A NEW 352-BED Model Four Hospital with an Emergency Department (ED) on a green field site in Ennis is necessary to deal with the county’s long-term growing health care needs. That is one of the key recommendations of a new independent study of acute hospital services, which has been completed by Ennis, University of Limerick Phd student, Sinéad Madden, and is one the first of its kind analysing acute care in the region. Constructing a 352-bed Model 4 hospital with ED in Ennis would address the county’s long-term needs, according to the report. This is comparable to UHL’s capacity in 2014, which operated as a Model 4. Considering the ageing population, this new facility could operate as a centre of excellence and a teaching facility for social and geriatric care considering the ageing population in Clare. It noted cancer care and complex acute emergency cases could still be treated at UHL. Clare needs an extra 302 unplanned acute beds in addition …

    Local Elections poll-topper Councillor Joe Cooney and West Clare GP Dr Tom Nolan have been added to the Clare Fine Gael General Election ticket alongside Leonora Carey. Having ruled out a Dáil bid last week, Councillor Cooney has decided to enter the General Election race following political pressure at local and national level. Dr Nolan and Councillor Cooney were added to the Fine Gael Clare constituency ticket following a weekend meeting of Fine Gael’s Executive Council. First elected to Clare Country Council in 2004, Cllr Cooney has been returned to Killaloe Municipal District (MD) as a poll topper in the four subsequent Local Elections, most recently in June 2024. The former Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council and Chairman of Clare GAA is a first-time General Election candidate in the four-seat Clare constituency and joins Leonora Carey and Dr Tom Nolan on the Fine Gael ticket. Speaking about his decision to run, Councillor Cooney said, “Having considered contesting the …

An East Clare wildlife rescue centre manager has claimed the proposed development of wind turbines near the 12 O’Clock Hills will destroy the environment for native wildlife species. Bev Truss, who runs the Hogsprickle Wildlife Rescue Centre in Broadford is opposing plans for the provision of nine 180 metre high turbines in the Knockshanvo Wind farm. “I have been using Knockshanvo and Sunyata for many years to release hedgehogs. I have been in Ireland for 23 years. A lot of people know me,” she said. “I am passionate about Irish wildlife and heritage,” she said. If the wind farm is approved for planning permission, Ms Truss claimed the destruction of wildlife habitats will have a huge impact when trees and kilometres of hedgerows are removed. She pointed out birds and hedgehogs need hedgerows to survive. “Hedgehogs are a protected endangered species in Ireland. Hen Harriers are an endangered species. Kestrels are on the red list. “If hedgehogs move out of …

TWO people who lost a family member through suicide participated in a long-distance swim in East Clare recently to raise public awareness for prevention measures and help those suffering severe emotional distress. In 1993, Shane Millar was only six years old when his mother died by suicide at the age of 27. Mary and Pat White, Lifford, Road, Ennis were devastated when they lost their son – Clare footballer, Niall White (22) on May 30, 2011. Having shared a similar experience, Mr Millar and Mary White were part of a group that completed a suicide prevention fundraising swim. Starting at Caher, the participants navigated their way through Lough O’Grady to the Scariff River to Lough Derg, exiting at Reddan’s Quay. They had to walk in some sections of the river where the water was too shallow to swim and also had to climb over tree trunks, branches, and rocks. More than €2,000 was raised for the Samaritans and towards the …

Clare County Council has expressed mixed views on the development of a proposed major tourism and commercial facility at Drumman East, Williamstown Harbour in Whitegate. While the council welcomes aspects of this development, it considers the planned holiday home units should be omitted from the scheme as the redevelopment of the existing structures on site in line with the County Development Plan would be open to consideration. Kevin and Sue Durkin, c/o HRA Chartered Town Planning and Environment Consultants in Limerick, have applied for planning permission to regenerate and redevelop existing buildings and land for tourism and recreational purposes. This includes the demolition of existing toilet block, office and ancillary buildings; development of four residential lodges for short term letting; reuse and development of existing workshop building including a change of use from workshop to café and retail unit at ground floor level with the provision for two apartments at first floor level. The planning application makes provision for proposed …

A KILKISHEN creative writer has used locations in Shannon and Limerick City for a new award-winning film script about mental illness that is interwoven with a mysterious stalker. Cathal O’Hagan (22) is delighted with the success of his film script “It Lives In the Alleyways”, which can be made into a one-hour movie. “I am surprised with all the awards the film script has won. It is based on the lives of two people who I know and I thought it would make a great film,” he said. “I also added in other people. While the film deals with mental illness, there is also a great twist because the viewer doesn’t know if the stalker is real or not. “It also deals with the impact of drugs and being stalked. Women can regularly be victims of stalkers. Shannon and Limerick have a lot of laneways in housing estates, which I felt would be ideal for the stalker to use.” Having …

A SHANNON family is not happy with recent HSE appointments following the death of their daughter at University Hospital Limerick, a Sinn Féin Deputy has claimed. Aoife Johnston of Cronan Lawn in Shannon, (16) died of meningitis after a thirteen and a half hour gap between presentation and treatment where she attended the Emergency Department having been seen by a GP who queried the possibility of sepsis. Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson, David Cullinane highlighted a report in The Irish Times about Professor Colette Cowan and her appointment to a new role as a new Integrated Healthcare Area Manager in the Mid-West. Deputy Cullinane asked if Professor Cowan was among a small group offered such posts outside of a public competition? “Will the Minister explain why that happened and why it was done outside of a public competition? “ he asked. “Was the past performance of any individual – not just of one individual but of any …

NO SUITABLE family doctor has applied to fill a vacancy for a permanent general practitioner in Kilrush, despite five public advertisements over the last five months. Concern has been expressed about the difficulty securing a resident GP in rural parts of West Clare. The HSE Mid-West is currently managing a GP Practice in Kilrush to ensure continuity of GP services for the patients. The HSE advertised the GMS panel on five occasions since January 2023, however, no suitable applicants applied. The HSE has organised recruitment campaigns to fill the vacancy since it arose, however, the vacancy has failed to fill on a permanent basis. HSE Regional Health Forum West member, and Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney believes enhanced recruitment incentives are urgently needed. Out of the 151 Electoral Districts in Clare, five in Kilrush are classified as economically disadvantaged. Kilrush Urban and Mullagh rank in the Top 100 most deprived EDs across Ireland. …