CLARE County Council has pledged to lend community development assistance to any local voluntary group that establishes a proposed new meals on wheels service for elderly people in West and North Clare. This follows a call from Councillor Cillian Murphy and Councillor Joe Garrihy for the West Clare MD, Age Friendly Clare, and the Rural Development Directorate to support local community groups, the HSE and OBAIR Newmarket in the establishment of a meals on wheels and odd job service for West and North Clare. In the context of the population, over 65, living in North and West Clare, many in rural and isolated areas, they pointed out this would enable older people to live healthier and longer in their own communities and to have a consistent regular contact linking them to locally delivered services. Responding to their joint motion at a West Clare Municipal District (MD) meeting on Tuesday, acting Rural Development Senior Executive Officer, Bernie Haugh, said the Directorate …

DAMAGE totalling €7,500 was caused to a public convenience just a stone’s throw from Killaloe Bridge, according to a recent estimate completed by a district engineer. Killaloe Gardaí have investigated criminal damage to the public toilets at the Pontoon in Ballina. Over the past year, Killaloe Gardaí have confirmed there have been repeated acts of vandalism on these toilets, which are located along a very popular walking route a short distance from the Ballina Outdoor Heating Swimming Pool. Between 10pm and 12 midnight on Monday night, October 31, windows were broken in the toilets and paving slabs were pulled off the ground outside the toilets. This last act of vandalism was condemned as “appalling” by Waterways Ireland Operations Controller, Éanna Rowe. In response to Clare Champion queries, Marcus O’Connor, Director of Roads, Transportation in Nenagh Municipal District, said the council was extremely disappointed with the ongoing acts of vandalism of these public toilets. He confirmed all the windows to the …

CLARE County Council has declared plans for the construction of a permanent family home for Deputy Cathal Crowe are withdrawn after he opted not to respond to a Further Information Request from the planning authority. In its request for Further Information, Clare County Council considered the information submitted in the planning application for a private dwelling house, detached garage, wastewater treatment system and associated site works at Heathmount, Cratloe for Maeve Fehilly and Cathal Crowe is insufficient to make a complete planning assessment of the proposal. The applicant was requested to submit a site layout plan with a slope of 1:8 or less as per the EPA guidelines and was advised it may be necessary to carry out revised percolation tests and a trial hole evaluation. With regard to the proposed water supply, it is noted the application form states that there will be a new connection to a private well. However, the site characterisation form indicates a connection to …

Refugee and migrant rights organisation Doras has expressed grave concern about moving more than 80 international protection applicants into tents in Knockalisheen, Meelick. As sub zero temperatures returned in Clare, Irish Refugee Council chief executive officer, Nick Henderson said it is a matter of real concern that refugees find themselves back in this position in Ireland, which is one of the richest countries in the EU. Notwithstanding the accommodation challenges, he said that placing refugees in tents is not acceptable. “This is disappointing, given Minister O’Gorman’s assurances in December that tented accommodation would cease to operate,” said Doras CEO John Lannon. “Less than four weeks later they’re back in operation. As a result, it’s very difficult to be optimistic about the government’s response to the need to provide stable and safe accommodation for refugees.” “We’ve seen the tents. They’re cold and damp. People have to go outside to get to the toilets. They certainly don’t meet people’s basic needs. And …

CONTROLLING the water levels on the River Shannon and the Head Race Canal continues to be a key aspect of Ardnacrusha Power Station, according to an experienced retired electrician. Looking back on his 44-year stint in Ardnacrusha, Francis Moloney (73) from Clonlara has outlined other statutory obligations staff fulfilled, apart from vital electricity generation. In the winter time, he recalled during high water levels Ardnacrusha was responsible for maintaining certain levels on the River Shannon. “People working up along the Shannon in places like Killaloe and Portumna would report what the water levels were to staff in Ardnacrusha where they are logged to determine the input into the River Shannon, which dictates what generation is going to be done at a particular time. “If the levels in the River Shannon go above the statutory level, you commence spilling of excess water down the Old River Shannon where people like Bertie Poole would operate the gates at Parteen Weir on behalf …

NATIONAL HSE chiefs have defended the controversial removal of 24-hour Emergency Care from Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals following claims University Hospital Limerick is a “centre of death” and a “centre of disaster” for some patients who were left lying on trolleys. The latest criticism of this downgrading came at a Joint Health Committee meeting on Tuesday just days before thousands of hospital campaigners are expected to attend a major protest march in Limerick from Merchants Quay this Saturday. Deputy Cathal Crowe paid tribute to the frontline staff that have worked very hard to keep the hospital system some way functional. “There has been a perpetual crisis in the Mid-West and in particular UHL. We have a population in the mid-west of almost 500,000. There was a time when this population had five Emergency Care Departments, patients were provided with a level of care were discharged and went home. “Sometimes old ways are better. I think it is time the HSE …

CLARE people have been urged to attend a protest march in Limerick to highlight the impact of persistent overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on January 21. Noeleen Moran of the Mid West Hospital Campaign has requested Clare sporting organisations, community groups and individuals to attend this demonstration, which starts at Merchant’s Quay at 11am. “We need a strong Clare presence at this march to get our message across that 24-hour casualty cover needs to be returned to Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals.” She believes the recent HSE acknowledgement about the danger posed by overcrowding is a direct result of the work of campaigners such as Marie McMahon from Ennistymon among others. “For 82 patients that are left on a trolley for six to eight hours, there is at least one fatality. This increases with the number of hours patients are left waiting. There were at least 77 days when there were more than 82 patients on trolleys in UHL in …

AN Ennis Elvis fan has recalled the contrasting emotional high of being on “cloud nine” after meeting Lisa Marie Presley in Graceland to an “unimaginable feeling of grief” after learning about her sudden death a few days later. Looking back on the annual Elvis Birthday Proclamation, Priscilla Lernihan remembered a very poignant moment when Lisa Marie admitted Elvis fans were the only reason to leave her house, having been a virtual recluse since her son’s tragic death. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Priscilla recalled Lisa Marie was a different person from the one that appeared at the Golden Globe Awards after she spent an hour meeting and greeting fans in Graceland. Still on holidays in New York when Lisa Marie (54) was taken to hospital, Priscilla was shocked to learn from her husband, Kevin, she had died following a suspected cardiac arrest. “It was a huge shock. It might seem a bit silly to be upset over someone …