Tag Archives: michael kelly

THE man who for years flew the world’s largest aircraft paid a special visit to an exhibition in Shannon Airport this week. Captain Dmytro Antonov, Chief pilot for Antonov Airlines, who shares the same name as the famous Ukrainian aircraft company, spent time visiting the world’s largest collection of diecast model planes after recently flying into Shannon on the Antonov AN 124.   His reason was a poignant one – to view a rare scale model of the largest plane ever built – the Antonov AN-225, an aircraft that Dmytro himself captained for many years.   In October 2021, the AN-225, known as the ‘Mriya’, the Ukrainian word for dream, touched down at Shannon Airport for the last time before it was destroyed at Hostomel Airfield, outside of Kyiv, during the conflict in February of this year.  The 1– 200 scale model, which is one of only a few models of its kind in the world, is made from carbon …

THOSE at the top of the GAA have lost all touch with the grassroots and put money before all else, it’s been claimed by  Clare County Council members.  Several of the speakers at the April meeting are former players or involved in local clubs. Several councillors spoke out against the GAA-Sky deal, including vice-chairman of the county board, Joe Cooney, while Mayor of Clare, Joe Arkins, described it as the “thin end of a wedge that’s going to get a lot, lot thicker as time goes by”. Councillors Cooney, Arkins and Michael Kelly put down a motion calling on the GAA to ensure that all of Ireland be able to watch games, without any additional cost. The three were bitingly critical of the decision to award Sky exclusive rights to games. The mayor said that huge numbers of people have developed the GAA, helping in all sorts of ways, but many will now be denied the chance to watch intercounty …

THE abolition of the Ennistymon Electoral Area later this year was described as “a retrograde step” by a local representative. Councillor Michael Hillery was speaking at the final Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting held on Monday. In May, the electoral area boundaries change and a large part of the existing Ennistymon Electoral Area will merge with the existing Kilrush Electoral Area, while the remaining part will join with the East Clare Electoral Area. Local area meetings for the larger North Clare area will now take place in the new municipal centre in Kilrush. “I feel it is a retrograde step that the area is being disbanded and the main office is going to be in Kilrush. This will be a great loss to North Clare,” Councillor Hillery said. “This will continue as a service centre,” said Niall Barrett, Clare County Council director of service and area co-prdinator. Councillor Bill Slattery stressed that it remained unclear in “what form” the Ennistymon office …