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Breaking News

Council urged to ‘kick on’ with Killaloe clean-up efforts

EFFORTS to coordinate all of the agencies responsible for cleaning up Killaloe are ongoing, local councillors have been assured.  The matter was raised, for the second time in three months, by Councillor Tony O’Brien when the Killaloe Municipal District meeting took place last week. Previously, the Fianna Fáil member had called for a clean-up and facelift for Killaloe, particularly along the bridge into Ballina and on the pedestrian bridge over the canal.  Last Wednesday, the Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council asked for an update on engagement with statutory bodies responsible for the enhancement of lower end of Killaloe.  In response, Senior Executive Officer (SEO), Morgan Lahiffe said progress is being made. “There have been a number of conversations with our engineer, and emails to Waterways Ireland asking for meeting. I suggested last Monday morning, but didn’t work out. Our intention is that, before end of week, we would set date for that meeting. “We will move on separately to a …

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Mná-some place of welcome for everyone

SHE stared intently at the mobile phone clutched in her hand before the Zoom call burst onto her screen. Answering the call, she was met with a face not seen in 50 years, and as they caught up on decades lost, the tears flowed. This emotional reunion of friends was made possible through the voluntary efforts of those involved with the Mná Ag Gaire Women’s Shed in Ennis, a place to meet, share skills and combat loneliness for all women. Helping women develop digital skills is just one of the many activities which have been ongoing at the women’s shed in the Tracklands Business Park. Recalling the moment two best friends were brought back together, founder member Hilary Tonge says, “We’ve had a lot of women want to learn digital skills, particularly during Covid, they realised they were isolated because they couldn’t get on their phones. “A lady came into to us and all she wanted to do was to …

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Mort lays down pen after 55 years as Champion correspondent

IN MORT O’Loughlin’s home, nestled among the hills of North Clare, a very special archive has been painstakingly gathered over the last five-and-a-half decades.  Since the late ‘60s, Mort has been The Champion’s Ballyvaughan Notes Correspondent, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things local. After 55 years of stalwart service, he is beginning a well-earned retirement and reflecting on the changing times he has witnessed.  To visit the home of Mort and his wife, Teresa, is to take a step back into the history of Ballyvaughan and its scattered Burren hinterland. Clippings dating to the early ‘70s have been carefully preserved as a record of births, marriages, deaths and all manner of community festivities and tragedies over the years. The area’s attraction for motorsport enthusiasts have been well documented, as well as now defunct traditions like the roasting of a kid goat for dinner on St Patrick’s Day and Easter. The animals would be coaxed by local farmers …

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Posing at Tower Bridge

My London Adventure Really Begins

Well here’s where my adventure really begins. I was off to London, at least I would as soon as himself had finished looking at cars across the road in Hampton Court. He spent the morning at the Concours of Elegance, while herself and I mooched around Hampton Court village. We had a lovely morning visiting shops and having coffee but around lunchtime, we met up with himself for a little drink in The Mute Swan, the pub next door to our hotel. Soon, it was time and I couldn’t suppress a shiver of excitement as we crossed the bridge to the train station, where we hopped on a train to Waterloo. Well, I’ve never seen such a busy place. People were rushing everywhere and to be honest I was happy to get outside the station and into a taxi. It was my first time in a London cab and I really enjoyed looking at the sights rushing past the window. …

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Finance expert: Targeted Budget has kept eye on the future

WHILE it was a giveaway budget, Paschal Donohoe did take a measured approach and kept an eye on the future, according to Tommy Corbett of Ennis company Carey Corbett Financial Solutions. “In the main it was a very targeted approach. They wanted to look after those on social welfare and the lower paid, but also targeted towards the squeezed middle, and those with children in university,” he said. Regarding those on social welfare, he said, “There’s a €12 increase in the rate of social welfare and the pension. There’s also an increase in the fuel allowance of €400 as far as I know, and they’ve also widened the net for those applying for the fuel allowance. There’s something like 80,000 more people will be able to apply for fuel allowance.” And what measures will benefit the so-called squeezed middle? “The increase in the tax band from when you go from paying 20% to 40%, that went up by €3,200. If …

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Concern over ‘unsafe’ church ruin in east Clare

BURIALS are taking place at an East Clare cemetery with mourners and undertakers having to make their way around scaffolding supporting a dangerous church ruin. The situation at the Old Cemetery in Moynoe was highlighted at the September meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District by Councillor Pat Burke. The Whitegate native called for an outline of any works planned at the church ruins.  “Scaffolding was erected, some months ago, because the church is considered unsafe,” he told the meeting. “Burials have taken place and the scaffolding is still there. We were very grateful for the funding for works at Clonrush Cemetery and very keen to see similar works in Moynoe. I’m concerned, though, that that will take time and Moynoe can’t be left the way it is.” Councillor Joe Cooney seconded the motion. “We are aware of the inconvenience being caused to families there, but health and safety is very important,” he said. “The problem is funding. When we go …

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Councillor ‘baffled’ over reluctance to install speed ramps

THE cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District has described himself as “baffled” as to the raft of regulations on the installation of traffic calming ramps.  Councillor Alan O’Callaghan made his remarks as he called for ramps to be put in place as a safety measure for those using the school and playground in Kilkishen. In response to his motion, he was told that the installation of ramps at the location would have to meet the requirements of the Road Traffic Act (1994) and involve a public consultation process.  The Fianna Fáil member thanked Senior Executive Engineer (SEE) Derek Troy the “huge work” already done at school in Kilkishen. “Speeding is still cropping up all the time,” Councillor O’Callaghan insisted. “I’m only here since 2014, but I feel that since then, only one speed ramp has been put in. I think there’s a feeling that we’re going to try everything bar a ramp. There are ramps in Newmarket, Sixmilebridge, Shannon, and …

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Travel counsellor’s devotion to duty praised amid airline chaos

A CLARE man who was among thousands of passengers stranded after an IT problem saw Aer Lingus cancel 51 flights earlier this month has praised an Ennis Travel Counsellor for his help in getting him home. Michael Lorrigan from Quilty had traveled to Bulgaria and was due to return to Ireland on September 10. However, it was only on arrival at Bourgas Airport that he became aware of what he describes as “the Aer Lingus fiasco”. The disruption was caused by what Aer Lingus said was a “major incident” with their network provider which meant its cloud-based systems enabling check-in, boarding and website were unavailable. Michael describes the scene at the airport as “chaos” with people, including families with young children, arriving to discover their flights had been cancelled. Fortunately Michael had a place to stay while he tried to organise a way home. The next morning he contacted well-known Ennis travel counsellor Gearoid Mannion, through whose company he booked …

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