Tag Archives: shannon

ROSE Hynes has been at the helm of Shannon Group since it was created, but her time could come to an end within weeks. Last year a five year spell as chairman of the board came to a conclusion, but she was reappointed for a further 12 months. While it had been expected that she would be reappointed for another two years, and still may be, it is understood that this is not a done deal at this stage. It is understood that Ms Hynes would be open to remaining in the position going forward. While Shannon Group has had some successes on the property side of its business over the last couple of years, the performance of Shannon Airport has been quite disappointing, and this was the case before the emergence of Covid-19. This year has seen a number of calls for Ms Hynes to be replaced, with these coming from figures in local tourism and in politics. On …

A GLOBAL bio-pharma company is expanding its operations and has decided to invest in Shannon, resulting in the creation of up to 100 new high-end jobs, Clare TD Joe Carey has confirmed. Deputy Carey said the announcement by MeiraGTx that it is to bolster its employee headcount with a new facility in Shannon is a “fantastic boost” for the local economy. He described the announcement as a “major shot in the arm” for Shannon and the entire region. “This is fantastic news for Clare and the Mid-West, particularly in light of the pandemic and the huge pressure it has brought to bear on Shannon Airport and many local industries,” the Clarecastle-based TD said. “It is also a massive vote of confidence in the area from an innovative international bio-pharma company that clearly sees the long-term benefits and potential of investing in Shannon and the Mid-West. This jobs announcement underlines the crucial importance of Shannon Airport in providing global connectivity to …

IT is understood that 17 workers are leaving Shannon company Avara today, as it winds down. While efforts to secure a buyer have been ongoing none has been secured and as it stands the last of the workers will leave the company in October. One of those leaving said it is very disappointing to see the company on the way out.”It’s a devastating day, it’s the second pharmaceutical in the Mid West region to go. It got an investment of €170 million less than ten years ago, to see it being wound down is devastating for the workforce here.” He feels that more should have been done to find a new owner.”We had hoped to find a buyer for the plant but it doesn’t seem to have happened. I would think if it was Cork or Dublin there would be politicians all over this. This is another kick to the Shannon region.” Owen Ryan

REDUNDANCIES and severe pay cuts are being demanded of Shannon Airport staff, while its managing director is about to depart. A letter sent to airport employees on Monday informed them of a wide range of cuts, which Shannon Group CEO Mary Considine claims are necessary to deal with the fallout from Covid-19. On Friday, it was announced that the airport’s managing director Andrew Murphy is leaving. This follows the recent departure of Niall O’Callaghan, the managing director of Shannon Heritage, the tourism arm of Shannon Group. The aviation sector globally is being hammered by Covid-19, with cuts being introduced at many airlines and airports, and in her letter to staff on Monday, Ms Considine stated that things look very bleak for Shannon. “The outlook for this year, and beyond, is stark and the scale of the challenge we are facing is unprecedented. “Currently, expected year-end airport passenger numbers are forecast to be down by approximately 70% on last year. “However, …

THREE young Clare people, two males and a female, have faced an online backlash after a video was posted in which racist language was used. The video, which is just a few seconds long, has been shared widely on social media in recent days. The two males involved posted messages on social media subsequently, in which they apologised for their conduct. St Caimin’s Secondary School in Shannon posted a message on its Twitter account subsequently, in which it distanced itself from the behaviour seen on the video. “We have been made aware of a video in which a group of young people use an abhorrent racial term. “In St Caimin’s, we teach our students about the hurt and harm caused by such language. Racism is not tolerated in our school and we are committed to upholding our anti-racist ethos.” However, a number of people, some of whom said they were past pupils, subsequently replied to criticise the school, while some …

COUNCILLOR Pat McMahon has been elected as the new Cathaoirleach of the Shannon Municipal District. The veteran Newmarket representative was proposed by Councillor PJ Ryan and seconded by Councillor John Crowe this afternoon. There were no other nominees and he was elected unopposed. Councillor Ryan said that he possesses “vast knowledge and experience” and will perform well in the role, while Councillor Crowe described him as a “great character” while noting he is the second most long-serving councillor in Clare. Councillor Crowe was unanimously elected as Leas Cathaoirleach.

SPORTING nostalgia has certainly been popular throughout the pandemic, with All-Ireland finals and World Cup ties being broadcast on various channels. On a very local level, Wolfe Tones have been putting footage of old club games online every Sunday evening and it has proven very popular. Club officer Paul Hogan has led the initiative and said, “With the fact the GAA was gone, we just wanted to add something. Our aim too was to preserve as many Wolfe Tones games as we could. We’ve tried to cover all four bases of ladies’ football, camogie, hurling and Gaelic football. We’re fairly eating through them over the last few weeks. If there’s anyone in the county with old Wolfe Tones games, we’d be delighted to get them up on YouTube.” Many of the games shown have finished with Wolfe Tones hoisting silverware. “It has been mostly finals but the first game was a Munster semi-final against Patrickswell. Because it was on in …

Several libraries across the county reopened this morning in accordance with Phase 3 of the revised Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. They include De Valera Library in, Ennis and those in Kilrush, Kilkee, Miltown Malbay, Ennistymon and Shannon. Other libraries will be opening shortly once the necessary preparatory work has been completed with update on the Clare County Library website and social media pages. Libraries will provide limited services initially, including limits on the numbers accessing the facility at any one time. Libraries will operate in compliance with current physical distancing guidelines and the public are encouraged to use hand sanitisers upon entry to library buildings. Library visits will be of a maximum 15 minutes’ duration and services will include borrow and return of books, printing facilities, delivery service for those cocooning, online services and children’s services including the 2020 Summer Stars programme. The contact and collect service will continue in the other branches and will commence in a …