DEVELOPERS of a controversial East Clare wind farm have been urged to honour a promise to fund local sports clubs, in the event of a legal challenge to the recent grant of permission for 19 turbines on the slopes of Slieve Bearnagh.  In correspondence seem by The Champion, Deputy Michael McNamara told FuturEnergy Ireland that the funding promise would amount to “an ugly bribe”, if it were to be withheld in the likely event of a challenge.  The Scariff TD, who headed up the Carrownagowan Concern Group, also repeated fears originally voiced in a major submission, over the potential for landslides. In his letter to FuturEnergy – a renewable venture between Coillte and the ESB – Deputy McNamara said he was still not satisfied that those risks have been addressed.  The Independent TD said that one of the aspects of the planning application that concerned him most was the promise by Coillte to fund local sports clubs, contingent on the …

QUESTIONS have been raised over the environmental impact of a new 60-home estate proposed for Tulla, with planners looking for more information on how sensitive habitats and bat species might be affected. Wiskin Property Developments is seeking permission for 15 detached houses; 36 semi-detached houses and nine terraced houses on a site of just over three hectares at Loughaun South. To date, four submissions have been sent to planners by locals living close to the site, and a representation has been made by Councillor Joe Cooney. Given the sensitive nature of the site, the Council has asked the developers for Further Information (FI) on several aspects of their plans. In the first instance, more details have been sought on mitigation measures to protect a nearby riverside woodland habitat. Planners have also asked for an explanation of how these measures will be integrated into the proposed estate. Under the current County Development Plan, any development at the site must taken into …

‘THE difficult second album’, a remark that’s often made about artists and the challenge of following up on strong first releases. The opposite is the case for the second album of Miltown Malbay musician Shona Blake who has delivered with ‘A Woman Knows’, her stunning new album. In it, she reveals huge growth as a person and as an artist and it’s no surprise that the plaudits are coming her way.  “This is everything I ever wanted in an album,” she says from her home in Miltown Malbay. “I knew I wanted to take my time and I knew how I wanted it to sound. It started in 2018 exactly one year after my mum passed and we continued to record once a year around her anniversary. She was there, her spirit a guiding light throughout”. Shona’s husband Paul McCabe is her longtime collaborator and he was very much part of the journey. “Everything between myself and Paul was live. …

TEXTILES inspired by summer days in the South of Italy will bring some welcome sunshine to Kinvara this month, in a new exhibition at the Courthouse. Kinvara Area Visual Arts (KAVA) presents ‘Vitae Rurale’ by Isabella Florio. This ten-day exhibition will open on Friday next, October 7.  Isabella is an Italian designer and textile artist who completed her honours BA in Design at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) earlier this year. She first became interested in art and design as a young child, a hobby she also enjoyed throughout her teenage years. After secondary school, she chose to pursue a creative career, moving to Dublin in 2016 to join The Grafton Academy, where she studied Fashion Design for over a year. Here, Isabella gained skills in pattern drafting and garment construction. After deciding to expand her knowledge and explore a new avenue of education, she enrolled in ATU to study Fashion and Textile Design. Her work there was centred around …

A PLAY focusing on one of the most intense and dramatic incidents in the War of Independence in Clare comes to Miltown Malbay, on Saturday night (October 8). The drama, entitled Two Days in September, secured prestigious funding support from Clare County Council through the Decade of Centenaries Arts Project Awards. The drama, which has great local interest, premiered in North Clare in June.  Written by Doolin-based playwright Dermott Petty, Two Days in September tells the story of the Rineen Ambush. The drama unfolds, in film and theatre form, and traces the events of autumn, 1920, when a British Army convoy was ambushed by the Mid-Clare Brigade of the IRA. It follows the aftermath of revenge and the sacking, looting and burning of the villages of Ennistymon, Lahinch and Miltown Malbay by the Black and Tans on September 22 and 23, 1920.  “West Clare in 1920 was recovering from a land war, famines, World War 1 and Spanish influenza,” said …

THE reasons why Clare lost out on inclusion of two heritage sites on a list of internationally significant locations has been outlined, on foot of a question from Deputy Michael McNamara. The Scariff-based TD asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the reason why Inis Cealtra Holy Island and the Burren were not included in the UNESCO tentative list when they had been deemed to meet the criteria for inclusion on the previous tentative list. Responding, the Minister outlined that his Department initiated a review of Ireland’s Tentative List in 2019, following UNESCO advice to do so at least every ten years. Among the six sites included were Inis Cealtra and the Cultural Landscape of the Burren Uplands “In July 2021 I appointed an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) to evaluate each application on their ability to demonstrate potential Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and evidence of local stakeholder support, both of which are essential for inscription on the World Heritage List,” he outlined. …

LANDOWNERS in upland areas of East Clare have raised concerns about a drop in payments for the protection of habitats for the endangered Hen Harrier.  Large tracts of North East Clare form part of the Slieve Aughty Special Protection Area (SPA) and farmers are incentivised to use methods that protect these ground-nesting birds, who live on bogs and marginal lands.  The Hen Harrier Project is managed from Oranmore and, according to Caher-based Councillor Pat Hayes, has been working very well. He said, however, that landowners in the scheme are now facing reduced payments, which could, in turn, make participation and conservation measures less attractive. “Up to now, the scheme has been somewhat independent of the Department of Agriculture,” Councillor Hayes said. “Farmers in the GLAS Scheme also got a top up for working with the Hen Harrier Project. Now, it looks like this will all be mainstreamed under the new ACRES [Agri-Climate Rural Environment] Scheme, through the Department of Agriculture. …

A WARNING has been issued to motorists, particularly those in East Clare, as the deer breeding season gets underway. The Irish Deer Commission has likened the behaviour of stags, at this time, to “gladiators entering an arena”. Roads close to forested areas in the Killaloe Municipal District can be especially dangerous and the area is regarded as one of Clare’s ‘deer hotspots’. With that in mind, The Irish Commission is appealing to motorists and other road users to be vigilant. “Tensions are rising as the rutting or deer breeding season gets under way, the time of the year when male deer are driven by an urge to reproduce,” a statement from the Commission said. “From late September until early November, the clash of antlers will be heard as males show off their virility to potential mates and, like gladiators entering an arena, they parade around showing off their armoury of antlers. “While the rut is an amazing experience to witness …