Tag Archives: christmas

An estimated 20,300 people in Clare are suffering from fuel deprivation according to trade union Unite, which has issued a brief report highlighting the prevalence of fuel deprivation on a county-by-county basis. Entitled A Cold Christmas, the document uses the most recent (2014) figures for the EU-SILC heat affordability indicator, which show that over 700,000 people were unable to afford heating at some point during the year,  and adjusts them for county-level income figures to arrive at a county-by-county estimate.  The union also proposes a package of short and medium-term measures to address fuel deprivation. Unite Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly said, “Fuel deprivation impacts on the personal dignity, health and well-being of those directly affected. It diminishes family life at home and can impact on productivity at work. It also results in an increased demand on health and social services. Fuel deprivation is directly related to the increased rate of death in cold weather – what is known as excess winter mortality. The causes of fuel …

The rise in fatalities on the county’s roads is “a worrying trend”, according to the head of Clare’s Road Traffic Division, Inspector John Ryan. He was speaking as gardaí have issued an urgent appeal this Christmas season advising motorists and road users to drive safely. To date in 2014, there have been four fatalities in County Clare and five in County Galway. An Garda Síochána have said they want to ensure those numbers do not increase over the Christmas and new-year period. Commenting on the figures and the Western Region Road Safety Christmas Campaign 2014, which began on December 1 and will conclude on January 4, 2015. Inspector Ryan said, “We had four fatalities from three road traffic collisions and that’s an increase from two fatalities last year and the previous year. It absolutely is a worrying trend and our aim would be to have zero fatalities and that’s our goal but any increase is something you don’t want to …

Special occasions can be very difficult for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, but there are things that the bereaved can do to make things a little easier, the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has advised as Christmas Day draws near. People who are bereaved should plan ahead and keep things simple, as a way of coping with their loss this Christmas, according to Dr Susan Delaney, clinical psychologist and bereavement services manager at the IHF. A recent IHF survey on attitudes to death and dying in Ireland revealed that 53% of the adult population suffered bereavement in the last two years – that is more than one and a half a million people who will be missing a family member or friend this festive season. “There is something about Christmas that intensifies all our emotions. The hype begins in October and builds up in the weeks before Christmas, often making make it a very difficult time …

A very merry Christmas, with an anticipated 15% increase in passenger numbers from 12 months ago, kicked off at Shannon Airport at the weekend, as 2,000 children and parents got to meet Santa in the skies. In an initiative to thank the public for its support over what has been a year of strong growth, as well as raise some much needed funds for two local charities, Shannon Airport, in partnership with Ryanair, made Christmas come early for the excited children as 12 flights took the skies over Saturday and Sunday. Among those getting to savour this special moment were special needs children from the Clare Crusaders Clinic, St Gabriel’s School in Limerick and Mirmear Autism Unit in Tipperary. Demand for the ‘free flights’, the booking fee for which goes to charity, was so high that they booked out in all of 12 minutes, when they went up for grabs two weeks ago. The airport is readying itself for its …

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has an extensive list of  unsafe toys, which Santa shouldn’t be asked to bring this Christmas. Last year, the commission prevented some 20,000 unsafe toys from being placed for sale on the Irish market. The unsafe toys, mainly imported from China, were unbranded, of poor quality and intended for sale at markets or discount shops. If the commission determines that a product presents a hazard to the consumer, it can compel the trader to take appropriate remedial action, which might include the product being withdrawn from the market and the recall and or repair of products already sold. The commission is the Irish contact point for the Europe-wide rapid alert system, RAPEX, which contains a list of all product recalls, which have taken place in the EU. Safety tips for parents in guiding their children when compiling their Santa list: Only buy toys with the CE Mark. All toys for sale in Ireland must have the …

IN a gesture of solidarity with the poor, Ennis priest, Fr Ger Fitzgerald will be spending the night outside a rundown apartment block, beginning at 12midnight up to 7am on Christmas Day. Fr Ger will rough it at the Fairways Apartments, near Ennis Hospital, as part of what he hopes will be the first of many initiatives in the coming year, which will see a closer union between the Church and the poor. He sees it as part of the Church’s attempts to do what Pope Francis has demanded and go out into the streets and meet the poor and those in need. He has asked the public to remember him in their prayers that night and welcomes anyone interested in joining him for an hour or half an hour in solidarity. “In particular if you can play a musical instrument or tell a good story,” he said. Outlining the reasons behind this initiative, Fr Ger said, “Last March, when …

A FATHER of three is pleading with Ennis Town Council to help make a Christmas promise to his family come true – that they will not have to continue to live in their home that has been riddled with mould and damp. Ayobami Oyedele has been living in Clancy Park as a tenant of the town council with his family for the past five years and he says that his house is now inhabitable. “I promised my family that we are not going to be here at Christmas, it is just so bad the dampness is all over. I don’t know how I am going to keep that promise,” he said. When contacted by the Clare Champion, a spokesperson for Ennis Town Council stated that while they do not comment on individual circumstances, they could confirm there have been ongoing discussions with the family. They added that contact would be maintained towards addressing their circumstances. Mr Oyedele said that he …

EMIGRATION is one of the most regrettable effects of the recession but with masses returning from countries like Australia and Canada, Clare businesses are getting a Christmas lift. Patrick Bourke has men’s clothes shops in Kilrush and Ennis and he says that the ‘Australia effect’ is obvious at the moment. “There are an awful lot of people buying clothing when they come home. They’re travelling light on the way home because of carriage and it’s so hot over there, but when they come home they’re frozen.” One visitor to his shop had little option but to go shopping quickly. “A fella came home with one pair of jeans on him, his mother asked him to bring in coal and he dirtied his only jeans! He was going buying more, but that forced his hand to do it a bit earlier.” He says that pubs will probably get more business from people back home for short visits. “There was a fella …