THE narrative could be the basis for a Disney Movie.

A swan who was in danger of choking was rescued from Lough Talt and last week and this weekend was reunited with his female companion in a touching scene on the south Sligo lake.

Alex the swan as he is known, was seen on Lough Talt with a bubble used for fishing dangling from his beak, the result of a hook attached to a line which was caught in the bird’s throat and would have killed him.

The discovery was made by Brenda Mannion who got in touch with animal rescue sites to tell them that Alex was in distress.

Kildare Animal Rescue search Facebook for stories such as Alex’s and if possible come and help. It was through Faecbook that Alexander Kronsteiner made his way to Sligo to help Alex the swan.

“We seen on Facebook that a swan was on Lough Talt for almost a week and he had a bubble dangling out of his throat and possibly a hook caught in his throat,” Alexander told the Sligo Weekender.

The full story of the rescue can be found in this week’s Sligo Weekender- in shops now.

Oliver Williams, the man who set up the Twist soup kitchen and charity shop in Sligo, was given five months suspended jail sentences on nine counts under the Charities Act at Sligo District Court today, Thursday.

The 50 years-old father of four from Loughrea in Co Galway pleaded guilty to nine out of 16 charges brought by the Charities Regulatory Authority related to the fact that the operation is not a registered charity.

The court heard that the applicant had applied online to have the charity registered but the CEO of the Charities Regulatory Authority John Farrelly said he did not deem it to be a fully complete application.

Evidence was given of previous offences by the defendant under the Theft and Fraud Act and for holding a collection without a permit.

Imposing the sentences, Judge Kevin Kilrane said that the defendant had “to be stopped in his tracks”.

FRANCIS Brennan, renowned hotelier has come under fire for his comments about Sligo in a recent interview.

By John Bromley

A 27 years-old County Sligo man who was one of Ireland’s youngest ever pilots when he flew solo at the age of 16 has now realised his dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Charles Kilawee from Dromore West featured in the Sligo Weekender in September 2005 for the fact that he had joined an elite few who had piloted a plane unaccompanied at 16, the minimum legal age.

After his maiden solo flight at Sligo airport, where he learned to fly with Sligo Aero Club, he told the Weekender: “All my life I have had an interest in flying and I would like eventually to make flying my career.”

Charles has now achieved that goal. He has got a job as a pilot with Norwegian Airlines and last Thursday flew a jet airliner, a Boeing 737, for the first time.

Charles has done a lot of hours in airline simulators but he said the “actual experience is quite different”.

“Once you get onto the plane you know it can’t be paused”, he said.

For the full story, see this week’s Sligo Weekender newspaper or see our digital copy available from our homepage (http://www.sligoweekender.ie).