Iarnród Éireann’s explanation for why tickets cannot be booked online between Ennis and Galway has been described as “an insult to the people of County Clare” by one Mid-West MEP. However, Iarnród Éireann subsequently confirmed to The Clare Champion that it will be possible to buy tickets online for the service later this year.Fine Gael’s Jim Higgins, MEP for Clare and Ireland’s member of the European Parliament Transport Committee, branded the attitude of Iarnród Éireann to the Western Rail Corridor (WRC) as “pitiful”. “It’s as if Iarnród Éireann are doing everything they can to make it difficult for people to use the reopened Ennis-Gort-Galway line. “I cannot understand how it is you can book every intercity bus service in the country online but you cannot book a train service because it starts in Ennis,” he stated.However, following on from the MEP’s correspondence with Iarnród Éireann, a spokesperson for the company stated, “Our current online booking system is fully integrated with …

CLARE County Council has been asked to exempt depopulated areas of West Clare from charges for industrial and commercial development.  At the next West Clare Electoral Area meeting, Councillor PJ Kelly will put forward a motion requesting that Section 48 levies be amended. Councillor Kelly is also to raise the matter again at the next county council meeting and, in fact, says that he has already done so. “I raised this matter before at council level. I raised it on the grounds that levies were prohibiting development. If we exempted people from levies and if the business went ahead, at least we’d have the rates off them. The senior people in the council opposed it at the time. However, the manager made an announcement, I think it was at the December meeting, when the Shannon Airport rescue plan was revealed. He said that he was delighted to have made my recommendation to the Shannon project. He said it was welcomed. …

On Thursday, eight Clare garda stations signalled for closure in December will shut their doors and cease to come under the remit of An Garda Síochána. Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Kilmihil, Labasheeda, Doonbeg, Broadford and Mountshannon stations will close and the Office of Public Works will take on the responsibility for the buildings. In a last minute bid to get the Government to rethink their position Clare Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley has appealed to Fine Gael and Labour to reverse what he described as their “dangerous decision” to shut down eight garda stations in the county.Deputy Dooley was speaking ahead of a Dáil debate on a Fianna Fáil motion calling on the Justice Minister not to shut down 100 garda stations nationwide on Thursday. The motion also opposed the reduction in garda numbers and cuts to specialised garda units.Deputy Dooley claims people are fearful in their homes. “They need a strong and visible garda presence in their communities to deter …

SIX Clare parishes are participating in a unique pilot project aimed at helping people of Clare heritage abroad connect with the parish from where either they or their ancestors first originated.The Clare Ireland Reaching Out (IRO) Project is being rolled out on a pilot basis in Tulla, Kilrush, Ballyvaughan, Clarecastle/Ballyea, Kildysart and Kilmaley.The Irish Government-sponsored initiative is a reverse genealogy project based on the idea that instead of waiting for Irish diaspora, especially Irish Americans, to come back to Ireland to trace their roots, that communities or parishes would take the initiative and proactively search for and link with their diaspora instead. Community representatives from the six participating Clare parishes have commenced an eight-week training programme at the Clare Adult Education Centre in Ennis. The training programme includes modules on genealogy, heritage and tourism, website design, development and maintenance and event management. This training is funded under the Leader Programme.Mayor of Clare Councillor Pat Daly said it has the potential …

A BALLINDERREEN teenager has been named as one of the top soccer players in the country by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Lisa Casserly is among three girls shortlisted for the U-17 International Irish Player of the Year Award, which will be announced next month.  

HOUSING Minister of State Deputy Jan O’Sullivan has been asked to provide adequate enforcement resources for local authorities to reduce the risk of large, unfunded bills following the public taking in charge of large housing developments.

PARTY rivalries were set aside to a certain extent as Shannon Town Council unanimously passed a motion calling on the Government “to review its approach to resolving the country’s financial situation insofar as it is unfairly impacting on the most vulnerable in our society”.

A NORTH Clare councillor is calling on the Minister for Justice “to abandon the policy of reducing garda numbers” and begin recruitment of new gardaí. Councillor Richard Nagle went on to say “there is widespread concern at the closure of rural garda stations” and that some crimes are not being reported due to a perception that nothing can be done about them.