Regional

CLARE County Council is close to taking over a site at Shannon, where a civic building could be installed, this week’s meeting of Municipal District councillors heard. Giving an update to members, Director of Service Liam Conneally said that work is continuing on Shannon’s application for Urban Regeneration Development Funding. He also said that the Council is in the process of concluding the lease on the relevant site, and then it will come under the local authority’s control. The recently launched Shannon Town Centre Masterplan has a plan for something called the One Shannon Hub, which would have multiple uses, including relocated County Council offices, a ‘greenhouse’ which would be a space for a variety of uses such as co-working, education, and training, exhibitions, meeting rooms and conference opportunities. The building would also have a performing arts venue. Mr Conneally said a lot of work has been done on the brief and the proposed size of the building for the …

CALLS for an upgrade of the Quin Road Business Park, described as “very broken and piecemeal”, have been made by local councillors. Councillor Johnny Flynn has urged the Ennis Municipal District, Clare County Council and Shannon Group to “urgently look at upgrading the park” in terms of its customer, worker and business owner experience. Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District he outlined, “Quin Road Business Park, Ennis is a very busy and important economic centre in which businesses provide essential retail services to County Clare customers and significant employment. The businesses in the park generate annual revenue to both Clare County Council and Shannon Group in rates and service charges.” He suggested that upgrades to the site could include the creation of a biodiversity/recreational park on vacant sites at the left hand side of the entrance for people visiting and working in the business park and to assist in the use of the adjacent Fergus River …

INVESTMENT of €3 to €4 million will be made in Scariff in the coming years, a meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District has heard.  The busy East Clare market town was allocated more than half-a-million Euros to-date, under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF). The use of that tranche of funding was explained by Senior Executive Officer (SEO), Morgan Lahiffe, in response to a question from Councillor Joe Cooney.  The Killaloe Cathaoirleach sought an update on progress with the project. “There has been a lot of concern about parking in Scariff again recently,” Councillor Cooney said. “People have been looking for updates. The fact is that the funding will only cover Step One. We need to be clear about what we will be able to do with this funding.” Mr Lahiffe outlined that the current funding allocation does not provide for the delivery of a carpark. “The RRDF is for rural areas and we identified it as the best …

WATER way to start the day at Scoil Chríost Rí in Cloughleigh with the recent launch of the latest addition to the school’s Kayak le Chéile club. The club is continuing to make a splash with the addition of a brand new kayaking shed right next to the River Fergus. The new shed was opened last Wednesday with Rang a Trí pupil Junior Power cutting the ribbon. The building was then blessed by Fr Ger Jones, before Rang a Sé pupils led the assembled guests up river for an hour- long paddle.  Sixth class pupils also unveiled their recent Kayak le Ceol recording, which saw the class work with artist-in-residence, Fiona Leenane, to compose and perform a kayaking routine to music.  Teacher Joe Garry explains that Kayak le Chéile was formed two years ago at Scoil Chríost Rí and since then kayaking has become an integral part of the curriculum offered with ranganna IV-VI getting out on the Fergus. Aided …

TULLA’S traditional music venue, Cnoc na Gaoithe is to host two free concerts this Friday (May 20) and next.  On May 20 at 8pm, fiddle maestro Liz Kane from Letterfrack, Connemara will take to the stage alongside acclaimed accordion player Danny O’Mahony from Ballyduff in Kerry.  On Friday, May 27, multi-instrumentalist Fergal Scahill, best known as the fiddle player with We Banjo 3 will perform along with Tyrone native Ryan Molloy, an accomplished contemporary classical and traditional piano player.  Admission to both concerts is free but must be pre-booked due to limited seating. Bookings can be made on Eventbrite.com. The concerts are support by Clare Arts Office and The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, under the Local Live Performance Support Scheme (LLPSS). Earlier this month, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced details of live events to be staged using the €5m in funding allocated to local authorities for the …

A CELEBRATORY service of evensong will welcome the new Anglican bishop of the diocese that covers Kilfenora, to the village’s ancient cathedral on Sunday next, May 22.  The Right Reverent Michael Burrows, whose diocese has recently been expanded to encompass Tuam, as well as Limerick and Killaloe, will be ‘enthroned’ in Kilfenora Cathedral, in a history-making ceremony, at 4pm. It follows the formal installation, on May 1, of the Catholic Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora. Bishop Michael Duignan was formally installed in a ceremony at Galway Cathedral.  Sunday’s ceremony will be a celebration of song and welcome and refreshments will be served in the cathedral after the service. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend. The last enthronement took place in 1981, when Bishop Walton Empey, who was later COI Archbishop of Dublin, came to Kilfenora Cathedral. The bishop’s throne was donated in that year for the deremony, and will be used again on …

WITH the north Clare property market soaring, auctioneer Peri Griffin said it is very difficult for local people who want to rent a home in their own areas. Ms Griffin, of Streets Ahead Properties, said there is a massive level of interest in almost any property that becomes available. “For instance we put up an advertisement for a place in Coore lately, and that wouldn’t be somewhere many people would be looking for, but we must have had 60 to 70 emails. “Here in Ennistymon you could have 150 emails. I put up one for Lisdoonvarna and in the space of five minutes there must have been 20 emails in.” She says the difficulties in the local rental market are actually going on for a long time. “We have had a crisis on our doorstep for the last six years, never mind just now.” She said that since she became active in renting properties in 2008 a number of landlords …

DISCUSSIONS need to be had with landowners in a bid to find a solution to “major traffic congestion on a daily basis” at a popular school on the outskirts of Ennis, according to a local councillor. Knockanean National School has experienced a “huge increase of pupils” in recent years Councillor Pat Daly informed a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. He added that traffic issues have “been going on the last 30 years, and something needs to be done”. The councillor was told that while a design has been completed for an upgrade of the road, there is no funding available for the purchase of lands. Councillor Daly suggested that the council talk to the landowners with a view to acquiring land to allow for a widening of the road leading up to the national school from the Ennis side. He also asked would the council consider a Compulsory Purchase Order, adding that the local authority could make another application …