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WOODEN replicas of Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer will provide a financial boost to two charities this Christmas, thanks to the efforts of an O’Briensbridge duo. Former O’Briensbridge community group chairman, Jack Byrnes has been busy making wooden Christmas reindeer for charity from his workshop at the rear of his home with the help of young Mark Ryan. They are planning to make 50 wooden reindeer, which are ready to be distributed to people who ordered them. Up to €1,000 will be raised for Focus Ireland and the Clare Ground Search and Rescue team. Focus Ireland is a housing and homelessness charity working to prevent people becoming, remaining or returning to homelessness through the provision of quality services, supported housing, research and advocacy. Jack makes the reindeer, while his ten-year-old helper from Ardnataggle, O’Briensbridge does the polishing, painting and nails the eyes in place. Jack explained that Mark does all the work he can do safely but the plan is he …

TRUMP International spent just under €4.5 million on wages and salaries in 2021, newly filed accounts show. While the company was one of West Clare’s largest employers with an average of 230 staf in 2019, this dipped to 112 in the first year of the pandemic, before coming back up to 137 last year. The amount spent on wages increased by €1.27 million in 2021 compared to the previous year. Trump International made an operating profit of €509,892 for the year, rebounding from an operating loss of almost €2 million in 2020. However, despite the operating profit, its net assets declined by over €1 million, largely due to depreciation and amortisation of €2.054 million. During the year the company received €1.85 million in government grants. While 2021 was a difficult year because of Covid restrictions, a note accompanying the accounts said Trump International had performed quite well in the circumstances. “While the hotel had to close to the public for …

IDA client companies recently received a briefing on the state of the housing market in County Clare. Members at a meeting of Shannon Municipal District were informed of the briefing by Director of Services with Clare County Council Liam Conneally. He said that the IDA’s regional manager had asked him to prepare a presentation for the IDA client companies in the Mid-West, in relation to the amount of residential land and the availability of housing in the county. Mr Conneally said that they had wanted to hear about the future pipeline of housing, the number of planning applications received and granted, and short, medium and long term projections. He said that in Clare planning permission has been granted for over 1,000 units this year, and that there is “a considerable pipleine in the system yet to be acted on”. There was also a Q & A session with the company representatives and he said it was “a useful exercise”. Mr …

MANY hands make light work was the theme of the day as fourth class students from Ennis National School gave Irish Water a dig out with planting native trees at Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant. Members of Irish Water’s South West Region Biodiversity Forum, staff from Green Belt Forestry, EPS, and Clare County Council, greeted the students on a bright and breezy morning at the treatment plant last week to plant 50 trees in time for Christmas.  The pupils arrived on site ready to learn more about how the River Fergus provides Ennis town with all of its drinking water, and about the Alder, Oak, Birch and Hazel trees that would soon be thriving in the area.  The Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant is soon to have some 5,520 trees planted over the coming weeks where it will eventually become a wild and wonderful habitat for Jay Birds and Red Squirrels.    Speaking at the event, Chair of Irish Water’s South West Region …

Gardaí at Ennis Garda Station are appealing for witnesses as they investigate a number of incidents that occurred over the last week. On Wednesday, November 30, reports were received of a firearm being discharged at Shallee Drive and Cloughleigh Road. Crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “Thankfully there was nobody injured. Gardaí were quickly at the scene and a number of searches were carried out in the Ennis area after the reports and a number of vehicles have been seized as part of this investigation. On Friday afternoon, December 2 at approximately 3pm, a collision between the occupants of an Audi A6 and an Audi A4 occurred at Gaurus, Ennis. “One vehicle was rammed by another vehicle and a number of males left one of the vehicles and fled the scene. “Uniformed and Detective Gardaí from Ennis Garda Station responded immediately to this incident. An extensive search was carried out by Gardaí attached to Ennis Garda Station assisted by …

A MAN in his 40s was arrested after gardai raided a house in north Clare and seized almost €11,000 of suspected cannabis. On Wednesday, November 30 gardaí from Ennistymon and Kilrush Garda Stations carried out a search under warrant of a house in Lisdoonvarna. During the course of the search approximately €11,000 worth of suspected Cannabis Herb was located and seized. A male in his early 40s was arrested and detained at Kilrush Garda Station. He was charged with simple possession and possession for sale or supply and brought in custody before Ennis District Court on December 1, when he was released on his own bail to appear at a later date before the same court. The suspected controlled substances have been forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for examination.

PLANS are underway for the delivery of a pedestrian crossing at the top of Abbey Street, with one local councillor describing the current situation as “deadly dangerous”. Councillor Pat Daly raised the issue at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where he said, “It’s seriously dangerous crossing the street at this particular area of town.” He continued, “I have seen first hand people coming to cross the road and they are chancing their arm crossing over. How people have not been hurt or killed I can’t understand it. It’s a serious health and safety issue.” Paddy Tiernan, acting senior executive engineer responded to the motion, “A need for a pedestrian crossing at this location has been identified and is planned. “The pedestrian crossing is currently planned to be delivered under the Ennis Town Centre Public Realm Regeneration Project B. This project is programmed to commence construction in 2023.” Councillor Daly stated, “I welcome something will be done, I …

Gardaí are seeking information about an incident on the M18 motorway in Co Clare on Monday evening where a car was abandoned after it crashed and overturned. The single-vehicle incident occurred at around 8pm in the northbound carriageway of the M18 at Knockaskibbole close to junction 13, Tulla Road. It’s understood that the Vauxhall Astra car collided with the crash barrier and continued for some distance before overturning and coming to a stop on its roof. Fortunately the car remained in the hard shoulder and passing motorists managed to avoid colliding with it. Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis and Shannon stations responded to the scene along with Gardaí and National Ambulance Service paramedics. After checking the car for any occupants it was established that the car was empty and the driver had fled the scene. It’s not known how many people were in the vehicle at the time. Fire crews implemented an emergency traffic management …