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Councillor Mary Howard has called on Clare County Council to crack down on dog fouling by giving more local authority employees the power to issues fines for this offence. Her appeal coincides with the release of a survey conducted by the National Council for the Blind Ireland that revealed the low number of on-the-spot fines issued by local authorities. Clare County Council issued one dog fouling fine in 2021 compared to 31 by Kerry County Council, four by Limerick City and County Council and none by Tipperary County Council. Interestingly, Kerry County Council had dramatically increased fines issued between 2020 and 2021. No fines were issued in 2020, jumping to 31 fines issued in 2021. While Kerry County Council is an outlier with such a large increase, the NCBI outlined the vast majority of Councils have issued very few or no fines in 2021. This may highlight a lack of enforcement but also indicates the threat of receiving a fine …

LOCAL artist  Dympna Bonfield will launch a new exhibition of her work this September in glór. The exhibition, titled Reflections will run upstairs in glór gallery until Saturday, October 1. The exhibition comprises 25 vibrant paintings inspired by the unique landscape of Clare and will be launched on Thursday, September 1 at 6.30pm by Joe Lynch. Dympna exhibits work both nationally and internationally. After spending many years living and working in Dublin she returned west, to her native County Clare. Much of her recent work can be seen to reflect this move, and draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape resulting in a new found freedom of expression that reflects the essential character and culture of the west of Ireland. This exhibition takes us on a wonderful, winding road of seashores, surf and sea-swells, of soft bog cotton, of furze, of stony Burren, of childhood, of sand, of home, of friends, of solitude. From an early age Dympna Bonfield was interested …

WITH the project deadline for the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2023 fast approaching, students from across Clare are encouraged to get their thinking caps on and turn creative ideas into project entries by the September 26. Students can enter across any one of four categories, whether their interests lie in technology; social and behavioural science; biological and ecological science; or chemical, physical and mathematical science. An individual or group must submit a simple, one-page proposal outlining their bright idea. The 2022 exhibition winners Aditya Joshi and Aditya Kumar from Synge Street CBS, Dublin said, “We found the whole BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition experience really fun and exciting, and we think every student should enter a project in an area of science that they find intriguing.” In January, thousands of visitors are set to walk through the doors of the RDS where the brightest minds from across the island of Ireland will be showcasing their projects. Spectacular …

LITERATURE lovers will flock to North Clare on the last weekend in August as Ennistymon once again becomes a Book Town.  For the eleventh year, the bustling town will become a reader’s paradise, with book shops popping up in vacant premises and taking over the Courthouse Gallery and Teach Cheoil.  On offer at stalls and shops will be new, used and antiquarian books, fiction and nonfiction, for all age groups, including rare County Clare items, GAA histories, children’s books, and literary and light reads.  “This year, our challenge has been to find empty shop units and that’s a great testament to how Ennistymon has flourished in recent years,” said organising committee member, Jon Heddon. “Over the years, we’ve had seven or eight units annually that we would have used. Now, those premises have come back into use and it’s just great to see that. “We will still be able to accommodate all of our regular booksellers, from all over Ireland, …

JUST under €10 million was spent on residential property in Shannon town in the first six months of the year. According to figures from the Residential Property Price Register, there were 46 transactions during the first half of 2022, with a total spend of €9,978,750. That gives a mean price of €216,929. April was the quietest month of the year, with a mere four transactions, while there were nine in January and May and eight in each of the other three months. The largest sum paid was €560,000 for a house at Tullyglass Hill. The least costly transaction, for which full market price was still paid, was the sale of a property at Brú na Sionna for €90,000. The level of activity seems to be slightly higher than pre-pandemic, with the 46 transactions in the first half of 2022 slightly more than the 38 in the first half of 2019. Councillor Gerry Flynn said that there are finally some private …

THE publication of new greenhouse gas emissions targets for agriculture has left Clare farmers feeling angry and let down by the government, according to a local farm leader. Clare Beef Plan chairman, Joe Woulfe, said local farmers fear the 25% cut in emissions by 2030 will led to a dramatic drop in production and income for producers at a time of spiralling input costs. Mr Woulfe said the government needs to outline in detail how it intends to implement these new targets without adversely impacting farmers’ incomes. “How can farmers continue to operate if they are hit with a 25% drop in their production and income. Farmers don’t have options like other sectors – they can’t drive around in electric tractors that don’t exist. “Farmers are very concerned about their future livelihoods. Inputs are increasing all the time uncontrollably. It is like we are heading for Brexit round two. “After Brexit, the price of beef dropped, but at least the …

PROPOSALS for another major private housing development in Tulla are being considered by Clare County Council. After an original application was invalidated, Wiskin Property Developments lodged a fresh application last week to build 60 homes at Loughaun South. The company is seeking permission for 15 detached houses; 36 semi-detached houses and nine terraced houses. Two vehicular entrances were also to be provided at the site, which is just over 3 hectares. According to the planning application form, 40 of the proposed homes will be three-bed. Six will be two-bed units and 14 will have four bedrooms. Parking would be provided by the creation of 140 spaces at the development. A letter submitted with the application outlines that the Part V element of the project has been agreed, in principle, with Clare County Council. The Ennis-based developers have described the site as a greenfield one currently used as agricultural land, around 387m from the centre of Tulla. It is bounded to …

The Irish Chamber Orchestra has announced its autumn/winter season and it includes a trip to Ennis in December for a concert in glór. The performance entitled Breith, will celebrate the multifarious contributions of Clare men and women during this revolutionary period of Irish History. The orchestra along with Tim Collins and guests will present this ambitious programme of original music, song, dance, poetry, and drama on Saturday December 10 at glór. Elsewhere, the ICO present a rich body of diverse works with a variety of top-class soloists with performances around the country as well as its main base at University Concert Hall, Limerick. On Sunday September 4, the orchestra performs under the direction of Desmond Earley with organist Tristan Russcher and the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin for a Handel celebration. This performance is part of the Dun Laoghaire Organ Concert Series as ICO showcase Handel’s choral anthem The Ways of Zion do Mourn alongside two Organ Concertos at Dun Laoghaire Organ Concert Series. The following week, Katherine Hunka directs ICO in Shostakovich, Frost and Glass featuring Fiachra Garvey performing Shostakovich’s infectious Piano Concerto No.1, with solo trumpet …