Tag Archives: Tom Tiernan

A CLOUD of gloom hung heavily over Clare County Council this week following the sudden death of senior engineer Sean Ward. The 63-year-old Abbeyfeale native, who moved to live in Sixmilebridge after joining the council in 2001, fell ill on Saturday and died unexpectedly last Monday morning. At his funeral mass, Bishop Emeritus Willie Walsh paid tribute to the major contribution that Mr Ward made to public service and to the local community, through his musical talents with the Sixmilebridge Folk Club. Musicians from throughout the county played various pieces in his memory during a moving and emotional ceremony attended by a large number of officials from Clare County Council and other local authorities where he previously worked. An accomplished accordion and concertina player, he could play a variety of instruments, including the fiddle, tin whistle and piano. Funeral goers were told that the deceased had expressed a wish to donate all of his instruments to his beloved folk club. …

Clare County Council consultants have completed investigations at Latoon Creek Bridge, which has been the subject of a weight restriction since late 2015. The local authority said it anticipates that repair work to the bridge, which is located between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Clarecastle on the old Ennis/Limerick road, will begin next month and will be completed during November. Tom Tiernan, senior engineer, Clare County Council explained, “Due to the complex nature of the construction of the bridge, specialist contractors with experience in investigation of similar structures conducted additional structural investigations, load assessments and sensitivity analysis. The result of their investigations, recently completed, is that the 3.5-tonne weight restriction can now be eased to 18 tonnes. This amended restriction, however, must remain in place until the repairs are carried out.” “The new restriction will be less onerous than that which has existed up to now,” he added. “From today (Monday) vehicles of up to 18 tonnes will be free to use the …

THE theft of village signage has been described as “epidemic” by local Councillor Pat Hayes, who highlighted that signs have been stolen in four villages in East Clare. Councillor Hayes said Feakle, Caher, Flagmount and Killanena have had signage taken. He said some thefts have occurred in recent weeks, while others were some time ago. He said it is not the directional signage, which is usually the common problem, but in this case it is the larger signs for the villages themselves. “It seems to be specific to this side of the county. Directional signposts are also missing. The GAA one in Caher was taken down and a couple of business ones were taken as well. It seems to be an epidemic for the last while. I would very much be appealing to the public out there. There might be huge value in those signs but it is the communities that put them up and maintain them. They are part …

CLARE County Council’s senior engineer, Tom Tiernan has admited that funding levels have “crashed downwards” in recent years, leading to local authorities having to “abandon tertiary roads”. Tom Tiernan commented that the entire road network needs to be in a good condition to facilitate the country’s economic recovery, saying current funding levels are not “sustainable”. He was speaking following the release last week of the National Oversight and Audit Commission Report, which found that Clare had the highest percentage of “severe structural defects” on tertiary roads in the country. However, Mr Tiernan stated that the figure presented in the report for Clare “isn’t necessarily representative” of the situation in the county. As outlined in The Clare Champion last week, the report looked at the standard of primary, secondary and tertiary roads. League tables were compiled, with criteria such as surface defects, structural distress and pavement defects all considered. According to the report, 22% of tertiary roads in Clare were found …

Motorists are bracing themselves for traffic disruption on one of Ennis’ busiest routes from this Saturday with the start of a week-long 24-hour road closure. Senior engineer with Clare County Council Tom Tiernan has described the upcoming closure on the Tulla Road to facilitate works by Irish Water as “probably one of the most punishing elements” of the county capital’s watermain rehabilitation project. However, he has insisted that the full closure of the road was the best possible option for both residents and those behind the project, which involves the replacement of leaking pipes. Contractor Ward & Burke Construction Ltd are carrying out the works, which will see the road closed from the roundabout on the Lifford Road to the east side of the Tulla Road Bridge on the Tulla Road. The road closure will be in place from this Saturday until Sunday, November 1 inclusive and diversions are in place. Speaking ahead of the closure, he acknowledged that residents …

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly the NRA) has announced that a contractor will be appointed this week to undertake remedial works to Clonbony Bridge on the N67 near Miltown Malbay. The Bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since September 11, following significant flooding in the area. Subsequent inspections of the bridge have indentified structural damage to one of the bridge abutments which has necessitated the closure of the bridge and the rerouting of traffic. Senior engineer, Clare County Council, Tom Tiernan, commented, “Clare County Council is conscious of the disruption that the closure has caused for local businesses in Miltown Malbay, as well as local residents. However, the continued closure has proven to be necessary on foot of inspections that have deemed the bridge structure to have been compromised.”

The chief executive and a director of services of Clare County Council have apologised to the three families affected by what has been described as the “fiasco” of the council’s handling of proposals on Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon. Council CEO Tom Coughlan has privately delivered an apology to the families whose homes and businesses could face demolition if a new bridge, aimed at alleviating traffic problems at Blake’s Corner, goes ahead. Councillor Richard Nagle raised the matter at Monday’s meeting of the council in a motion that called for a protocol to be put in place that would outline clearly how individuals and communities are to be consulted concerning any proposals that directly affect them. “I put down this motion because I believe that it is important that we, as a council, have clear guidelines in place for projects that have a major impact on individual members and the communities in which they are to take place,” Councillor Nagle stated. …

FOUR houses and business premises could be knocked in the latest attempt to address Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon, one of the county’s worst bottlenecks. One couple, due to move into their first family home this week, has organised a meeting seeking public support in what they predict will be a major battle with Clare County Council and the National Roads Authority. Sheena Clancy, her husband, John and their four-year-old son, Jamie, are “devastated” after finding out they could lose the house they have spent the past seven months renovating and which they plan to move into this Friday. Sheena rented the property at Bridge Street for three years before the couple bought the building at auction last May, to renovate as their family home. Now, the family has discovered that the building is likely to be the subject of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) because it is in the path of a proposed new road. Sheena and John were paying …