Gort

The winter sun penetrates the trees at Coole Park near Gort. Photograph by John Kelly

A SHOOT-out at the parochial house? That’s what happened in Kinvara at dawn on Easter Tuesday morning, 1916, as police raided the house in an attempt to arrest the curate, Fr John O’Meehan, the quartermaster for the Kinvara Volunteers.

EIGHT-year-old David Doran represented Peterswell National School in the Connacht Minor Schools’ Swimming Championships recently. The talented youngster competed in the age seven to nine age group of the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke. He finished 17th in the 50m freestyle, eighth in the 50m backstroke and achieved the qualifying time for the national schools’ final. The Peterswell pupil was delighted to have made the national finals beating his personal best (PB) by four seconds in the process.

“NO one teaches you how to learn,” according to Cillian Fahy who found fame two years ago when he sold his Leaving Cert notes on online auction site Ebay. Here he speaks to The Clare Champion about his latest project, an internet education service launching next week and pays tribute to his former teachers in Gort Community School.

GALWAY County Council will decide this month if it will extend permission for the development of 17 homes at a landmark Clarinbridge site for an additional five years.

***The year in review*** THE continuation of the M18 to Tuam remained an uncertainty in 2012, despite the Government repeating its promise that Gort is not the end of the road.In July, the Government announced its stimulus package, which included the Gort to Tuam motorway and said work on the 57km of motorway, bypassing Clarinbridge, Claregalway and Tuam, would begin in the new year. Land for the project is already purchased and the funding confirmed in July meant, according to the Government, the State was ready to proceed with work on the major piece of infrastructure. Parts of the Government’s heavily hyped Infrastructure Stimulus PPP Programme, were branded as “repackaging” by Clare’s only Opposition TD. Deputy Timmy Dooley noted the familiar ring to some of the projects announced under the programme, including the progression of the Gort to Tuam motorway. The Fianna Fáil TD noted, “there is an element of repackaging in this” but welcomed the fact the Government is …

***The year in review*** GORT Mart celebrated its 50th anniversary during 2012. With an annual turnover of about €12 million, Gort Mart is still going strong, despite intense competition from other marts in the region. Unlike a lot of agricultural communities, which have been adversely hit by the closure of local marts, Galway still has a large number of marts including Athenry, Ballinasloe, Tuam, Moutbellew, Headford, Ma’am Cross and Clifden. Almost half of the business for Gort Mart comes from North and East Clare from places like Tubber, Ballyvaughan, Fanore, Ennistymon, Lahinch, Feakle and Flagmount.Gort Mart manager, Gerry Finnerty said the gala dinner held in August was the culmination of a brilliant week of celebration and looked forward to celebrating another 50 years of making a major contribution to the local economy. Seventeen members of the original founding committee of Gort Mart of 1962 were honoured on the night with presentations made to the surviving members, as well as family …

GALWAY County Council has yet to submit an environmental impact statement (EIS) to An Bord Pleanála for a new flood-relief scheme for the Dunkellin River and the Aggard Stream.