The provision of accommodation, catering, social and conference type facilities at a holiday village would be of direct benefit to the University of Limerick’s Activity Centre near Killaloe.That’s according to the centre’s director of sport and recreation, Dave Mahedy, who has “wholeheartedly” welcomed planning permission at the Lough Derg Village, which is literally on their doorstep.Clare County Council recently granted Jeremy and Jana Mannion planning permission to construct a temporary marquee with an area of 435m2 for a five-year period subject to nine conditions. The development also includes car parking, modifications to the site entrance and all ancillary site works.In a letter of support lodged with Clare County Council, Mr Mahedy said the activity centre had built up an extensive business in the area of outdoor activities since 1996. All of the centre’s business is non-residential as it doesn’t have any accommodation as part of the facility and there are no plans for same as the main focus will remain …

EARLY Bank Holiday Monday afternoon on BBC Radio 4 was taken up with a consumer programme discussing where British people might holiday this year. It acknowledged the fact that, far from being a luxury, an annual holiday is used in the British governments’ well-being surveys when they decide how generally happy the population is. The bad news was that British people visiting Ireland are becoming a relative rarity. If we are being honest about it, it is difficult to blame them.

POPE John Paul II will be beatified this Sunday and it’s a major step along the road towards a possible sainthood.Should he eventually receive the Church’s greatest honour he would be the only saint in modern times to have set foot in Clare, having flown out of Shannon after his visit in 1979.The local parish community will gather for the 10am mass in SS John and Paul Church to celebrate the newly Blessed John Paul. At 6pm that evening they will gather in the Jubilee garden of the Church for rosary and benediction.While at Shannon in 1979, the Pope blessed the foundation stone for Saints John and Paul Church. He also gave every Irish bishop a sapling tree for their diocese to mark his visit. The late Bishop Michael Harty subsequently gave his sapling to the parish of Shannon and the tree now blossoms in the grounds of Ss John and Paul church.In 2005 to celebrate the silver jubilee of …

SHANNON councillors have said they don’t want to see playground equipment being removed from Inis Ealga. County councillors from the Shannon area were recently informed that there is a “real danger” of the area losing its playground, as a group of residents to manage it is not in place.In a discussion on the matter following a recent Shannon area meeting Councillor Gerry Flynn said that removing the playground equipment would be “an awful bad PR exercise”. The independent councillor said that removing it “would be an awful thing to do to the children and the community.”The councillors were urged to use their influence to try and bring about the formation of another residents’ group, that would take control of the playground. Councillor Patricia McCarthy said that it may be possible to make an application for support from the town council’s community fund. She also said that responsibility for the playground should have been more evenly shared. She suggested calling a …

Love is in the air this week with all eyes on the British royal wedding on Friday. Will and Kate’s nuptials aren’t the only ones worth paying attention to though as, closer to home, there is chemistry in Tulla where a local pharmacist and a mechanic will tie the knot at their own “Royal Wedding” in aid of Tulla Comhaltas Cultural Centre.The event has been organised to raise funds for the development of The Tulla Comhaltas Cultural Centre, which has come about due to the donation of the convent and girls primary school in Tulla by The Sisters of Mercy to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Labhrás O’Murchú, director general of Comhaltas said “This was a very generous gesture on the part of the nuns who have made such a huge contribution to the educational and cultural life of Ireland. This will be reflected in the plans for the convent and school buildings” Plans are now being prepared to develop the convent …

An ambitious entrepreneur who impressed judges on the first season of RTÉ’s Dragons’ Den was back on television screens again this Easter Sunday.Whitegate’s Deirdre Collins who created the Dee’s Eat Well, Be Happy range of wholefood burgers featured in the upcoming Dragons’ Den on Tour series.As part of the programme’s 2011 line-up, show producers are highlighting some of the most successful businesses that emerged from the first two series of RTÉ Dragons’ Den.The new programme saw Deirdre offer inspiration and advice to the next wave of self-starting entrepreneurs who are keen to follow in her footsteps by pursuing their own unique business ideas. Deirdre says being back on the show was both an enjoyable and useful experience, “It’s difficult to believe that just over one year ago I was standing in front of the dragons ‘pitching’ my business concept and outlining my vision for expanding the company. It’s been an exciting few years since then and it’s genuinely been full …

AUDIENCES will have the opportunity to be part of a historic theatrical experience in Ennis next month.Fishamble: The New Play Company are bringing the hugely successful revival of The Pride of Parnell Street on an eight-venue, five-week long national tour of Ireland, with a performance in Glór on May 13 and 14.For the first time ever in Ireland, there will be one audio-described and captioned performance in each venue of the tour. This is facilitated by Arts and Disability Ireland and marks the rolling out of ADI’s assisted performance service for audiences with disabilities nationwide. The audio described and captioned performance will take place on May 13 at 8pm in the Ennis venue.Originally premiered in London and featured at the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival in 2007, The Pride of Parnell Street by internationally-renowned playwright and novelist, Sebastian Barry, has toured Ireland and internationally to great critical acclaim and packed houses. Director Jim Culleton says, “We in Fishamble are looking …