Tag Archives: Connolly

THE opening and closing scenes of a new €22 million film have been shot in Clare, with filming in the county concluding this week at the old Kinturk National School. The film is entitled ‘God’s Spy’ and is being directed by Todd Komarnicki, who wrote the acclaimed biographical drama, ‘Sully’. Its director of photography John Matheson was involved in the making of ‘Gladiator’ and is one of the world’s top cinematographers. Location manager Seán Flynn said, “This is a European co-production, being shot in Belgium and in Ireland. Clare has the opening and closing scenes. In East Clare we filmed in O’Briensbridge, we’re filming here in Kinturk outside Connolly today, that’s where the movie ends, the final scenes of the movie are being shot in the old schoolhouse in Kinturk. We’ve also shot at Fanore Beach and the Burren.” He said there had been great backing for their work in Clare. “Clare County Council have been unbelievably supportive, including Siobhán …

GARDAI are investigating an armed robbery which occurred in Connolly on Thursday afternoon. A man armed with a knife entered a shop from which he took a sum of cash and cigarettes. A car was subsequently stolen from a local house and it was recovered on Friday. It is thought the incident may be linked to an attempted robbery at an Ennis petrol station on the same day.

A MOTHER of four, three of whom are aged 13 or younger, has told The Clare Champion that the family has lived at eight different addresses around Clare since moving out of long-term rented accommodation in Connolly last September. In recent weeks, Deirdre McGrath and her children have lived in Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)-funded rented accommodation in Kilfenora but must move out this week. Up to securing that accommodation, the mother and her three younger children lived in friends’ houses across the county. “We took on a lease in Kilfenora but within a month, we got a notice of termination. The landlord’s circumstances have changed and he wishes to move back in,” Deirdre McGrath explained. She said it is very difficult to find accommodation where the landlord will accept HAP. “The consequences of HAP is landlords have to invest money into the dwelling to bring it up to standard. The guidelines can be quite tight,” she said. HAP is a …

CLARE County Council’s decision last Friday to grant planning permission to Brookfield Renewable Ireland Ltd for 11 wind turbines, will mean that a total of 98 turbines will be located within a 10km radius in Connolly, Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Lissycasey and Kilmihil. Up to 131m in height, permission was given subject to 27 conditions. Fifty six separate submissions were received by the council, with 53 of them listed as objections from local residents and community groups. In a detailed submission, the Conserve Kilmaley Group outlined its concerns with the latest windfarm, noting that almost 100 wind turbines would be located in the area, if granted permission. “This combined development is a very substantial windfarm in terms of site area, scale and height of turbines, capacity of output, noise emissions and enormous local disturbance to the environment – peat disposal, tree felling, loss of moorland and bog habitat, impact on all species and impacts on residents and their dwellings,” were amongst some of …

CONNOLLY native Aidan Clarke departs for Russia as only the third Irishman to ever compete in the men’s sabre competition in the World Fencing Championships. The event will take place from Monday next to Sunday, July 19, in the famous Olympic Stadium in Moscow. Twenty-six-year-old Aidan will compete on Monday and Tuesday in what is the largest indoor arena in Europe, seating an impressive 35,000, or more than twice the seating capacity of Thomond Park. The world championship titles will be decided between 912 men and women fencers from 108 countries and also at stake is qualification for the Rio Olympics next year. Aidan is a member of the Irish team consisting of four other athletes. Two of these are also taking part in the men’s sabre section of the competition. The sabre has a total length of 105cm, its blade is 88cm long and a hit can be made with the cutting edge, as well as the point. Qualification …

An accident in a forest in Connolly on Wednesday night, which has left a man with serious injuries, is being investigated by the gardaí and Health and Safety Authority. Two units of the fire service from Ennis were dispatched to the scene at Tulloghboy, Connolly, following a call for assistance by the ambulance service. The man, who is in his forties, sustained crush injuries to his chest, after he became trapped against a truck. The man was freed, and brought to University Hospital Limerick, where his condition is described as critical.