Breaking News
Pilot fined for flying dangerously over Ballinasloe Fair
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A helicopter pilot has been fined 20 thousand euro for flying dangerously low over thousands of people attending Ballinasloe Horse Fair three years ago.
Imposing the fines at Galway Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Thomas O’Donnell said it was “an absolute miracle” that the pilot was not killed or an appalling catastrophe had not happened.
40-year-old businessman, Michael Mannion of Castlesampson, Bealnamulla, Athlone, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to five breaches of the Irish Aviation Authority (Rules of the Air) Act.
Sergeant Tom Horkan told the sentence hearing that numerous calls were made to Gardaí and other emergency services on the evening of October 2nd 2011, to complain about the low flying helicopter in Ballinasloe.
Michael Mannion, the court was told had consumed a beer shandy with a meal in Athlone earlier that evening before flying home.
He then decided to fly to Ballinasloe and landed in a car park, 30 meters from the Moycairn Lodge and Hotel near the town where he consumed almost two pints of Budweiser.
He then got back into the helicopter and took off in the direction of Ballinasloe.
It was a misty evening with intermittent drizzle, low cloud and poor visibility.
The helicopter flew away from the town and crashed in a field, 10km from the town at 7.20p.m.
It later emerged, that according to aviation rules, Mannion should not have been flying after 7.10pm that evening as darkness was closing in.
Mannion told the court his licence had been suspended by the Irish Aviation Authority and he had no intention of applying for a new one.
Judge O’Donnell said he took the view that this was a folly, pursued by a person inexperienced to fly in such conditions.
Mannion was fined 10 thousand euro for operating a helicopter in a public place at a height less than 1,500 feet above the ground or water, over a congested area of Ballinasloe town.
He was fined an additional 10 thousand euro for flying the helicopter within 500 feet of the radio mast at Ballinasloe Garda Station.
Three other charges relating to flying the helicopter in the vicinity of the town centre, at such a height which would not have permitted and without the consent of the Irish Aviation Authority and also to flying it closer than 150m to a Ferris wheel at a funfair in the town, were all taken into account.
The post Pilot fined for flying dangerously over Ballinasloe Fair appeared first on Galway Bay FM.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
