NEW housing could be horizon for O’Callaghan’s Mills, with planners considering an application for the development of three homes in the village.  Proposals for three four-bedroom homes were lodged by East Clare Construction, whose directors are listed as Joe and Teresa Cooney of Ballymacdonnell, Bodyke. Plans submitted show the proposed homes are detached, two-storey units, each with a garage. They are proposed for a site of just over half a hectare at Iragh, inside the village, owned by the company since 2015.  The floor space of each home is 167.5m squared and the application states that Part V of the Planning and Development Act does not apply in this case.  The development would be connected to the public water supply, and waste water management systems would have to be installed. A Site Suitability Report for one of the proposed homes, was prepared for the Waste Water Treatment System, in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) codes in July. The report …

FURTHER objections have been made to a controversial wind turbine in Parteen, for which the developer is seeking retention. The structure, which was the subject of an enforcement notice shortly after it was erected last year, remains in place, with the Council, having received Further Information (FI) on the application, expected to make a decision in the coming weeks. In response to a series of planning queries, agents for the applicant, Seamus Madden, recently provided an assurance that the turbine has never been operational. The company also supplied technical reports on predicted shadow flicker and noise, asserting that the turbine will operate in compliance with wind energy guidelines. Locals have not been reassured, however. Mirroring the public concern, reflected in more than 100 submissions on the retention application, lodged in March, the FI documentation has generated further opposition. In recent days, a raft of objections have been made. The newly-formed ‘100 Metres Tall Group’ have employed expert planner, John Bird, …

ARTISTS are being invited to take part in an intriguing art exhibition which, for the second year in a row, will raise money for deserving causes in Clare.  The ‘Hush, Hush’ show ran, to huge success, for the first time last year. Such was the popularity of the event that its organisers, Mountshannon Arts Committee, hope to expand on it this year.  Mel White, Chairperson of Mountshannon Arts has just announced a call out for artists nationwide to take part in the 2022 exhibition.  Artists anonymously donate original art work on 2 x A5 postcards. These postcards will be sold for €40 each and the proceeds will be divided between two charities, Clare Haven and Every Child Ireland. Last year, organisers were bowled over when a total of €4,000 was raised and divided between the two charities. The committee of Mountshannon Arts is also inviting art buyers to add to their collections based on their love of a piece. There is then an added …

PROCEEDS of a fundraising calendar for The Irish Cancer Society have been formally presented by Scariff photographer, James Treacy.  Mr Treacy, who took time out from his new venture, East Clare Matchmakers, presented a cheque for €400 to Jason Jenkinson, Support Services Manager for the charity.  The calendar features scenes of East Clare, and some of its characters. It was designed by Mr Treacy to support the work of The Irish Cancer Society. It follows a series of special Christmas cards which Mr Treacy produced and which raised €100 for the charity.

STUNNING scenes from deep under the waters off the Clare coast, captured by a Lahinch-based film-maker, will be showcased on RTÉ next year.  As part of the national broadcaster’s new season, ‘North Atlantic’ will air early in 2023, providing what RTÉ described as “a reflective, insightful narrative … featuring blue-chip natural history scenes bringing the viewer into the actual moment of discovery of marine creatures”. The three-episode series follows Ken O’Sullivan’s highly-acclaimed, ‘Ireland’s Deep Atlantic’, which aired in 2018.  The new work, which has been in production for two-and-a-half years features scenes captured during the height of the pandemic when coastal areas were almost empty. “Our funding came through a week before the first lockdown,” Ken told The Champion. “We were listed as essential workers, but were very careful not to stick to the guidelines and to avoid going in among people in small coastal communities. I shot a lot of footage on my own in my kayak. There was …

TRUST in An Bord Pleanála is at an all time low, in the view of Clare’s Fianna Fáil Senator, after alleged conflicts of interest at the appeals board.  Speaking to The Champion, Senator Timmy Dooley stopped short of backing calls from his party colleague Junior Minister Niall Collins, who insisted that the board should be scrapped.  Controversy engulfed the agency in recent months and led Deputy Chairperson Paul Hyde to step aside, ‘without prejudice’, pending a probe into allegations of conflicts of interest.  Senator Dooley said the matter has “rocked public trust”. “Most people I’ve dealt with on planning issues believed the board to be completely objective and independent,” he said. “As public representatives, we have the capacity to make representations to the local authority on planning matters, but we are precluded in law from ever engaging with An Bord Pleanála. “It has always been seen as beyond the reach of local politicians or anyone who would seek to influence …

A CRISIS in staffing has hit voluntary and community organisations across Clare and beyond, as interest in labour market activation schemes continues to drop.  Despite some reforms to initiatives like TÚS, the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE) earlier this year, Councillor Pat Hayes said participant numbers are falling. This has left some parts of the county without the resources needed to support community activity.  Councillor Hayes, who is himself a supervisor of RSS and TÚS schemes, has highlighted the issue a number of times over the last year and said a crisis point has now been reached.  “These schemes are vital for schools, playgrounds, graveyards, you name it,” he said. “Every sector of the community is supported in some way by workers who take part in schemes. These workers are a lifeline. The fact is now that, with the cost of living, and transport in particular, there are lot of people who aren’t interested because it wouldn’t …

SCARIFF Bay Community Radio will broadcast live from the local agricultural show, which makes a welcome return to the Autumn events calendar on Saturday, September 3.  The station’s popular ‘Saturday Chronicle’ will provide a flavour of the wealth of activities on offer as Scariff Show returns for the first time since 2019. This year’s theme is ‘Back to Basics’ with the focus firmly on friends, family and community as the show marks its 76th annual event.  Previewing the show, which was first held in 1944, Co-Chairperson John Blake noted the impressive credentials of the event, particularly its equestrian element. “In the old days, jumping was quite big in Scariff. In the old days, some of the biggest names in showjumping, Con Power, Jack Doyle, James Kernan and a lot of the Army riders, including Tommy Wade from Dundrum, all jumped in Scariff,” the told the station. “We have two Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) League qualifiers in the 1 metre 10 …