The Department of Education has praised Kilbeacanty National School’s board of management in a recent whole school evaluation report.

  MICHAEL Fleming took over the office of Mayor of Shannon at Tuesday night’s town council meeting. He was elected unopposed, after being nominated by his Fine Gael party colleague Sean McLoughlin and seconded by Independent Patricia McCarthy. Both of them referred to his performance when he filled in for Tony Mulcahy, when holding the office of deputy mayor.He said he wanted to welcome county manager Tom Coughlan to the meeting and acknowledged the other councillors for electing him as the town’s first citizen. “It’s a great honour and I’m privileged to have it,” he said.Mr Coughlan paid tribute to the new mayor. “We have had opportunities to meet in the past and they were all pleasant and I’m sure you will continue to operate like that.”The county manager also said there is a need for partnership between council staff and elected members and he wanted to acknowledge the contribution of all the staff.He said there is currently an opportunity …

IN his final speech as Mayor of Kilrush, Councillor Ian Lynch revealed plans to stand for a seat on Clare County Council in 2014.

THE director of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, Professor Micheál O’Suilleabháin, this week expressed his keen interest in the Cnoc na Goaithe music centre project in Tulla and outlined its potential for both the locality and broader music community.

ENNIS friary has welcomed more than 1,200 visitors in the first seven days since the historic building was reopened.

COUNCILLOR Pascal Fitzgerald has condemned vandals, who caused criminal damage to the main sewage treatment plant serving the sprawling Westbury Housing Estate.

CONSERVATION work is to be carried out on a well-known North Clare building after €10,000 was allocated for it this week.

SPEAKING before her term as Mayor of Shannon ended this week, Mary Brennan said she had an enjoyable and busy year as the town’s first citizen.