THE launch of the Famine in Clare Exhibition in Kilrush Library will take place on Tuesday at 6pm.The exhibition concentrates on the Famine in the county from 1845 to ’52 and explores each Poor Law Union, its electoral divisions and workhouses.  Reports are included from those such as English Poor Law Commissioners and Relieving Officers, the Board of Guardians and Poor Law Inspectors, with lists of names of those who died in the Kilrush and Ennistymon Workhouses.Kilrush has been selected as the host location for the main 2013 National Famine Commemoration, which will take place on Sunday, May 12. At 7.30pm on Tuesday in Teach Ceoil, Jackie Whelan will give Kilrush and District Historical Society’s monthly lecture, on The story of the West Clare Railway.The West Clare Railway (WCR) originally operated between 1887 and 1961. This 3ft narrow gauge railway ran from the county town, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush and Kilkee, …

Tributes have been paid to volunteers and staff from Clare credit unions who successfully completed the Advanced Certificate In Credit Union Practice conferred by University of Ulster. They were presented with their certificates at a graduation ceremony in the Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick.They were among graduates from Chapter 13 (Clare, Limerick and Tipperary) of the credit union movement, who were presented with their certificates by Jimmy Johnstone, president of the Irish League of Credit Unions.He acknowledged the graduates’ hard work and commitment to continued professional development. Mr Johnstone added that such commitment and dedication is shared by many across the credit union movement. To date, over 2,000 credit union volunteers and staff have completed the Advanced Certificate in Credit Union Practice (ACCUP) programme. Graduates from Chapter 13 were part of the 570 who completed the programme in 2012, he said.He also told the graduates that education is a core co-operative principle and ACCUP participation rates speak volumes for their commitment …

ENNIS may miss out on essential infrastructural improvements because the town is to be stripped of its hub town status.The warning was sounded by Councillor Brian Meaney who said Ennis is to lose its special hub town status arising from the abolition of the National Spatial Plan.“There is a policy vacuum because a revised plan has not been put in place,” stated Councillor Meaney.“In the last few months it has been announced that Ennis is losing its town council and now it is losing its hub town status.  I am not saying that the National Spatial Strategy was perfect. The strategy was a kind of a one-toothed wonder in that it gave designation to urban centres around the country but very little resources were put in place to back up those designations.“All hub towns were to have an improved sewerage treatment plants. This never happened in most towns but, at least, while a town was designated a hub town, it …

Ennis is the first town in the country to receive the prestigious international Purple Flag award and a conference earlier this week heard how successful city and town centres can be managed with a focus on the evening time.

  BUDDING archaeologists and historians in North Clare will have the chance to take part in an archeological dig this Saturday at Killilagh Church in Doolin. The Doolin Heritage Committee and the Save Killilagh Church project are behind the dig, which begins at 10am and continues until 4.30pm. Long-time Doolin resident and commercial archaeologist Joseph McCooey is one of the organisers. “The dig will be carried out by a licensed archaeologist. The reason for the dig is that builders will be working on a window in the church before the end of the month. They will be putting up scaffolding so before they come on site, we have to make sure anything they do won’t interfere with the archaeology of the site. This dig is open to the public. It is a good way for members of the public to meet with the committee. The archaeologist in charge will be Graham Hull from TVAS [archaeological consultants],” he explained.While the dig …

FRESH concerns have been expressed about lead in the county’s water supply as preparations are being made to tighten acceptable levels across Europe.

More than 350 young musicians aged between six and 20 years will take to the stage in the sixth annual Coole Music Orchestra Festival in Gort. The musicians will make up 10 orchestras participating in the festival that takes place on Sunday, March 3 in Gort Community Centre.

TWENTY housing estates in Shannon haven’t been taken in charge by Clare County Council, it was revealed at last week’s town council meeting.