Criminal grooming of children says ISPCC

The ISPCC says it is deeply concerned that children are being used to run drugs and guns in Limerick.

The comments come after a 15-year-old appeared in court in the city for handling a loaded handgun. According to breakingnews.ie, a senior Garda told the court that feuding gangs are grooming children in Limerick.

The ISPCC says the situation is very concerning from a child protection and welfare point of view.

Gunman tackled by customers at Limerick city pub

Gardai in Limerick are investigating an incident at a bar in the city Sunday night during which a gunman was tackled by a number of customers.

A man in his 30s is in garda custody at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, where he is being treated for injuries he received during the altercation. The Belfast Telegraph reports that the drama began at around 8.30pm, when a man entered Quilty's pub in Thomondgate brandishing a loaded sawn-off shotgun. He pointed the gun at customers as he moved through the bar in search of his intended target. However, he was overpowered by a number of customers in the bar, who managed to disarm him.

Gardai recovered the loaded shotgun at the scene and arrested a man before taking him to the Mid Western Regional Hospital for treatment.

Mayor Of Clare Calls For Reintroduction Of Direct Shannon-Chicago Service

The Mayor of Clare today said that the ending of Aer Lingus’s direct service between Shannon and Chicago had caused numerous problems for members of the Irish-American and business community in the US Midwest.

Making her comment following a series of meetings with political, community and business representatives in Chicago, Councillor Patricia McCarthy said that there was a clear demand for the direct service to be reinstated. Presently, all Aer Lingus passengers travelling between Chicago and Shannon must disembark at Dublin Airport.

Speaking from Chicago, the Mayor said, “I welcome the announcement by Aer Lingus that it intends to continue services between Shannon and the United States. Considering that it has secured support from local tourism groups, additional flexibility from staff and lower landing charges at Shannon Airport, I would urge the airline to now review its decision to axe the direct service between Shannon and Chicago.”

“Quite simply, if Shannon is to remain as the ‘gateway’ to the West of Ireland for North American traffic then it must be put in a position where it can benefit from direct services”, stated the Mayor. She continued, “Among the concerns raised with me by members of the Clareman’s Association in Chicago, for example, was that the elderly and those with young children are having to board at Shannon Airport and then disembark at Dublin to pass through US Immigration. While prolonging an already lengthy journey, this practice is extremely inconvenient and unnecessary considering Shannon also has a US immigration clearance facility.”
Mayor McCarthy said that Aer Lingus’s reintroduction of direct services between Shannon and O’Hare Airport would have positive consequences for the local economy in the West of Ireland. "Business interests in the US Midwest have for many years invested in the West of Ireland due to the provision of direct flights to the region. Likewise, US tourists have long travelled to the region because of available direct flights. If such services are not made available then I fear that the region's economy will suffer immensely with the potential loss of millions of euro and hundreds of jobs”, concluded Mayor McCarthy.

CAPTION - Pictured at a meeting of eleven Local Authority Mayors and Chairs at the Oakwood Arms, Shannon, County Clare: Alec Fleming, Clare County Manager and Patricia McCarthy, Mayor of Clare

US Link To Remain In Place At Shannon

It has been reported today that Aer Lingus will retain its winter services from Shannon to the US.

The development comes only months after airline controversially dropped its service from Shannon to Heathrow.

The airline today announced it was continuing the US routes after it secured support from local tourism groups and cost reductions. Aer Lingus's move to axe its Heathrow route led to difficult relations between the airline and the local tourism lobby. Last month the airline met tourism interests in the region.

RTE News reports today that Aer Lingus had said its routes to the US from Shannon in winter were in doubt in the absence of significant support from the industry. Today it announced it was continuing the routes to Boston, Chicago and New York from Shannon from October.