East Clare

TULLA is to get a fresh lick of paint to the value of €10,000 after councillors chose it for an annual funding scheme designed to inject vibrancy into towns and villages in the Killaloe district. Councillor Pat Hayes formally proposed Tulla, commending the efforts of local groups to keep the town looking well. “This scheme has worked very well in the past,” he said. “It’s particularly welcome in recognition of the efforts of Tulla Tidy Towns. Great efforts have been made by them. We can’t paint the derelict buildings, that would be quite difficult, and that’s an ongoing issue that the council should try to resolve.” The motion was seconded by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. “The Community Supports Scheme for Town and Village Paint Works is a great incentive to every town and village to bring back colour,” he said. “It worked to great effect in Kilkishen and it’s ongoing in Quin at the moment. There is a great Tidy Towns …

DESIGN work on the proposed Scariff to Limerick Greenway is to begin now that contracts have been signed, Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD has confirmed. Deputy Cathal Crowe, who is his party’s tourism and aviation spokesperson, described the potential of the 41km route as “transformational in South and East Clare”. The project, led by Waterways Ireland in conjunction with the ESB and Clare and Limerick County Councils, will result in a greenway stretching from Scariff to Killaloe, along the Errina Canal, crossing the River Shannon at the Black Bridge near the University of Limerick (UL) and on to Limerick City. “There are really good road linkages between south and east Clare and Limerick City but a greenway will take people off the beaten track and allow them to experience the natural wonders of our county,” Deputy Crowe said. “The old Errina Canal was once one of the busiest waterways in Ireland but has fallen into a state of dereliction over the …

‘A SHARED partnership’ between the two local authorities responsible for services in the lakeside towns of Killaloe and Ballina is being sought. Councillor Tony O’Brien made the call at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District and asked that discussions be instigated with Tipperary County Council. With the Draft Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan currently open for public consultation, the Fianna Fáil member said he was “throwing the ball in ” on the idea of greater collaboration between the two county councils. “These are twin towns who need basic services on a daily basis,” he said. “With the advancement of a new town plan for the area, maybe it would be productive for both local authorities to engage and maybe share services like road sweeper for the two towns, and to cooperate on staffing levels. Instead of Clare County Council services stopping halfway across the bridge, maybe there could be a shared responsibility. I’m throwing the ball in …

A WARNING has been issued that Crusheen could become a “dormitory village” unless proper services are provided. The village has experienced a significant growth in housing development in recent years, but concern were raised at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District that the provision of amenities has failed to keep pace. During a discussion on the controversial issue of the location of a south-bound bus shelter, Councillor Pat Hayes cautioned that the overall development needs to be considered. The Fianna Fáil member said that, otherwise, there is a risk of Crusheen, which is located off the M18 motorway, becoming a commuter village. The matter was raised by Councillor Pat Burke who welcomed the recent construction of a north-bound bus shelter in the village. He noted controversy over the south-bound shelter, originally planned for a site close to the Brodagh View estate, and urged that an alternative site beside the railway bridge now be considered. “Following discussions earlier this …

AN EXTRA special gathering took place last Wednesday (July 28)  for the celebration of Joan Giblin’s 90th birthday. The event brought together some of Joan’s former colleagues and friends from her time educating the children at Scariff National School. Pictured from the left in this photo by Eoin O’Hagan are: Former Principals Tim McGillicuddy and Martin Scanlan, with their teaching colleagues, Anna McGillicuddy, Bridget Cahill, Joan Giblin, Phil Fenwick, Mary Slattery, Bríd Whelan and Loretta Brody. Joan is wished the very best by family and friends, as well as her former pupils and their parents.

DERELICTION in the centre of Tulla has put the spotlight on the way the town is developing, with one public representative saying the Council is being accused of destroying it, writes Fiona McGarry. There have been long-standing concerns about urban decay in sections of the centre of Tulla at a time when housing development on the outskirts is increasing. The problem came to a head early this year when the local authority was forced to serve a Dangerous Structures Notice on the owners of an empty building in the heart of the town. A section of the footpath on Main Street was closed, in the interests of public safety, and a traffic management system put in place. After several months of attempted negotiations with the owners, and delays created by the closure of the construction sector during lockdown, the authorities have now moved to offer one final chance before stepping in to undertake the necessary works themselves. The matter was …

KILLALOE Coast Guard has repeated its plea to motorists to stop blocking access to its station on the shores of Lough Derg. Amid record temperatures in recent days, visitors flocked to Killaloe to enjoy the water-based amenities. The parking situation in the Pier Head area was described by the coast guard as “unbelievable”, with blatant disregard for signage asking people to keep the entrance to the rescue base clear. The heatwave proved to be a particularly busy time for the coast guard. Volunteers had to respond to a number of calls and found themselves hampered by the presence of abandoned vehicles on approach routes and in front of the entrance to their station. Last Wednesday (July 21), while responding to a call about a vessel disrupting a swimming area, the coast guard encountered a series of obstructions. “While our crews were responding to this call-out the entrance to Pier head was again blocked by cars [that had] been abandoned in …

THERE has been a huge boost in popularity of the walking trails at The 12 O’Clock Hills according to the local organising committee, who have begun a number of initiatives in response to the boom in visitor numbers. The pandemic has put the focus firmly on domestic tourism and, over the course of the different lockdowns, this outdoor amenity has come into its own. “It is estimated that during this 15 month period first-time visitors to the facility amounted to as much as 80% of the total attendance on any given weekend,” said Patsy Neville, chairperson of The 12 O’Clock Hills committee. “Visitors are enthused when after making the inquiry, they are advised that according to local lore the Knockanuara twin peaks were named ‘12 O’Clock Hills’ by the ability of people working the nearby lands to tell when it was noon time by the position of the sun between these twin peaks at certain periods in the year. “This …