East Clare

THE IMAGE presented by one of the main approach roads to Crusheen came in for criticism at the recent meeting of Killaloe district councillors.  Councillor Pat Hayes called for a full review of speed controls measures on the Tulla Road in the village, as well as a plan to upgrade road surfaces and footpaths.  “The motion is not as much about speed limits themselves, but about traffic controls and the image they present,” the Fianna Fáil member said. “Crusheen, at the moment, is not a properly planned village. What we are doing is planning for houses only. If you are coming in on the Tulla Road into Crusheen and observe traffic management, the aesthetic looks alone doesn’t present a very positive image.” Councillor Hayes welcomed a written response to his motion which noted that Clár-funded safety improvement works are nearly finished at the local school. “What is needed in this area is a total upgrade,” he added. “The new community …

CONTROVERSY around the issue of so-called ‘in-fill sites’ has led to an application by a young couple for a house in Kilkishen being rejected, twice over.  The application to build a one-off house at Teeronea was turned down by county planners last year. Following an inspection of the site, and consideration of national and local guidelines, An Bord Pleanála has now copperfastened that decision.  Both the Council and the appeals board found that the creation of an in-fill, or what the local authority described as “gap sites”, would be contrary to the County Development Plan 2017-2023.  An Bord Pleanála also stated that the couple had failed to satisfy the requirement to prove a local housing need. That was despite the fact that one of the applicants attended national school in Kilkishen.  Commenting on the general principle of in-fill sites, Councillor PJ Kelly, who highlighted the issue earlier this year, described the situation as “crazy and vexatious”. “An in-fill site is …

OVERFLOW parking may have to be provided at one of East Clare’s premier tourist attractions due to the boost in visitor numbers in recent years.  The increase in popularity of the Two Mile Gate Lakeside Amenity Park, which includes a state-of-the-art aqua park and a Blue Flag bathing area, was widely welcomed at the recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District Committee. With Ballycuggeran Woods on the other side of the main road from Killaloe to Scariff, some concerns were raised about parked vehicles obstructing the route. The matter was raised by Councillors Joe Cooney and Pat Burke, who were told that the Council is exploring options to facilitate visitor demand.  “Fantastic work has been done around Two Mile Gate,” Councillor Cooney said. “Lots of people stayed local during Covid and have found out about it. The problem now is parking in the area.   The place has been chock-a-block in recent days. That’s fantastic to see, but we need …

THE STAGE is set for the return of the Kilmurry Harvest Festival which runs from this Thursday, August 4,  to Sunday next.  Proceedings get underway with a Quiz Night at the Pumphouse Bar on Thursday evening from 9pm. This is a table quiz for teams of four, at a charge of €20 per table. Haulie Hannon will be the Quiz Master.  Those with an eye for style will be blown away by Friday night’s fashion show, also taking place at the Pumphouse. That gets underway at 8pm. The looks have been put together by High Street Fashion, Freya, CD2 and more. Hair and makeup for models will be looked after by Flair Hair Salon, with music from Devanney’s Goats.  This year’s harvest festival will put a focus on health and wellbeing and Saturday will provide opportunities to get out and about in the fresh air. On Saturday, Exercise with Noel gets underway at Kilmurry Astro Turf Pitch at 10am. This …

CLONLARA has benefited from a major clean-up after the local development association entered the national 2022 Tidy Towns’ Competition for the first time in 25 years. Spearheaded by the Clonlara Development Association (CDA), local volunteers have been very busy preparing for the visit of the national tidy towns’ judges, which can take place any time from June 11 to August 5 without any advance notice. Philippa Keogh of CDA said the village is looking “fantastic”, and noted all the hard work is greatly appreciated by local residents. The last time Clonlara entered this competition was back in 1996. CDA asked the local primary school St Senan’s National School would they get involved with Tidy Towns and they decided to take up their offer of running a colouring competition. The winning posters were then printed on corriboard, when the theme was anti-litter and Pollinator messaging. The group has just received the printed signs and has placed them in key areas around …

ABDUCTIONS by fairies, and other nefarious activities of Ireland’s ‘sídhe’, are detailed in a new book by Quin’s Michael Houlihan. The Kerry man, who is a founder of the Quin Heritage Group, has not been sitting on his laurels for long and Irish Fairies – A Short History of the Sídhe is now available in local bookshops.  The recent Púca controversy proves the persistence of superstitions around fairy folk, and Michael outlines where this mischievous character sits in the pantheon of the sídhe, alongside creatures like the banshee, the fairy queens Clíodhna and Medb, the nobles Aengus Óg and the Dagda. “For thousands of years, the Irish have believed in ‘the fairies’,” Michael said. “In present-day Ireland, however, as in so many modern societies, fairies have been retreating, almost to the point of extinction. Nevertheless, the question might still be asked, what if the fairies were not created or imagined, but remembered?” As well as considering that key question, the …

PRESSURE is mounting on public representatives in East Clare to show that a recent major funding investment will pay off soon for the town of Scariff.  That was the view of two members of the Killaloe Municipal District committee when the group held their July meeting. Both Councillor Joe Cooney and Pat Burke sought an update on progress with the Scariff Rural Regeneration Project, particularly the car park element.  Last January, an allocation of just over half a million Euro was made by The Rural and Community Development towards a multi-service centre, improvements to the centre of the town and the development of a town car park.  “There is a lot of concern in Scariff over the lack of parking,” Councillor Cooney said. “The main one is that if we leave it until the regeneration project, it could be a long way down the road.” Councillor Burke agreed that the issue of parking is a challenge. “Pressure is really coming …

UPGRADING Killaloe Playground with new equipment and flooring has been identified as a priority project by a new community group. Eight new councillors have been nominated without the necessity of a vote to the newly-established Killaloe Community Council. Council vice-chairman, Eddie O’Gorman said one of the plans of the new organisation is to refurbish Killaloe Playground before handing it over to a new management committee who would look after its maintenance requirements. The new group will be inviting members of the Scariff and Mountshannon Community Council to share their ideas and experience at a future meeting. It will apply for funding to state agencies on behalf of local groups who wish to participate in community projects that will enhance the locality. There are also plans to meet representatives of Clare County Council to examine abandoned local authority buildings and public space in the town. “Clare County Council are fully supportive of this new council. They are willing to provide any …