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TWO Clare TDs have tackled the Finance Minister over the impending departure of two major banks from the Irish market.  Both Ulster Bank and KBC Bank are to close Irish operations, prompting concerns for tens of thousands of customers, especially those who are older and less likely to be able to avail of online switching services. Addressing Minister Paschal Donohoe, Deputy Michael McNamara accused the Department of Finance of facilitating an “emerging duopoly” in the banking sector.  “A local businessman said to me recently they [the banks] will do what they want and I had to correct him and say they are already doing what they want,” the Independent TD told a Dáil debate on policy and legislation. “In theory, we have supervision from the Central Bank, but in reality those two banks have been allowed to do what they want, and it will hurt rural economies. It is already hurting them. The supervision from the Central Bank is supposed …

IN 2015 political concerns about the sale of the State’s share in Aer Lingus to IAG were addressed in part by a commitment from the new owners to keep Shannon-Heathrow connectivity in place until September 2022. However that is now just around the corner, and while there hasn’t been very much discussion about the issue publicly, there is real concern about the future of the Heathrow slots, which are absolutely vital for Clare tourism and the many multinational companies in the Mid-West.  “There is still a great concern that they will go. There’s no doubt that there are people using them, but the fact of the matter is the slots can be used for any route and there could be other routes that could give a better yield,” said Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan this week. “That has always been a concern and we were seeking guarantees previously on that, which of course amounted to what we got. You’d have to …

A RELIGIOUS renewal group has secured conditional planning permission for a small-scale housing development in Tuamgraney, for older members of its community.  The Christian Community has been given the green light for 12 new accommodation units and the updating of their existing facilities at Drewsborough. A design statement submitted with the application last June, outlined how the existing centre is made up of a chapel, priest’s house, visitor accommodation, therapy rooms and associated services. Subject to 11 conditions, planners have given the go-ahead for the demolition of part of an existing building, the extension of the chapel and the creation of a new accommodation block. While assessing the application, planners raised a number of concerns, including the possibility of future interment of cremated human remains at the site. Through a Further Information (FI) request, they also queried elements of the design and landscaping and how the building would integrate into the traditional streetscape of Tuamgraney. Other questions about the ownership …

A 38-year-old woman has received a one-year driving ban for careless driving after a number of incidents in Ballina last year. At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett imposed the ban on Kevanne McNamara, daughter of EuroMillions winner, Dolores McNamara, after Sergeant Louis Moloney told the court that on July 20 last, Ms McNamara was observed driving on the wrong side of the road and colliding with a temporary fence. Sergeant Moloney said that another driver on the R494 Road into Ballina “had to take evasive action to avoid a collision”. Sergeant Moloney said no injuries arose from Kevanne McNamara’s driving her 11 registered red Mercedes Benz on the date. Ms McNamara of Ard Coillte, Ballina, County Tipperary, had indicated a plea of guilty to dangerous driving but Sergeant Moloney said that a dangerous driving charge requires a high threshold of proof and that on a review of the facts a plea to careless driving was acceptable to the Gardai. …

A punter in County Clare is toasting their Horse Racing know-how after four winning selections landed them a stunning five-figure windfall. The customer placed a series of wagers in their local BoyleSports shop on Wednesday, striking 56 €1 trebles covering eight horses running at Musselburgh and Thirsk. The punter only needed three selections to win to secure a profit, but four of the eight obliged which was enough to land a healthy payout. The four winners were Pearl Reef (12/1) City Wanderer (20/1) at Musselbrugh, and Praying Mantis (18/1), and Snash (15/2) at Thirsk. It took under two hours for all four horses to deliver, bagging the savvy customer €12,998.50 from their total stake of €56. Sarah Kinsella, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “We must send huge congratulations to our County Clare customer who took us for nearly €13,000 in less than a couple of hours. We wish them the best of luck with their winnings and hope they enjoy splashing …

THE welcome “with open arms” which has been given to the people of Ukraine has been praised by Ennis’ outgoing mayor as she reflected on her year in office. Councillor Ann Norton recalled “a very good and very positive year” as the county capital’s first citizen at the AGM of the Ennis Municipal District on Friday. She revealed that on the morning before handing over the chains of office she paid a visit to the children of Ennis Educate Together, which has welcomed 44 children from Ukraine in recent months. “We have a war still going on in Ukraine and we have many Ukrainian people now living in County Clare. “We have a huge amount of them in Ennis. I am the chairperson of Ennis Educate Together and we have taken 44 children into the school. “Before I finished and handed over the chains I wanted to go in and talk to them and see how they are doing and …

A SWEDISH filmmaker, whose work features the legendary piper, Willie Clancy, will return to Miltown Malbay next month for the first time since 1965.  Lennart Malmer travelled to Ireland in the mid-‘60s in search of music. His visit took him into traditional music circles in Dublin, Scariff and on to Miltown, where he filmed in the home of Willie Clancy on the Flag Road. The result of the young Swede’s musical journey is a film called ‘Porter och Pipa’ (Porter and Pipe), described as “a fascinating snapshot of the lives and music of some of the finest musicians in the history of Irish traditional music”.  The short film will be screened on Wednesday, July 6 at 6pm in the Community Centre, with Mr Malmer present.  The highly-regarded filmmaker was traced by Alan Woods of the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA), who set the ball rolling for the filmmaker’s return visit to West Clare, after an interval of 57 years. Harry …

Clare County Council has appointed an acting director of services to co-ordinate the local authority’s response to the Ukraine crisis. Jason Murphy has been made Acting Director of Services (International Protection – Ukrainian Response) to strengthen the Council’s response to the current crisis by providing a focal point through a new, dedicated team. A spokesperson for the Council said it has played an integral role in the State’s response to the Ukrainian crisis thus far and this appointment was meant to consolidate that. “To date, we have worked with our communities and State agencies in the initial phase of this response. We are now taking steps to consolidate our approach and provide a coordination and activation role for services,” said the spokesperson. Reporting to the Chief Executive of Clare County Council, the role will specifically involve working with various partners such as the Community Response Forum, NGOs and agencies. Speaking about his appointment, Mr Murphy acknowledged “the crisis experienced by …