Tag Archives: Ireland

August was to have been a memorable month for young Matt Griffin. The 15 year-old Ennistymon teenager was to have made his national bow at a major cycling event in Austria but the Covid-19 pandemic has put the brakes on that happening. “It’s a pity. We were looking forward to the event and its very disappointing that the Austrian cycling event has been cancelled. I suppose health comes first in situations like that,” concedes his father, Matthew. The youngster’s metoric rise in cycling circles is driven by desire and a dedication which sees him make a 220 round trip to Kanturk in North Cork for training spins with the local youth cycling club. But distance is no barrier as his father Matthew fulfils the taxi driver role, ferrying him to and from the training sessions. Before the pandemic brought travel to a halt, Matt would make the trip a couple of time each week. “He can be a bit lazy …

SINCE the coronavirus pandemic struck, Ireland and the EU have taken unprecedented measures to protect lives and livelihoods. The EU supported national efforts to tackle the health crisis and cushion the impact of the massive economic hit. It freed up every available euro in its budget and used every inch of flexibility in its economic rules. This helped finance EU safety nets of €540 billion, including the new SURE instrument, to help people stay in work and to support hard-pressed families and businesses. Now is the time for our European Union to look ahead and act together to repair the damage, re-start the economy and build a better and more sustainable future for the next generation. No country in Europe, including Ireland, can do this work alone. We must walk the road together. To this end, the European Commission proposed on May 27 a radical and historic € 1.85 trillion recovery plan. At its core is a €750 billion instrument, …

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 17 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died. There were six new confirmed cases in Clare today, bringing the figure to 40. ·        Eight deaths were located in the east, three in the south, three in the north-west and three in the west of the country ·        Patients included four females and 13 males ·        Median age of today’s reported deaths is 84 ·        Eight patients were reported as having underlying health conditions There have now been 71 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 325 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, as at 1pm today, Tuesday. There are now 3,235 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. The HSE is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to …

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has today been informed that 10 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died, eight male and two female. This figures come as three new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Clare. The total in this county now stands at 34. Nationally, six deaths are located in the east of the country, three in the northwest and one in the south.  The median age of today’s reported deaths is 77. There have now been 46 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 200 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, as at 1pm today. There are now 2,615 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. The HSE is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Friday 27 March (2,216 cases), reveals: 51% are male and 48% are …

IF Leo Varadkar had been hoping for a mild, diplomatic press conference with Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon, he would have been disappointed. While Brexit is almost universally seen as a historic and catastrophic mistake in Ireland, one which Mr Varadkar and his Government are vehemently opposed to, Mr Trump wasted almost no time before talking it up, as the two spoke to the press in the Shannon Airport terminal. “It’s an honour to be here, we’ll discuss various things, probably you’ll (Varadkar) ask me about Brexit, because I just left some very good people who are very much involved with Brexit as you know. I think it’ll all work out, all work out very well and also for you, with your wall, your border. We have a border situation in the United States and you have one over here. I think they’re both going to work out well. “Both the military and trade are a very big factor and …

US President, Donald Trump, is likely to visit Doonbeg this November. Informed sources have confirmed to The Clare Champion that President Trump’s visit to Ireland is very likely to involve a visit to the family-owned golf resort in West Clare. He last visited Doonbeg in May 2014, following the purchase of Trump International Golf Resort. On Friday night, The White House said that President Trump will visit this country, during a trip to Europe to “renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations”. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the US President will be in Ireland for a “brief visit.” “It will be an opportunity to follow up on the issues discussed in the White House in March, including migration, trade, climate change and human rights issues,” the Government statement said. By Peter O’Connell

RUSSIAN mafia figures may have become involved with Donald Trump in Doonbeg, it has been claimed at a sitting of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In an interview with the committee in November, a transcript of which was published this week, researcher Glenn Simpson detailed links between US President Trump and Russian organised crime figures. Mr Simpson also said that in the course of carrying out research on the US President at the time he was a candidate, it had been found that the development of Doonbeg was one of several unusual deals. A former journalist, Mr Simpson works at Washington commercial research firm, Fusion GPS. In the autumn of 2015, it was hired to take an open-ended detailed look at Trump’s business career, litigation history and his relationships with what were described as “questionable people”. Asked about deals of interest involving the now US President, Mr Simpson said, “Some of the things that we have…looked …

Transport Minister Shane Ross has announced a new provision to facilitate the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications between Ireland and the UK, which comes into operation today, Tuesday August 1. “The mutual recognition of driving disqualifications is an important road safety measure because it aims to target dangerous drivers on our roads. The disqualifications relate to drivers disqualified for reckless or dangerous driving, hit and run driving, and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. “Mutual recognition of driving disqualifications is an important road safety measure for both Ireland and the UK, and is one of a series of measures I am introducing which will reduce road injuries and ultimately save lives,” he said. The Minister added: “Maintaining the common travel area and our economic links with the UK are important priorities for Ireland, and this agreement will make a contribution towards that objective, as well as making an important contribution to road safety. The new measures are …