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www.celtic-connection.com
NOVEMBER 2008
KELLY AND DELIA Stokes of Phoenix, Arizona are shown at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.
Arizona Couple Donate $50,000 To First Aid Facility at Cliffs of Moher
PHOENIX, AZ - An American couple whose newborn son Nicolas passed away at the Cliffs of Moher in July 2006 have donated US05O,OOO towards the provision and equipping of a medical facility at the world famous tourist attraction.
Delia and Kelly Stokes from Phoenix, Arizona today presented a cheque to Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
Over 142 first aid incidents have been dealt with at "Nicolas' Room," a secure access controlled facility, since the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre was opened in February 3007.
The majority of cases have involved relatively minor injuries caused by falls or slips - such as bruises, grazes, cuts and sprains. Meanwhile, over 1,200 people have used the room's manually operated wheelchair service.
At the tourist site which attracts approximately one million visitors each year, 23 staff members have been trained in occupational first aid with 11 of these having received
further Intermediate level training. One member of staff is trained to First Responder level, equivalent to the training received by paramedic staff.
According to Katherine Webster, "Delia and Kelly should be complimented for the way in which they have honoured their son's memory and have turned their personal tragedy into a story of hope for so many others. Nicolas' Room has already made a significant difference to people from all over the world."
The presentation of the cheque took place during a ceremony in Phoenix marking the 20th anniversary of a successful twinning arrangement between Fnnis in County Clare and the Arizona State Capital.
Since the formation of the twinning relationship in 1988, civic and community leaders from both sides of the Atlantic have visited each other on exchanges and have developed strong ties and personal friendships.
The Phoenix Sister Cities Commission - set up to foster and promote the twinning relationship -has been fully supportive of Delia and Kelly Stokes' fundraising efforts.
Ryanair Set for EU10 Flights to U.S.
DUBLIN - Budget airline Ryanair is to offer flights to the U.S. for EU10, by buying planes from struggling rivals.
The plan was revealed when Chief Executive Michael O'Leary announced the firm's quarterly results on November 3.
"Economy class will be very cheap, around 10 euros, but our business class will be very expensive," he said in a newspaper interview.
Ryanair's second quarter profits are expected to fall, due to higher fuel prices and its decision to cut fares.
O'Leary is expected to announce plans to buy more than 50 extra aircraft, as part of plans to beat the
recession by undercutting more expensive rivals.
"We'll just have to keep flying more aircraft, opening up more routes and offering people more cheap flights," O'Leary said.
The flights - which could begin by the end of next year - would be available for those booking early. Passengers would pay airport taxes on top of the fares.
The transatlantic flights are likely to go from Stansted and Dublin airports to New York, Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston.
Meanwhile, it is expected that Ryanair's quarterly profits will drop significantly.
County Clare's 700 WWI Casualties Remembered In New Exhibition
ENNIS, County Clare -Clare Museum lias announced that it is to hold an exhibition marking the involvement of over 7,000 Clare men in the First World War.
"90 Years On - County Clare and The Great War" will feature artefacts relating to the county's participation in the 1914-1918 conflict.
Among the items being placed on display are a bayonet and scabbard, 1914-1918 war service medal, Ypres banner, a British Army trenching tool used by a Clareman during the First World War and an Irish War Hospital Supply Depot Pin.
The exhibition will be launched on November 11, the 90th anniversary of the ending of the war.
Clare Museum Curator John Rattigan explained that the majority of the 700 men from County Clare killed during the fighting were serving for the American, Canadian or British armies.
He added, "Many Clare people are unaware of the considerable contribution made by their fellow county men who signed up and fought in the army of a foreign country. It is widely accepted that a combination of unemployment, idealism and adventure probably accounted for most of the enlistment."
Over 350,000 Irishmen volunteered for service during the First World War, in addition to the 50,000 Irishmen already serving in the regular army and reserve at the outbreak of the war.
Most of the Clare men who enlisted to fight during the war served with Irish infantry regiments of the British Army, including The Royal Irish Regiment, The Connaught Rangers, The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), The Royal Munster Fusiliers and The Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Others served in British regiments including the Tyneside, Liverpool and London Irish Battalions.
Meanwhile, Clare Museum is appealing to members of the public possessing relevant artefacts to consider their inclusion in the upcoming exhibition.
According to Rattigan, "Artefacts of interest can include documents, uniforms, insignia, souvenirs, memorabilia and photographs. Any donated artefacts will be returned to their owner at the conclusion of the six week long exhibition."
"90 Years On - County Clare and The Great War" will be launched on November 11 and will continue until Christmas. Clare Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday and admission is free of charge.
Anyone wishing to donate artefacts to the upcoming exhibition should contact John Rattigan at 011-353-65-6823382 or e-mail: claremuseum@clarecoco.ie.
Dublin to Review CIA Rendition Flights With New U.S. Administration
DUBLIN - Ireland is to raise its opposition to extraordinary rendition, Guantanamo Bay, and the use of torture with the new American administration.
The Bush administration has been accused of using extraordinary rendition - the practice whereby terrorist suspects are transported by the CIA to a third country to allow them to be tortured, a process that is banned at home.
The Green Party, junior party in the Fianna Fail-led coalition, welcomed the decision of the Irish government to raise the issues with the next U.S. government.
In March 2008, Amnesty International said it had evidence that Shannon Airport has been used for so-called rendition flights by the CIA.
Shannon is an important refuelling stop for U.S. military planes. Thousands of U.S. troops have passed through the airport going to and from the war in Iraq.
The human rights organisation said it had obtained flight records which show a jet operated by the U.S. intelligence agency refuelled at the County Clare airport in January 2004.
It says the plane was transporting a man who was kidnapped in Baghdad and flown to a secret interrogation centre in Kabul before being moved to Guantanamo Bay.
Amnesty's Irish branch said the evidence was unquestionable and it was no longer tenable for the Irish Government to accept U.S. assurances that Shannon has not been used for illegal activity.
The Greens have also been seeking an assurance that the government allows the Garda Siochana to inspect any flight landing in Ireland if there are concerns that detainees arrested under extraordinary rendition are on board.
The decision was made by a new Cabinet sub-committee to examine aspects of international human rights.
Green Party foreign affairs spokesman Ciaran Cuffe said, '"This represents real progress. I met the Minister for Justice in August to discuss the issue and am delighted that the government had decided to send a clear signal to the incoming U.S. administration.
The government has set up a cabinet committee on aspects of international human rights composed of Green party ministers Famon Ryan and John Gormley, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey.
It has agreed to contact the transition team of the new U.S. administration seeking a clear commitment that extraordinary rendition and interrogation techniques considered torture, such as waterboarding, will cease.
The government will also ask the new administration to close the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay as soon as possible.
President McAleese Opens Mayo Peace Park
CASTLEBAR, Co. Mayo - President Mary McAleese formally opened the Mayo Memorial Peace Park in Castlebar. The centrepiece of the park is a large marble wall inscribed with the names of Mayo people who died in action in the two world wars of the last century.
Other smaller stones carry the names of Mayo men who died on UN duty, in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The president described the Garden of Remembrance as "a simple gesture of respect and honoured memory for all those from Mayo who gave their lives in the unselfish service of others.
"Some gave service in the uniform of the Irish Army on service with the United Nations, while others wore the uniforms of other armies, the British Army, American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and indeed many others."
She noted that many of those who died in uniform had been well remembered while others had been ignored, and concluded, "This is probably the first generation to be able to reconcile and revere all those memories."
For more information on the park, visit: www.mayomemorialpeacepark.org.
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