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A DIRECTION from the Office of the Planning Regulator requesting Clare County Council to dezone huge tracts of land for development in the Draft 2023 to 2029 Clare County Development Plan has been criticised by local councillors. Describing a new document from the OPR as “frightening and unbelievable”, Councillor P J Kelly has urged councillors to unite to oppose the recommended changes. Council chairman, Councillor Tony O’Brien called a meeting of councillors from different political groupings on Tuesday and requested them to discuss this issue at Municipal District level to try and establish a consensus for challenging this intervention. While Cooraclare and Broadford have been earmarked for new waste water facilities under a proposed national scheme, Councillor Kelly noted material amendments to facilitate development have been ruled out in both locations, placing a question mark over the viability of these facilities. Speaking at a West Clare Municipal District meeting on Tuesday, the Lissycasey councillor claimed the OPR has wrongly based …

Clare’s district court judge has stated that as a woman she has on numerous occasions had to suffer inappropriate behaviour from men who have no respect for women. At Kilrush District Court, Judge Mary Larkin made her comment before convicting a 56 year old west Clare man of sexual assault after he slapped the backside of a woman who he was attracted to on November 17 2021. The man – who has no previous convictions – pleaded guilty to the offence of sexual assault of the woman after he slapped her backside while she was queuing to pay for her shopping at Queally’s Supervalu, Kilrush in west Clare. Solicitor, Michael Ryan for the man said his client “is a man of his era” and did not understand the laws of attraction when one party clearly indicates to the other that they are not interested and that is ignored and this is what happened on this occasion when the woman was …

A FATHER told his estranged partner that he would come for her if their son “turns out gay” in a row over the young boy’s haircut, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court, the mother of the young boy said the boy’s father made a “direct threat” after he said that “I was cutting his hair gay.” She said, “He told me that “if he turns out gay that he would come for me”. She added, “I saw it a direct threat over the history that we have.” The woman has a Safety Order in place against the man since 2020 and he was before the court concerning an alleged breach of the Safety Order arising from the words allegedly uttered at The Planet play-centre for children in Ennis on August 18 2022. The woman said, “I made the complaint against him because I was in fear. I was scared.” However, Judge Mary Larkin dismissed the alleged Safety Order …

A COUNTY Clare architect, currently working in the Middle East, has joined forces with an African fashion designer, to launch a new brand of clothing. Tom Byrne from Kilkee has teamed up with Christine Omollo, a talented and experienced Kenyan designer and both have lent their name to the new brand – TOMOLLO Fashions Limited. Tom, originally from Dublin, moved to Clare when his quadruplets were babies. A former Kilkee Town Commissioner, he already had very strong Clare connections and spent his summers in Kilkee growing up. Tom’s mother Mary Lillis from Kilkee, was born in Harlem, New York in 1928. Tom had his own architectural business until 2009 before moving in 2012 to the Middle East, where he is now managing multi-billion euro development projects. Tom admired Christine’s fashions online and they corresponded and planned the business over two years, resulting in the formation of TOMOLLO. It wasn’t until the annual St. Patrick’s Day Ball in Bahrain this year …

CRATLOE hurler and footballer Caimin Deegan has been appointed as Games Promotion Officer and Athletic Development Officer of Wolfe Tones. The 25-year-old studied Health & Leisure in Tralee for four years, while he has done a lot of coaching in the past. “I was always involved with underage teams in Cratloe, my main one was the under 14 football team. Then I did a lot of Cúl camps as well with Clare GAA,” said Caimin. “Podge Collins and Óige Murphy had their own camp in Cratloe and I’d have been helping out with that as well, so I’d always have had the interest in coaching. I always had interest in both hurling and football as well.” Since his appointment he has been building up links with the town’s schools. “I’ve been to all the national schools here in Shannon, basically doing PE with them, doing hurling and football, also covering their movement, running, jumping and throwing, we’re covering the PE …

Both Newmarket Celtic and Avenue United face away trips in the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup. Newmarket Celtic will travel to Limerick as they come up against Regional United. Avenue United will venture to Galway as they face Colga FC. The game between Newmarket Celtic and Regional promises to be an interesting tie for Robert Shier. The Regional goalkeeper previously represented Newmarket but will now be aiming to knock his former club out of the Cup. Shannon duo Eoin Duff and Brian O’Connor will be aiming to end Newmarket’s interest in the competition with the pair both starting Regional’s 3-2 extra time win over Sligo’s Strand FC in the previous round. The Newmarket outfit overcame Raheny United 3-1 last Sunday with Darragh Leahy, Harvey Cullinan and Aaron Rudd on target. Goalkeeper Shane Cusack was forced off injured with Dermot Gannon stepping up to save a penalty when Newmarket led 2-1. Avenue United secured a comprehensive 8-0 win over …

PEOPLE from Clare are jetting off to the sun for surgery in a bid to avoid long waiting lists in Ireland. An organisation which works alongside the HSE to facilitate surgery abroad, have said the service is particularly popular with Clare residents, confirming they have helped 24 people in the county access treatment in Europe under the EU Cross-Border directive. Among them is well known Ennis business man Ken O’Grady who flew to Spain for an operation after being told he would have to wait four years for surgery here in Ireland. Ken has said he was amazed to discover he could fly to Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca to get the operation for free under the EU Cross Border Directive which allows patients here in Ireland to go to other EU countries for healthcare. The cost of his operation at the Vithas hospital in Alicante was reimbursed by the HSE after he called Healthcare Abroad Ireland. Mr O’Grady, owner …

SHANNON boxer David Ryan will have the second fight of his professional career in Belfast on February 4, when he takes on Marek Laskowski. “They’re moving me up to a six rounder this time, which is great, and it’ll help get my name out there,” he said on Monday. He will be fighting on the Jamie Morrissey-Kevin Cronin undercard, the two fighting for the vacant BUI Celtic Light Heavyweight title. Morrissey is from Limerick and trains with David, while Cronin is a Kerryman, but the bout is still happening north of the border. “It’s hard enough to get venues in the south. The insurance can be very expensive, but up in Belfast it’s a lot cheaper,” says David. Laskowski has nine victories and 17 defeats on his record, and Ryan is expected to win comfortably in February, but this week he admitted knowing relatively little about his opponent. Ryan made his debut in November, and while he won a points …