Tag Archives: Kilrush

THIS Tuesday, the Kilrush and District Historical Society conducts a lecture on one of the most famous evictions and resistance movements during the Land War which took place in July 1888 on the Vandeleur Estate near Kilrush. The Vandeleur evictions are still remembered locally as one of the darkest periods in the area’s history. Spectators to these evictions numbered in the hundreds, and there was even a sizeable press corps to document the events. Major E. J. O’Shaughnessy, a visiting Irish-American activist, his wife Margaretta Dunn O’Shaughnessy, and her sister Ellen Dunn, were among the witnesses to the evictions, and Major O’Shaughnessy subsequently wrote extensively about his experiences. Major O’Shaughnessy’s great grandson, Ed O’Shaughnessy, has spent over six years studying the many photographs taken during the evictions and the photographers who took them. He has the wonderful advantage of access to family archives and memories handed down since 1888. KDHS has arranged with Ed to deliver a lecture on his …

THERE is a bit more life in town centres all over Clare since the resumption of outdoor drinking and dining on Bank Holiday Monday. In Kilrush, venerable establishment of food and drink Crotty’s added to the atmosphere, with their own purpose-developed outdoor area, right in front of the premises. Speaking after its first day in use, proprietor Martin McMahon was delighted with how things had gone. “It was pretty good, there was a good vibe about the place. We have a nice outside garden area and there was a lovely atmosphere about it all day yesterday and last night. “People are happy to be out and about again, to have someplace to go, someplace to sit and eat. There was a great ambience in the area outside the pub. It went very well, very well I have to say, very happy to be open again. Glad and relieved. It was hard while we were off. “We put a lot of …

Half a loaf is considerably better than no bread as following the postponement of last year’s secondary adult club competitions, a condensed county league schedule is set to commence this bank holiday Monday. Four of the seven football leagues begin their campaigns on the first day possible of the government’s Covid-19 guidelines, with all divisions in both football and hurling limited to five matches which are based on last year’s fixtures. With no promotion or relegation at stake, the county leagues are primarily intended as a reintroduction to playing action following a minimum eight month absence. However, while clubs will be without their inter-county contingents, there’s still silverware on offer to retain a competitive edge remains intact as following the completion of the group stages, the top team in each division will be crowned champions. Cusack Cup – Division 1 Football League Round 1 Kilmurry Ibrickane v St Joseph’s Miltown at Quilty, Monday, 3.30pm (Referee: C Maguire) It’s a post-lockdown …

A CENTENARIAN, living in West Clare, recently celebrated her birthday with a letter from two heads of state. Joyce Mabel Heppell lives at St Theresa’s Nursing Home in Kilrush, where staff and residents helped her to mark the milestone birthday on April 14. Joyce Mabel Heppell née Morris was born in 1921 in London and grew up in the family-owned sweet shop in Ealing. Joyce had one sibling, a sister who passed away around 50 years ago. At the outset of World War II, Joyce volunteered to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), being posted to a radar site on the Thames estuary in Kent. The low point of this time was a period of three weeks, when there were only sardines to eat. After the war, Joyce joined the Foreign Office and went to Moscow, Washington and later to Paris. The birth of her son brought Mabel back to England to live in Surrey and work at the Department …

RESCUE figures for 2020 show that the volunteer lifeboat crew at the RNLI’s station in Kilrush launched nine times and brought 11 people to safety. Three of those launches were carried out in the hours of darkness. The figures were released as RNLI launched its Mayday Mile appeal which is calling on the public to cover one mile on any day in the month of May to help raise funds for the voluntary service. Kilrush RNLI Helm Charlie Glynn said, “Our callouts last year ranged from a young child blown out to sea on an inflatable to rescuing three people from a sinking vessel in gale force conditions. “For every callout there is a person behind it who is worried that something bad may have happed to a loved one and we are there to help find them and bring them home. “Thank you to everyone who supports the work of the volunteer lifeboat crews. From the vessel we use …

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour at public amenities in Kilrush has prompted a local councillor to call for more proactive policing in the area, as well as greater supports for young people. At the recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Councillor Ian Lynch said it was time that the body stepped up its efforts in highlighting anti-social behaviour and in proposing effective solutions. He cited, in particular, the need for an update on strategies proposed to-date by the JPC, including the creation of a multi-agency taskforce to tackle drugs and related crimes. Councillor Lynch outlined how public amenities in Kilrush are now the site of concerning levels of illicit and anti-social activities. “We know very well the benefits of public, outdoor amenities like the Coillte-owned Vandaleur estate and woodland,” he said. “While they are being used regularly by more and more people, there has also been an increase in thefts from vehicles. People are coming along at 3pm in the day, …

WORK has started on phase two of a €2 million extension of a unit in Raheen Community Hospital, the Mid-West HSE has confirmed.   The latest extension consists of the provision of a new build ward extension, which will provide HIQA compliant accommodation to seven residents in the existing Community Nursing Unit at Raheen. Following Public Works Restricted Procurement procedure, a contract was awarded to Custy Construction in March and the works have commenced on site. These major works will be carried out in two phases. Phase one consists of the construction of new plant room and services compound and partial demolition of existing stores building to allow for the connection and commissioning of the new services to the existing building. The second phase, which is programmed to start in July 2021, will be the demolition of the remainder of the stores building followed by the construction of the bedroom block. The construction duration is about 12 months to be followed …

A PLANNING application has been lodged for a major residential development in Kilrush. The application, which has been made by A & M Tubridy, seeks to convert the old Convent structure at Back Road, Kilrush. It seeks permission to upgrade the existing stairways, install two lifts and develop 30 apartments. It also seeks to demolish part of an existing outbuilding, reduce ground levels and construct 20 new semi detached dwellings. The old convent is a protected structure and was used as a school for decades. Since education ceased there in the 1990s, it has been out of use. According to the application, the gross floor space of the existing building is 3705 metres square and this would be extended by another 230m2. Half of the apartments would be one beds and the other half two beds, while the houses would all be three beds. One hundred and seventeen parking spaces would be provided. According to the documents submitted, the applicants …