A local authority is almost €100,000 out of pocket over a fruitless pursuit for cash spent on repairing the roof of its €25m base in Ennis.

The late former Clare mayor, Sean Hillery, was yesterday described as “a man of great stature”.

A former mayor of Clare said yesterday that remuneration of mayors should be increased to fund proper research and back-up for holders of the office during their one-year term.

A SENIOR Clare local politician has provided the “substantial” part of an interest-free loan of €211,105 to a swimming pool and leisure centre, it was confirmed yesterday.

SHANNON is facing the prospect of a repeat of the 40s and 50s when it was common for three generations to live under the one roof due to a chronic lack of social housing.

A COMPANY seeking to build an €85 million power plant which could create hundreds of jobs will pitch its plans to public representatives in Clare this week.

FINE GAEL has been criticised for a “missed opportunity” in not nominating a female candidate for at least one of two vacant seats on a county council.

AN Taisce was last night labelled a secret society.

A CENTRE servicing 100 voluntary groups is seeking the assistance of a local authority to prevent its closure.

SUICIDE, shrouded in shame and secrecy, is one of the greatest causes of misery in Ireland, a conference on suicide heard.

PAYMENTS of €48,000 to councillors for attending three conferences were in accordance with departmental rates and agreed with the Environment Minister, a county manager has stated.

THE 32 members of Clare County Council claimed payments approaching €1 million in expenses and salaries last year, new figures published online show.

AT least one airline has emerged as a potential replacement carrier to take over the Shannon to Paris route which Ryanair will abandon next month despite its success.

Two airports find themselves pawns in Ryanair’s battle, writes Donal Hickey

EFFORTS by Shannon Airport to secure a replacement airline to take over the successful Shannon to Paris route, which will be axed by Ryanair in November, have been dealt a severe blow with two more operators confirming they have no plans to take up the service.

THE Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh said last night that he has been saddened by the deep hurt caused by the Church to homosexuals.

AN elderly resident of a Laois nursing home was given a set of dentures that did not belong to her when her own went missing, according to a report by the independent health watchdog.

MORE people are growing their own food because of the financial crisis, it was suggested yesterday when Co Clare’s first local authority allotment scheme was launched in Shannon.

PRIVATE sector job numbers plunged further yesterday with 150 immediate redundancies announced at one of the first multinationals to set up in this country.

A YOUNG teacher whose breast cancer went undiagnosed at one of the country’s leading hospitals has told her story in the hope of encouraging other women with symptoms to insist on thorough tests.

THE members of Clare County Council were yesterday accused of walking away from their responsibilities by refusing to participate in a regional housing strategy for the mid-west region.

AS THE debt-ridden economy flounders in the wettest spell of weather in living memory a 14-member delegation from Clare County Council is preparing for a four-day junket to Denmark — to study water.

AER LINGUS, which reported a 10.4% rise in overall passenger numbers for May, compared with the same month last year, is to temporarily reduce a significant proportion of US-bound flights from Dublin and Shannon this winter, as a means of cutting costs.

TÁNAISTE Brian Cowen has said it was “a great honour” to be asked by the family of the late Patrick Hillery to give the graveside oration at his funeral.

Aer Lingus has denied suggestions that it has given preferential treatment to Dublin Airport in relation to the operation of its transatlantic services.

Tributes have been pouring in for the late Dr Brendan O'Regan.

Air France this afternoon rejected claims it is axing a cargo service from Shannon Airport.

Aer France could be set to terminate its 20-year-old scheduled cargo service from Shannon International Airport, according to the Mayor of Clare.

A FAINT flicker of connectivity yesterday returned to Shannon Airport to ignite new hopes for business groups in the mid-west.

AER Lingus has sought 51 voluntary redundancies from its Shannon Airport staff due to its decision to axe its Shannon-Heathrow services from next January.

The Government is being urged to help retain the Shannon-Heathrow service by bidding for four pairs of London Heathrow slots that have today been put up for sale by a London Gatwick-based airline.

The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance today received confirmation that its application for slots at Heathrow has been rejected by Airport Co-Ordination Limited, the authority responsible for slot allocation at all major UK airports.

The heads of the Belgian royal family will finish their three-day state visit to Ireland with a reception at the Cliffs of Moher today.

THE Government has less than a week to salvage a Shannon/Heathrow service for 2008, it emerged yesterday.

Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney confirmed today that Ennis General Hospital in County Clare is to benefit from a consultant-led Accident and Emergency service but will lose its 24 hour A+E status in the long term.

Mid-West business and tourism leaders tonight formally called on the Minister for Transport to ask the Government to call an EGM of the Aer Lingus board to discuss the axing of Heathrow slots at Shannon Airport.

More meetings are being held today as part of the on-going campaign to reverse Aer Lingus' decision to end its Shannon-to-Heathrow services.

Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion today insisted the controversial Shannon pull-out would go ahead as he prepared to meet politicians and business leaders opposed to the plan.

Aer Lingus boss Dermot Mannion today comes face-to-face with business, tourism and political leaders furious over plans to move Heathrow flights out of Shannon Airport.

The Government was under new pressure today to intervene in the decision by Aer Lingus to axe its Shannon to Heathrow route.

Politicians, business leaders, tourism chiefs and unions in the mid-west have said they want a meeting with the Government over the Aer Lingus' decision to axe its Shannon to Heathrow route.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey (pictured) is being castigated for claiming that the impact of the loss of the Shannon-Heathrow route to the mid-west region is being exaggerated.

Two major multi-million euro tourism investment packages in the south-west of Ireland have been put on hold since Aer Lingus announced its scrapping of the Shannon Heathrow service.

Irish airline Aer Lingus is to open eight new routes from Belfast International to London and Europe.