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Fiona McGarry

Quin team on Scandinavian motorbike escapade

QUIN adventurer, Declan McEvoy has successfully lead four co-riders on a Scandinavian odyssey, covering close to 6,000 kilometres over three weeks. After a solo polar adventure at the start of this year, Declan returned, this month, to Norkdapp in Northern Norway to recover the faithful motorbike that took him there. This time, he was accompanied by his wife, Jacinta and their friends Dave Barry and PJ and Hazel O’Gorman, all from Quin. Declan is no stranger to extreme conditions and arduous challenges, having biked up the west coast of Africa and, previously, set a new Guinness World Record for riding the length of a frozen Lake Baikal. His most recent voyage marked another first as he guided a group of relative novices on a journey from high above the Arctic Circle, at the most northerly point of the European continent, through seven countries in snow, rain and baking sun.  In contrast to his winter journey, which involved camping out in temperatures …

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Council seek go-ahead for pyrite grant facilitator 

A FACILITATOR to help Clare homeowners applying for grant support to treat the damage caused by pyrite, is being sought.  Councillor Ian Lynch confirmed that Clare County Council has written to the Department of Housing in relation to the recruitment of a local facilitator. Two staff were hired in Donegal – one of the four counties covered by the new grant – in March. Their role is to support those applying for the new scheme, which is expected to open imminently, though one-to-one clinics and public information sessions. “The Council has officially applied to the Department to appoint a facilitator,” the Independent councillor said. “The ball has started to roll on that matter. Any time there is a resource being provided and paid for by the Department, we need to grab it with both hands. It’s good to be able to reassure homeowners and CPAG after the questions that were raised at the meeting in Ennis. Homeowners will need someone …

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Wynne questions housing minister’s competence over pyrite grant delays

THE competence of the Minister for Housing has been called into question as uncertainty continues over exactly when the grant scheme for Clare homeowners with defective blocks will open.  Following a meeting in Ennis two weeks ago, Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne tabled two Parliamentary Questions (PQs) asking Minister Darragh O’Brien for an update. The Kilrush-based TD also asked what additional resources would be provided to Clare County Council to assist in the processing of applications from homeowners here. The Independent TD was waiting several days for a reply from the minister, who said he hoped the scheme’s regulations would be signed “in the coming weeks”. She told The Champion that, a year after the minister agreed to include Clare and Limerick in the new grant scheme, the vague reply and ongoing lack of clarity were unacceptable. “I’ve heard about the stress, strain and health implications of having pyrite, of living in damaged and cracked homes and the longer homeowners are left …

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Crowe quizzes Finance Minister over pyrite home remortgaging plight

RULES for the operation of the new defective concrete blocks grant could be signed on Friday, according to Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD. Despite that, uncertainty remains over exactly when the scheme will open to applications.  Deputy Cathal Crowe contacted members of the Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) to address that and other questions that arose at their meeting in Ennis a fortnight ago. Deputy Crowe tabled a number of Parliamentary Questions (PQs) on foot of homeowners concerns. One of these was to Minister for Finance Michael McGrath. Deputy Crowe asked if he was aware that owners of homes with defective concrete blocks are, in the main, unable to have their homes remortgaged. He also asked how he proposes to address this with pillar banks in this regard. Minister McGrath said that while the Government response on the defective concrete block issue is primarily led by the Minister for Housing, he recently met with the banking and insurance defective block redress …

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Protest at RTÉ Midwest studios over Tubridy pay row

A PROTEST at RTÉ’s studios in the Midwest demonstrated the anger of rank and file staff at so-called “sweetheart deals” for top star, Ryan Tubridy.  The station has been mired in controversy since news broke that Mr Tubridy received €345,000 in additional payments between 2017 and 2022. As representatives of RTÉ’s top brass got set to appear before two Oireachtas committees this week, staff took to the picket line. They voiced concerns over precarious contracts, low pay and cuts that have deepened at RTÉ in recent years. With no licence fee increase for 17 years and growing competition, RTÉ has been bidding for greater State support and aiming to prove that it could make reign in spending. Against that backdrop, news of the payments to Mr Tubridy pushed staff anger to boiling point.  The mood among journalists was described by one RTÉ worker as a “mix of despondency and anger”. The staffer spoke to The Champion on condition of anonymity. …

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Ennis health expo hosted by Older People’s Council

CLARE Older People’s Council will host a ‘Health and Wellbeing Age Expo’ on Friday, June 30, at Tracey’s West County Hotel, Ennis, from 11am to 4pm.  This free event will showcase the supports and services available in the county that are of interest and use to older people. The Mid-West Community Healthcare – Integrated Care Programme Older Persons, Active Ennis, Alone, Clare Libraries, Local Link and Sláinte an Chláir are just some examples of those who will be present at the event. Guest speakers will discuss the new ‘Healthy Age Friendly Homes’ initiative and ‘Preparing for a Healthy Retirement’. Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in a singing taster session, hear talks on Active Ageing and attend a cookery demonstration. The Irish Heart Foundation will also carry out free health checks during the event. On-site parking is available and the public bus stops just outside Tracey’s West County Hotel. Councillor Tony O’ Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, …

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Cannon sets off from Clare in 48-hour cycling challenge

CLARE is the starting point for a monumental cycle challenge undertaken by Deputy Ciaran Cannon in solidarity with Irish cyclists. Two years after being seriously injured in a road collision, the Galway East TD is aiming to complete a 900km journey, through every county, in under 48 hours, all while raising funds for the charity, Hand In Hand. The challenge is personal for Cannon and he hopes to show solidarity with the hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians who are injured on Irish roads every year. “This weekend is the second anniversary of a very traumatic time for me,” Deputy Cannon said. “I was seriously injured in a road traffic collision in 2021 and underwent surgery to my leg. I’m marking this anniversary by setting myself this challenge, perhaps in an act of defiance to show that I’m still capable of cycling, but also in solidarity with the hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians who are seriously injured on our roads every …

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Crowe insists pyrite quarries will be pursued

QUARRIES who supplied the defective concrete products that have devastated homes across the county came in for severe criticism, when members of the Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) met on a thundery Friday night last (June 16).  After outlining that it would be another five weeks before homeowners here could apply for the new grant scheme, Deputy Cathal Crowe gave an assurance over the government’s commitment. He accepted people’s reservations about the terms of the grant, but said that further amendments to the underpinning legislation, which was debated last summer, could have jeopardised the funding. “There was a state of economic flux and I think it was right to ring fence the money, and drive on to some degree for better or worse,” he said. “I accept you’re not all happy.”  Responding, Séamus Hanley of Drumline, whose home was visited by Minister Darragh O’Brien in 2021, said the solution to funding concerns was to pursue those responsible for the defective …

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