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THE leader of Sinn Féin expressed her “shock” at the damage caused by pyrite to a family home in East Clare and pledged that her party will do all in its power to ensure homeowners get 100% redress to rebuild their lives. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald made her remarks on a visit to Kilkishen this week where she was briefed by the Clare Pyrite Action Group and saw first-hand the home of Dan Moloney and his wife Teresa. The family built their home 23 years ago, and have recently learned that the severe cracks in the building are due to pyrite. “It’s very shocking,” Deputy McDonald said. “When you consider the case of Danny and Teresa, they were working in New York planning to come home to raise their family here in this wonderful part of Clare, invest their hard-earned money in their family’s forever home and now they’re faced with this. The damage to the house is very, very …

FINN McGeever is the first to admit that the postponement of the Olympic Games to this year was a “blessing in disguise”, writes Ivan Smyth Despite travelling to Tokyo at the tender age of 20, the swimmer from Ballina, Killaloe,  is able to reflect on the past 15 months and acknowledge that the first lockdown last March gave him an opportunity to get himself in the best shape possible. “Back in 2020 it wasn’t looking too great for me making that team. Obviously, things changed this time around. The lockdown worked out so well for me swimming-wise. It gave me time to make my breakthrough to the next level. It was a blessing in disguise.” The second year student at the University of Limerick (UL) believes the lockdowns allowed him to find a new perspective and enjoy swimming more. “First year (in college) I went too heavy on the training side. One of my issues was that I was almost …

GARDAÍ are appealing to motorists accessing the county’s beauty spots to show consideration for residents and other road users, with the mercury soaring to 30 degrees this week. Staycationers, in unprecedented numbers, have brought a welcome boost to Clare’s tourism economy and created a festival atmosphere in conditions that have been more or less idyllic all week. The only down side the authorities have reported is significant traffic congestion at locations in the North and West of the county. Spanish Point, Seafield and Doolin were highlighted as particular areas of concern with heavy traffic and parking issues causing chaos. “The Garda message is that the roads, and the facilities, are there for everyone,” said Superintendent John Galvin of the Killrush Garda District. “We’re appealing to people to obey the traffic regulations because everyone wants to enjoy the summer safely.” Hot today and dry with hazy sunshine. ☀️Highs of 26 to 30 degrees🌡️, with slightly lower temperatures along southern and eastern …

A 26-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in Clare, writes Ronan Judge. Tony McInerney, a father of two with a former address at Glenina, Gort Road, Ennis, and originally from Dublin, allegedly controlled supervised, instructed, guided or requested with respect to the carrying on of activities for the criminal organisation. Two other men, Conor Gilligan (29), with an address at Shallee Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, and Caoibhlen McMahon (24), with an address at Dun Aile, O’Callaghan’s Mills were also before the court this Wednesday on related charges. McInerney is accused of directing the activities of the criminal organisation within the State on dates between August 1, 2018 and August 24, 2018. Is is understood this is the first time a charge of this nature – which is contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, as amended, – has been brought before the courts in Clare. The charge was one …

AS people across County Clare receive their Digital Covid Certificate ahead of the reopening of indoor hospitality, a Clare restaurateur has expressed worries over how the cert will be managed and policed. Pubs, restaurants and other indoor hospitality are expected to reopen as early as next week as part of further easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Brian O’Neill of the Rowan Tree in Ennis has given a cautious welcome to the announcement, however he says there are still questions to be answered about how the re-opening is going to be managed in a way that can avoid another lock-down. “I couldn’t honestly face going back to another lockdown, to go backwards. I do welcome being able to allow our customers back indoors, absolutely, even though the weather at the moment is very conducive to outdoor dining the reality in Ireland is we need indoor dining. But this needs to be managed in a safe way that we don’t go back to …

UNIVERSAL Display Corporation and PPG have today announced that OLED Material Manufacturing Ltd and PPG are embarking on a multi-million-euro capital investment that is expected to create up to 100 high-tech jobs at a new Shannon manufacturing site. The facility, which was announced in February 2021, will broaden the global footprint and increase the production of Universal Display Corporation’s (UDC) energy-efficient, high-performing UniversalPHOLED® materials to meet growing organic light emitting diode (OLED) market demand and evolving industry requirements. The announcement was welcomed by Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, who said, “This major announcement by OLED Material Manufacturing and PPG is a welcome boost to the Mid-West region. It will make a significant contribution to Shannon and the Irish economy in terms of job creation, investment and innovation. Technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors here in Ireland and globally, and I wish the team continued success.” Austin McCabe, Director, OLED Material Manufacturing Limited, said, …

NESTLED deep in the heart of the Burren, Caher Bridge Garden in Fanore has over the years been wowing garden enthusiasts from all over the world, even bringing some to tears of joy. The award winning garden has appeared in magazines, newspapers and the Top 100 Gardens of Ireland book among other esteemed publications. So, it is surprising to discover that this Thursday (July 22) will see the garden make its very first television appearance, featuring on RTÉ One’s latest series Ireland’s Garden Heroes. The show, which will be broadcast at 8.30pm reveals the hard work and imagination ordinary people have put into their gardens across the island. Carl Wright, the man behind Caher Bridge Garden tells us that he never intended to be a gardener, but once he started he couldn’t stop. Describing the hidden gem as an “obsession”, he says, “I don’t think there is another garden in the country like it”. Originally from Devon, Carl first began …

IT couldn’t be any other way for Liam Jegou. After a childhood spent by the sea, both in France and Ballyvaughan, the 25-year-old was destined for a career on the water. Jegou is currently in Japan preparing to represent Ireland in the canoe C1 slalom. The last time Ireland was represented in this event was in the year he was born, 1996. So how did the Ballyvaughan man drift in to the sport? “It’s very much a family affair for me. My dad owned a sea kayaking business in Ballyvaughan in the 2000s called ‘River Ocean’. That’s when I started paddling; back when I lived in Ireland. “When we moved to France my dad got a job as a slalom coach in the local club. That’s where I fell in love with the sport. My dad coached me up until I was 20 years old so I had that opportunity to have a good coach at home. It gave me …