A COMPANY planning the development of seven wind turbines on land to the east of Kilbane has pledged to provide more detailed information to residents over the coming months. EDF Renewables Ireland, which has confirmed plans to develop a 50MW wind farm, held a public consultation clinic on Tuesday, August 16 last when residents were invited to discuss their views and concerns with members of the project team. The proposed Lackareagh Wind Farm, which could power more than 35,000 homes, will be located in the townlands of Killeagy and Shannaknock. In an information leaflet provided to residents on Tuesday, the company stated it would be carrying out more detailed environmental studies at the site, including ecology, noise, landscape and visual assessments as well as measuring wind speeds. The results of these studies along with feedback gathered throughout consultation with communities will be used to determine the final turbine layout. The company will also be undertaking a transport and access study …

THE manager of a Parteen factory, which constructed a “100 metre tall wind turbine” that is “taller than the tower housing Big Ben in London” in the wrong place, has revealed their electricity costs have almost trebled over a 12-month period. An Enforcement Notice issued by Clare County Council on March 8, 2021 requested Limerick Blow Moulding to decommission and remove a wind turbine erected near the factory on or before Thursday, April 8, 2021 following an alleged breach of a planning permission condition. However, this wind turbine, which has attracted numerous planning objections from residents, two Clare deputies Cathal Crowe and Violet-Anne Wynne and Senator Timmy Dooley, is still in situ but is not operational. It has also been claimed by Deputy Crowe this wind turbine is “visually obtrusive” when viewed from local scenic areas including the Shannon River, St Thomas’s Island and King John’s Castle in Limerick City The company recently applied for retention permission for a revised …

AN Bord Pleanála has been urged to overturn Clare County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a multi-million Euro housing scheme in Lahinch. The council recently turned down plans for the development of seven detached four-bedroom dwelling houses with detached sheds at School Road, Attycristora, Lahinch. Associated site development works included wastewater pre-treatment and connections to public services. A Natura Impact Statement was also submitted on behalf of the developers, SPL Property Limited, Saint Flannan’s View, Ennis. This was the applicant’s second application for the proposed development at this site, which sought to address the council’s concerns raised in a Further Information Request in relation to the previous application. In this subsequent application, the applicant’s design team revisited the layout and as indicated in the Senior Executive Planner’s Report dated July 1, 2022, the council’s concerns were successfully addressed in relation to a number of aspects. These included drainage attenuation, boundary treatment, pedestrian infrastructure, construction traffic, management, water capacity, …

KILLALOE Coast Guard has appealed to members of the public not to block the narrow access road to Pier Head by parking in places where it is impossible for volunteers to pass with their vehicles. Over the past week on a number of occasions access to the Coast Guard station at Pier Head Killaloe has been blocked by cars leaving this cul-de-sac completely inaccessible for its crews responding to emergency calls. No parking signs, which were only erected a few months ago were also illegally removed from the walls on this cul-de-sac route. A Killaloe Coast Guard spokesman appealed to all people using the fantastic facilities at Pier Head to keep the access to the Coast Guard station clear and keep in mind volunteers need to respond to some incidents by towing a rescue boat. The spokesman acknowledged that Killaloe Gardai erected Garda no parking bollards at the start of the laneway, where it is extremely narrow only allowing room …

A Clarecastle man suffering from a collapsed lung has claimed he was left “crying in pain” for hours at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) before he received medication after contacting the ambulance control centre for urgent assistance. Michael McCarthy, Clarecastle (24) was rushed by ambulance to UHL last Friday at 5am where a tube was inserted into his body after he was cut open as part of an emergency surgical procedure. Mr McCarthy has a medical condition since aged 21, that causes blisters on his lungs, which regularly burst, resulting in the collapse of his lungs. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Mr McCarthy recalled requesting pain relief by pressing a patient buzzer on Saturday morning from 8.30 am to 1pm, but couldn’t get any health professional to administer it. He claimed staff told him they would be back with pain relief in a few minutes. However, this never materialised. “I was crying in pain so I had to ring …

  Short-term staffing deficits have been cited for the temporary closure of the Ennis Injury Unit on Saturday, August 20th. The UL Hospitals’ Group has announced that the Local Injury Unit in Ennis Hospital will be closed for one day due to a lack of staff to operate facilities. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the group confirmed this service will resume as normal on Sunday, August 21st from 8am to 8pm.   The group has apologised to patients who are inconvenienced by this disruption in service. “This decision has been made to ensure patient safety, which we strive to protect at all times. No other services at Ennis Hospital are affected.   “The group are advising people who require treatment for minor injuries on Saturday to attend the Injury Units at St John’s Hospital in Limerick, or Nenagh Hospital,” said a group spokesperson.   The group is also urging people with minor injuries not to attend the Emergency …

A TALENTED young Ennis showjumper has followed up recent European success with victory at the Dublin Horse Show in the RDS this Friday. Coen Williams was the captain when the Irish Pony U-16 showjumping team of Eoin Brennan, James Brennan, Paddy Reape, Williams and James Derwin, managed by Gary Marshall, won the team gold medal at the FEI Jumping European Championships for Ponies in Strzegom, Poland recently. In addition to the team award, Coen also won an individual bronze medal. In fact, this was the first time since the European championships started in 1978 that Ireland won first, second and third as well as team gold. Coen will be part of the Irish U-16 team that will be paraded before the Aga Khan Nations Cup final in the RDS on Sunday to mark the team’s outstanding achievements. On Friday, Coen followed up this great success by becoming Ireland’s new national champion by winning the U-16 148cm final at the main …

THE presence of a member of An Garda Siochána in Kilbane for a so-called protest that never materialised against a proposed wind farm left a sour taste among residents who gathered to attend a public consultation clinic on Tuesday evening. One Garda stood in the village during the information clinic that was organised by EDF Renewables and a second Garda came in a different vehicle for a brief period before departing shortly afterwards when it was patently clear there was no sign of any public demonstration. A member of An Garda Siochána from Tulla Garda Station told the Clare Champion he was tasked earlier that day to maintain a Garda presence in Kilbane for a planned protest. Acknowledging there was no sign of any public demonstration, he said that he couldn’t leave the village until he was sure everything was ok. He left before the consultation clinic finished at 7pm. EDF Renewables organised a public consultation clinic in a mobile …