The body of a young man has been recovered from the River Shannon in Killaloe on Wednesday evening following a major multi-agency search and recovery operation. It is understood a 19 year-old man from Limerick City fell from a jet-ski into the water, drifted for a while and then went underwater close to the ESB Mill Yard near an area known locally as Between the Waters. There are unconfirmed reports that other people on the jet-ski managed to swim ashore to safety. The young man was recovered by the Killaloe Ballina Search and Recovery Dive Unit at 6.45pm and was pronounced dead at the scene. Following early enquiries, An Garda Síochána are currently treating this matter as a tragic accident. Killaloe Coast Guard was tasked at 5.05pm on Wednesday afternoon and launched two vessels -a D-class and Rib in the lake at around 5.25pm. Two ambulances from the National Ambulance Service arrived to the incident – one remained Between …
Read More »Recovery Operation Underway After Killaloe Tragedy
A major search and recovery operation is underway in Killaloe after a young man fell from a jet-ski into the River Shannon and failed to come back up to the surface. It is understood the alarm was raised on Wednesday afternoon at about 5.20pm when a man, who is believed to be from Limerick City fell into the water just off an ESB building a short distance from Killaloe Bridge. Killaloe Coast Guard arrived quickly on the scene and launched a vessel on to the water near an area known locally as Between the Waters, which was cordoned off from vehicular traffic to facilitate the arrival of a Clare Fire Services fire tender and fire truck with local fire service personnel. Two ambulances arrived to the incident – one remained in a car parking space Between the Waters and the other vehicle was stationed near Ballina public toilets for a period of time. The Rescue 115 helicopter from Shannon …
Read More »Killaloe Coast Guard Tasked To Tackle Speeding Jet Skis
Jet ski operators, who drive at excessive speed on Lough Derg, are putting the lives of swimmers at risk, Killaloe Coast Guard has warned. Killaloe Coast Guard was tasked to assist local gardai deal with jet skis being operated at dangerous speeds near Killaloe Bridge on Monday and Tuesday. A number of vessels were requested to return to the relevant slipways and the owners were spoken to by Gardai. A Coast Guard spokesman told the Clare Champion that some jet ski operators were driving at speed of up to 60 kilometres an hour near Killaloe Bridge in a speed limit area of about five kilometres. He said some jet skis were doing “doughnuts”, which is akin to doing a hand break turn on the water, which in turn creates a backwash that causes issues for boats being knocked against jetties and swimmers. During periods of hot weather, he said large numbers of young teenagers are congregating and swimmers …
Read More »Martyrs remembered as Scariff hurlers take on Killaloe
HISTORY, culture, sport and memory were combined in Sixmilebridge last weekend, when both Scariff and Smith O’Brien’s intermediate hurlers wore black armbands to mark the centenary of the Scariff Martyrs, who were murdered by British Crown Forces on Killaloe Bridge in November 1920. The idea was proposed by the East Clare Memorial Committee, as part of their Scariff Martyrs 100 programme of commemorative events. The group have been commemorating the Scariff Martyrs, Alphie Rodgers, Michael ‘Brud’ McMahon, Martin Gildea and Michael Egan for many decades and are currently finalising plans for the 100th anniversary. According to the historian, Tomás Mac Conmara, who is part of the Memorial Committee, the unique encounter between Scariff and Killaloe, both areas so closely related to the story, presented a unique opportunity. “Our aim is to create as much awareness as possible of the Scariff Martyr’s story and its context in the War of Independence,” Dr MacConmara said. “It was unique that Killaloe and Scariff …
Read More »Advance Works Set to Start on Killaloe Bridge and Bypass Project
THE time-line for awarding the contract to build the new multimillion Euro Killaloe Bridge and Bypass has slipped slightly from its original target, The Champion has learned, with the likelihood that the three-part project may not now be completed until 2024. Works to progress the project, which also includes improvements to the R494, have continued despite Covid-19 restrictions, with the Project Steering Group, lead by Clare County Council, meeting remotely in April and May. In response to a query from The Champion, the local authority has outlined a time-frame indicating it expects the contract for the main works to be awarded at the end of March next year, with construction taking a further three years to complete. The most recent update available previously was as briefing to members of the Killaloe Municipal District which indicated that contracts would be awarded before the end of 2020, with a target completion date of late 2022. “The Project Team … are close to …
Read More »Killaloe Coast Guard issue jet ski appeal
KILLALOE Coast Guard has appealed to jet ski operators to operate in the open waters of Lough Derg away from restricted zones near the historic bridge. Deputy officer in charge, Damien Madden made the plea after the coast guard unit was tasked twice over the May Bank Holiday weekend to assist Gardai who were having difficulty getting operators to move from particular areas. Mr Madden recalled a number of jet skis were driving at full speed between Ballina slipway and Killaloe Bridge in a five knott speed zone on Saturday, May 30. He said this was dangerous because a number of people were swimming off the pontoon at the back of Tuscany, in spite of no swimming signs, and had to be asked by local gardai to desist. In addition to the noise, he said a jet ski can create a backwash that creates a problem for a person having refreshments on any vessel that is mooring near the bridge. …
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