Tag Archives: Mike McKee

BUS Éireann services at Shannon have been very poor in the recent past, with buses sometimes not coming at all, but management have promised improvements are on the way. At this week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District members, a deputation from Bus Éireann attended and were told in no uncertain terms that local service users have had serious problems. Sinn Féin’s Councillor Mike McKee said that he has had numerous messages from local people about the standard of service. While he said there have been many efforts to get people to use public transport, for these to succeed, the services “must be efficient, punctual and affordable and it is none of those”. Regarding affordability, he said what Bus Éireann offers is far too expensive. “It’s absolutely ridiculous, the price of it. It’s over €10 return from Shannon to Limerick and back.” An equivalent journey on the continent would be far less pricey, he added. Councillor McKee said that what he …

THERE was some hysteria in Shannon last week, after posts appeared on Facebook about men trying to lure children into a white van. However, following an investigation, gardaí say there was no risk of child abuse, while they have urged people to come to them when they have concerns. Sergeant Seamus Mulligan said that whenever there is suspicious activity, people need to contact gardaí, rather than getting onto social media. “They might want to vent on social media but they should also contact the gardaí.” He said that the van that was the subject of the social media posts in Shannon was subsequently met by gardaí in Limerick, who became satisfied that there had been no risk to children. The van was taken in, due to concerns about road traffic offences, but it is not expected that the matter will come before the courts. Earlier this year, Sergeant Mulligan addressed a meeting of Shannon Municipal District councillors, at which he …

Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has called on all political parties, community groups, businesses and statutory bodies in Clare to work together to help negate the effects of Brexit on the county. The Ireland South MEP was speaking at the launch of her latest discussion document on Brexit in the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis. The Mid-West and Brexit: The Potential Impacts of Britain’s Departure from the EU on Clare, ​​Limerick and North Tipperary examines the specific challenges that Brexit will pose for the region and lays out proposals for how they can best be tackled. “One of the main dangers of Brexit is that it can seem so vast and like such a major international issue that people tend to forget it will have a very real impact on their lives and their communities,” she said. “What I am am seeking to do with this document is remind people that Brexit is a local issue as well as …

GARDAÍ have questionned people about recent attacks on people in Shannon, which have caused a large amount of local disquiet. There was an outcry on social media following the incidents, and local Sinn Féin Councillor Mike McKee said he is hopeful there will be no repeat. “I hope the message got across and they got the message that enough is enough. I think they have got the message that Shannon is kicking up against them and will not tolerate it.” Regarding the local reaction to the attacks, Councillor McKee said, “It was massive, absolutely massive. No matter where I went, people were stopping me to talk about it. Whatever about prosecutions, we just want it stopped. People were scared to go out, they were scared to let their children out. It was the first time I’ve actually experienced that in Shannon, that kind of fear.” He feels that those involved probably realise that the behaviour is not acceptable. “The message …

SINN Féín’s sole Clare County Councillor Mike McKee is to run in the next general election. He will be joined on the party’s ticket in Clare by Noeleen Moran, who ran in 2016. The party is clearly hoping that a two-candidate strategy, which has not been attempted here by them in any recent election, can deliver a seat. Sinn Féin are to hold their selection convention on this Thursday night but, with only two candidates nominated, this is a formality. While they have not won a seat in Clare for generations, nor even come close since the party’s revival after the Good Friday Agreement, it is far from impossible that they will do so next time out, with the party polling between 14% and 18% nationally. In addition, they are set to go into the next election without Gerry Adams as leader. While Adams is Sinn Féin royalty, a sizeable cohort of voters in the South have never warmed to …

CLARIFICATION is this week being sought about changes to the operation of Shannon Post Office. It is not thought that there is any danger of the post office closing, rather of it no longer being run by An Post, with possible future implications for staff and services. “It came to my attention that there are changes planned for the post office in Shannon and, given the importance of this essential service to Shannon Town and the Shannon area, I sought further clarification from An Post about any such changes,” said Minister of State Pat Breen. “Officials from An Post informed me that it intends to convert Shannon Post Office from being a company-run office to one run by a contractor in the coming weeks.” Mr Breen said he was assured the changes will not mean a reduction in services there. “I have been assured by An Post that the change in business model for the Shannon office will not in …

THE county council has been asked to outline its vision for Shannon’s future, following the recent rejection of an application for planning permission by Aldi. There has been local anger at the rejection of the application, which people hoped would help revitalise the town and help towards giving it a conventional streetscape for the first time. At this week’s Shannon Municipal District meeting, Councillors Mike McKee and Gerry Flynn both put down motions regarding local development, while there was very widespread annoyance among the members regarding it. At Tuesday morning’s meeting, Councillor McKee said he had been amazed with the decision to give the Aldi proposal the thumbs down. “I was stunned with the reasons given and I couldn’t understand the logic,” the Sinn Féin representative said. He claimed that the development would have “taken away the stranglehold SkyCourt has on retail in Shannon”. Councillor McKee said that he hopes Aldi appeal. “I hope they appeal and are successful. For …

INTENSE anger at the rejection of an application for planning permission for a new Aldi store was voiced at a public meeting in Shannon this week. At least 70 people attended the meeting in the Oakwood Hotel, many of them furious that local shopping centre SkyCourt had objected to the proposal. There was also a fair share of anger at council planners. Shannon has never had a conventional town centre in the way that virtually ever town in Ireland does and many people living locally want one. The proposed Aldi store would have been across the road from SkyCourt, on the same side as McDonald’s, a fuel station and the Oakwood and there was a feeling that the development would have been at least a step in the right direction. Sinn Féin Councillor Mike McKee organised Tuesday’s meeting, where he strongly argued against a boycott of SkyCourt, saying it would damage local business and employment, when some members of the …