East Clare

A STRETCH of road in East Clare could be in line for an upgrade, following a commitment from the local authority to consider it for improvement works. The condition of the L7000 through Broadford was raised by Councillor Joe Cooney at the January meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District. Tabling a motion on the matter, the Fine Gael member appealed to the council to include it on the roads program for this year. “The road is in very bad condition,” he said. “I have had many representations on it and there is a lot of concern locally from those who use it. It needs more passing bays, because the current condition means vehicles need to be able to pull in safety to let others pass.” The motion received the support of Councillor Cooney’s four fellow municipal district members who agreed that action was needed. In a written response to the motion, Senior Executive Engineer (SEE) Niamh Madden said the route …

A STRETCH of road which extends across two different municipal districts will be repaired this year, but is not on the current roads programme for this year. The poor condition of the road at Ballycar North, Sixmilebridge, which crosses from the Killaloe to the Shannon Municipal District, was highlighted by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. At a meeting of the Killaloe district committee, he called on the engineer from the area to meet her Shannon counterpart to draw up a proposal for the road. “This road is divided between both districts and in a very poor state,” the Fianna Fáil councillor said. “A lot of people use the route and it’s in need of a lot of repair. I understand it crosses two districts, that’s why I’m calling for the two engineers to work together on this.” In a reply to the motion, Senior Executive Engineer (SEE) Niamh Madden said she had spoken with the Shannon SEE on the matter. “As this …

AN AMBITIOUS project to boost the production and use of renewable energy is being pioneered by the Clooney Spancilhill Community Development Association. The group is one of three in Clare to enter a partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) with a view to creating an energy masterplan for the area. The blueprint will also offer potential to generate revenue for the area and will draw inspiration from a highly successful community of Templederry, outside Nenagh, who are now raising €1.1m annual for their locality. “We set up a steering group on the environment,” outlined Tom Larkin, Chairperson of the association. “That lead us to applying to the SEAI for funding. We succeeded in securing €10,000 and that involves us signing a three-year agreement with SEAI. We have mentoring from SEAI and Clare Local Development Company (CLDC).” After a tender process, the Tipperary Energy Agency was chosen and a contract signed before Christmas for the creation of a …

SPEEDING at a scenic location in East Clare was the subject of discussion at the most recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, when Councillor Pat Burke called for the situation at Reddan’s Quay to be addressed. The small harbour is in walking distance of Tuamgraney and Councillor Burke noted that in recent months, increasing numbers of cars had been speeding down the long, straight road to the Quay. While the Fine Gael member asked the council to consider the possibility of installing ramps, the authority said it will conduct a speed survey before deciding on the best course of action. “Many people, up to now, may have been unaware of Reddan’s Quay,” Councillor Burke told the meeting. “It’s often accessed from the water and it’s one of the many attractions in Tuamgraney. Recently, though, people living close by have become very concerned about the number of cars speeding down the road at night. They’re clearly not people who are …

ANGER over the regular presence in Scariff of a number of people protesting about pandemic public health guidelines has prompted furious debate on social media and a rejection of the anti-mask agenda. Since the end of last year, a group of up to 10 people been gathering in the centre of the East Clare town at weekends, carrying placards with phrases including, ‘Breathe again, masks do nothing’ and ‘I am here for your freedom too’. It is understood the group operate under the name ‘Vigil for Freedom’. In recent days, The Champion has been contacted by a concerned senior citizen living locally. In a strongly-worded letter, the man said he was “angered and appalled” by the demonstrations and the “callous disregard” of those taking part. “At this time when hospitals are being overrun by the sick and dying it is just not acceptable to have this type of demonstration going on,” he said. “Doctors, nurses and other health workers are …

TWO Clare men have been keeping postal staff on their toes with a series of riddles designed to test their local knowledge. Gearóid Kelly from Feakle and Tony McTeigue from Kilnamona have exchanged Christmas cards over the last five years. Rather than simply writing a name and address on the envelope, the pair have taken to coming up with cryptic instructions that have, almost always, led to the successful delivery of their post. While Gearóid works in Dublin and Tony in Australia, the two have sent cards and letters to each other’s home address, in the hope that local ties will help postal staff to decipher their destinations. “We’ve known each other since going to college in NUI Galway,” Gearóid told The Champion. The Business Information Systems graduate, an accordion player, met fellow Clare native, Tony, who plays banjo, at the college’s Trad Soc. “We were always up for a laugh and a few practical jokes alright,” he said. Now …

PLANS to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Glenwood ambush on Wednesday next, January 20, have now been deferred to later in the year in compliance with Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions. A very scaled down commemorative event will take place on the anniversary, however, with the lighting of a memorial lamp and the flying of a tricolour. The mounting of a commemoration plaque aptly named ‘An Teach Sábháilte,’ the Safe House, will go ahead as planned, but the unveiling has deferred to a future date. The wall plaque is being sculptured and fitted by Michael McTigue, and will take the shape of a 1920-style house. It will include revolutionary figures, facilitated by the bravery of women including members of Cumann na mBan. They provided support including food and shelter to the volunteers while on the run during the War of Independence. Other items on the plaque will include the rising sun and a semi-completed harp to signify the dawn of …

A SCARIFF native has been appointed by the Pope as the apostolic nuncio to the Middle Eastern states of Kuwait and Qatar. In recent days, Pope Francis conferred the role on Archbishop Eugene M Nugent who is originally from Scariff. The 62-year-old was previously the nuncio in Haiti where he worked for the last six years. He will transfer to Kuwait in the middle of February. A graduate in Celtic Studies from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Archbishop Nugent subsequently studied theology and canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome. He also studied diplomacy and international relations at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. He was ordained a priest in Scariff on July 9, 1983 for the Diocese of Killaloe. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1992 at the age of 33, he worked as secretary in the nunciatures in Turkey, Israel and Palestine and subsequently at the Holy See Study Mission in Hong …