months now.“To tell you the truth I’m glad to be out of it. I don’t have any regrets and I don’t miss the place,” he says.After being let go, he went back to work at Element Six for around three weeks on a temporary basis but he claims he is still waiting for part of his redundancy payment.He is still a bit uncertain about what the future will hold for him. While he has considered emigration, he is also looking at going to college.“I had a FÁS interview lately and I’ve …

ROSIE Byrne has returned to Shannon after spending some time volunteering in a Belarussian orphanage. She travelled with her 18-year-old daughter, Ruth, and they had been due to go to Goradiche, which is supported by Shannon, as its Jubilee 2000 Parish Project.“When we were en route to Goradiche, we got a text to say that the orphanage there was closed to volunteers because of an infection so we were re-routed to another orphanage under the Burren Chernobyl umbrella, Cherven. We were based in Minsk and travelled there daily,” she says.Rosie had already been to Goradiche on four occasions and said that she was struck by the differences between it and Cherven.“I couldn’t help comparing the two orphanages. Cherven is a more modern building, it’s better equipped, so from that point of view it’s streets ahead of Goradiche but you still have kids who are in need of love and attention and they need loads of volunteers. Cherven wouldn’t have as …

THE Government’s failure to introduce employment supports was a major factor behind a major loss of employment in the Shannon Free Zone last year, according to the town’s mayor, Tony Mulcahy.

THREE new businesses are set to open in Shannon Town Centre in the near future, according to manager Pat Kelly.

IT took about a year and a half, but Shannon Leisure Centre has finally reopened, with thousands of people turning out for the official opening last Saturday.Sixteen full-time and six to eight part-time positions have been created following the €1.4 million redevelopment and the centre now includes a 25m swimming pool, gymnasium, skate park, climbing wall, two sports halls, dance studio, floodlit outdoor tennis courts, a café/relaxation area, steam and sauna rooms and wet and dry changing rooms.Reverend Bob Hanna and Shannon parish priest Tom Ryan blessed the centre, before it was officially opened by Defence Minister Tony Killeen. The opening ceremony was followed by a free fun day.Initially, the redevelopment was to be completed within 20 weeks, but there was a lengthy delay due to a dispute between the contractor and the board of the leisure centre. The delay in the reopening led to a Facebook campaign and a public protest outside a meeting of Shannon Town Council earlier …

CLARE County Fire and Rescue Service took delivery of a new emergency tender vehicle at Shannon Fire Station last Friday.The new €270,000 appliance, which has been funded by the Department of the Environment, almost completes a fairly comprehensive upgrade to Shannon Fire Brigade. The upgrade will conclude with the delivery of a new water tanker to Shannon Fire Station later this month.A €1,225,000 extension and upgrade to Shannon Fire Station was completed in May 2009, while the brigade has also benefited from the delivery of a Class B appliance (€280,000) and a pre-owned Class B appliance (€160,000).Minister Michael Finneran came to Shannon at the time to officially open the refurbished station which included extra bays, a developed drill yard and new accommodation facilities for the crew.Mayor of Shannon Tony Mulcahy welcomed the arrival of the new Emergency Tender. “I am delighted to see that investment in our local fire service is continuing and that personnel are being delivered the necessary …

THERE are problems associated with certain rental properties in Shannon, it was claimed at the June meeting of Shannon Town Council, while existing regulations aren’t strong enough, it was also claimed.Councillor Gerry Flynn proposed that the council write to people involved in letting property to advise them of their obligations. He said that people living near rental properties don’t want an awful lot. “All neighbours want is three things. One is adequate waste disposal. Two, proper appearance of rental property and three is not to have anti-social behaviour.”People renting can have a different outlook to people who have bought houses, Councillor Tony McMahon claimed. “To one person, a rented property can be a very temporary place. To someone else, their house can be a lifetime investment and sometimes, there is only a 2ft wall between them,” the councillor added.He said that there is a need for legislation rather than guidelines and that it should be enforced by the gardaí. Councillor …