Tag Archives: shannon

ON Wednesday healthcare company RocDoc launched an antibody testing service at Shannon Airport. The testing can determine whether or not an individual has developed an immunity to Covid-19 either through a vaccine or through contracting Covid-19 previously. As well as being able to test whether a vaccine has worked, it can also show whether or not an individual has a strong or weak immunity to Covid. Results arrive within 72 hours of the test taking place. Roc Doc Chief Executive David Rock said, “The test itself is different to the other antibody tests that are on the market, there’s a number of point of care ones, they kind of look like a pregnancy test and they can give you results within an hour. The one that we’re releasing here now is one that actually goes to a laboratory, an offsite accredited independent laboratory. It’ll give you a number, a quantitative number. With other tests they tell you the antibodies are …

A HEALTHCARE assistant in Shannon is currently living in his car, with apparently little prospect of finding a place to live in the town. James McCarthy now sleeps in his Toyota Yaris, while he feeds himself with fast food. Although he has been estranged from his wife for years and they are divorced, she allows him to take showers at her house. He said that he has tried to get accommodation in homeless hostels, but there isn’t a place available, particularly with Covid prevalent. While he works full time in a role that requires Garda vetting on a regular basis, he feels that his membership of the Travelling community counts against him when it comes to renting accommodation. “They still look at me as a McCarthy knacker from Limerick. I’m not known to the Gardai, I’m a quiet man, I’ve never blackguarded anyone, but people watch things,they see things, and this is what they think.” He left his last house …

SHANNON Group have sought tenders for the design of a new cargo hub. There has already been speculation that Shannon is close to agreeing a deal that would see Amazon open a facility close to the airport, and the new cargo hub could potentially facilitate that. The cargo hub which tenders are being sought for, would be on a four acre, undeveloped site next to the ASL hangar, along the approach road towards the airport. Shannon plans to develop a 29,708 square metre distribution facility, with a 3,767 square foot office facility. Earlier this year Shannon Group refused to comment on the discussions it had with Amazon, but in a statement it drew attention to its cargo plans. “Shannon Group is uniquely positioned in that it has a significant supply of landside/airside development sites suitable for distribution of goods by both air and road. Shannon Group has delivered 1 million sq ft of new and refurbished aviation, office and manufacturing …

WHILE over €4 million has been announced for Ennis under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the second largest town in Clare wasn’t successful. It has left a sour taste in Shannon, where recent years have seen persistent complaints that the town does not have the facilities that a town of around 10,000 people and with a huge industrial base should have. It is hard to think of any major projects in the town that have been completed in recent years with the exception of Shannon Town Park, which opened in 2019 at a cost of €1.5 million. There are also plans for a future new community sports hub. There is no doubt that the centre of Ennis is already a far more attractive place than the equivalent area in Shannon, which still doesn’t have a conventional streetscape and local independent councillor Gerry Flynn said that the failure to get anything from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund is another …

THE Shannon Family Resource Centre (Shannon FRC) is now offering a discreet family-support service and has secured additional funding for one to one counselling for children and adults which is being delivered free of charge. The new Shannon FRC website showcases this and other positive mental health services and resources which are available in the Shannon area. “Child and adolescent counselling services have seen a big increase in demand since the pandemic began,” says Colette Bradley, co-ordinator of Shannon FRC. Like many other organisations, Shannon FRC, based in the Rineanna View Community Building, has been learning to adapt to new ways of supporting the people of the town and surrounding communities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s three-person staff team has witnessed first hand the significant challenges that a lot of families are trying to cope with on a day to day basis during this pandemic – poverty, mental health issues, along with grief and loss, which are …

GARDAÍ at Shannon investigating the shooting incident in Sixmilebridge village on Saturday, January 18, 2020, when two men suffered gunshot wounds have arrested two men in relation to their investigation. The incident occurred on Pound Street in the village during the Shannonside Music Festival. Two men, one aged 21, and the other a 66-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds during the incident. One man (20s) was arrest in Dublin on Thursday, February 25 and is being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Shannon Garda station. The second man (20s), was arrested in Limerick yesterday morning, Saturday, February 27,  and is being detained under Section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1999 at Ennis Garda station. This brings to six the number of people arrested as part of this investigation. Gardaí say their Investigations are ongoing.

PASSENGERS on a US military flight were allowed to enter Ireland at Shannon Airport despite not having been tested for Covid, the Dáil has heard. In response to the breach gardai instructed the passengers to isolate in a Limerick hotel, which they did – not without leaving their quarantine to obtain food however. Speaking in the Dáil, following a question from Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan, Minister Simon Coveney said, “The landing in question was by a US military aircraft, with five crew and 48 passengers on board. “It had sought and received prior diplomatic clearance to land subject to our routine stipulations, including that it did not carry arms or ammunition. The US authorities have confirmed that this condition was met.” The Minister added, “As regards public health measures, Statutory Instrument 11/2021 was the applicable regulation on that date, which stipulated that all passengers should present negative PCR tests on arrival and complete a passenger location form. “Due to …

ACTIVITY has almost stopped at Shannon Airport nowadays, but Clare County Councillors want it to be primed for whenever recovery is possible. At Monday’s meeting of the local authority Fine Gael’s John Crowe and Fianna Fáil’s Pat McMahon, both representatives of the Shannon Municipal District, put forward motions aimed at helping the airport, which is so important to the county’s economy. Councillor Crowe proposed that with Brexit having happened “it is now the time to develop Shannon as a leading European International Cargo Hub.” He welcomed talks between Amazon and Shannon Group and said that the tech giant’s invesmtnet could give the region “a huge boost in difficult times.” Councillor Crowe said that a huge amount of products go from Ireland to Heathrow by truck, before being flown from there, but Shannon has important advantages like an exceptionally long runway and plenty of nearby land which can be developed for cargo facilities. He proposed that the Council write to the …