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CROW bangers will not be controlled by any new legislation, Deputy Michael McNamara has been told. The Scariff TD raised the issue of noise cause by the devices, which are widely used in spring and summer to keep birds away from recently-planted crops or seed, with Minister Eamon Ryan through a Dáil question last week. In response, the Environment Minister, ruled out introducing new controls, saying the matter comes under general noise regulation rules governed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by local authorities. “Current legislation in the area of noise does not specifically address the use of bird scarers (also referred to as crow bangers),” Minister Ryan said. “There are no plans at present to introduce such legislation. There is provision, however, under sections 107 or 108 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 to deal with the issue of nuisance noise from a range of sources, including agricultural sources. “My Department has produced an information leaflet, …

ORGANISERS of a hike up Mount Brandon to raise funds for a charity working in Ukraine have confirmed they have raised more than €6,000. Retired Air Traffic Controllers  Frank Barry from Clarecastle and  John Hunt from Roscommon with his daughter Annie and four members of An Garda Siochana from Portlaoise recently climbed Mount Brandon to raise money  in aid of Concerns appeal for Ukraine. Paying tribute to all of those who supported the endeavour Frank said, “A big thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser which took place on April 6”.

Clare Captain John Cahill enters this evening’s Munster Minor Hurling Final with more skin in the game than most it seems. While undoubtedly hoping to eventually follow his cousin Paul Curran’s major playing accomplishments of a clean sweep of senior honours from an All-Ireland crown to a National League title with Tipperary over a decade ago, in the immediate term his mother’s Mullinahone roots only provide motivational fuel for the versatile Clooney-Quin star against Tipperary in the TUS Gaelic Grounds tonight (7.30pm). After all, it’s not the first time, this month even, that Cahill has been incentivised by familial ties. “While my mother’s family are from Tipperary, my father is from Cork.” Explains the bubbly captain. “So from my own perspective, the two teams I wanted to beat this year were obviously Cork and Tipp. At the start of the year, most people were tipping both to be fighting it out to win Munster so we’ve beaten Cork, we just …

THE late Susan O’Neill was remembered at Ballyea National School on Wednesday, when a bench in her memory was unveiled. As secretary of the school Susan was a well known person in Ballyea and her former colleagues, her friends, her children, grandchildren and husband Michael were all present on the day. “She was here for 20 years, so it definitely is poignant. The grandchildren are around today, all the school kids who made a major impression on her,” said Michael. He said that one of the children who were confirmed recently had chosen the name Susan, which showed the esteem his late wife was held in. “She took Susan as her name and that epitomised what Susan meant to the school and to the kids who went to the school. An awful lot of 18 to 20-year-olds came to the house, during and after the funeral, whose lives she had touched. “She meant a lot to a lot of people, …

CLARE County Council has signed a contract for a new €8.7 million County Library in Ennis with Galway-based firm Coolsivna taking over construction of the building. The contract signed on Friday in the Council Chamber at Áras Contae an Chláir by Patrick Gardiner of Coolsivna and Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling, in the presence of the Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor PJ Ryan. The development had been on hold following the liquidation of initial tenderer Kilmihil-based Keating Construction. Coolsivna’s work is known to those in Ennis as the company has recently completed the Ennis Community College project, a 4,200-square-metre three-storey extension to the existing school. As a medium-sized company, Coolsivna has completed projects in residential and healthcare settings and has also won the contract for the construction of the new Craughwell National School in County Galway. The County Library project consists of a 2,321-square-metre building on the glór site comprising two public floors of library space …

A JUDGE has admitted “I don’t know the price of a pint” after hearing that a publican illegally sold €85.80 worth of alcohol to patrons after hours in August of last year. Judge Mary Larkin made the comment at Killaloe District Court after hearing evidence that late night revellers inside Liam O’Riain’s pub in Ballina, Co Tipperary could be heard by a Garda at the front door ‘shushing’ inside the locked front door of the pub after the Garda knocked on the door before 20 to 30 were seen streaming out a side entrance. Sergeant Louis Moloney told the Killaloe Court sitting in Ennis that on August 28 last after entering the pub, Gardai carried out an examination of till sales between midnight and 12.44am and they found that €85.80 was spent on alcohol. In response, Judge Larkin said: “€85? I don’t know the price of a pint so you have to tell me about that later.” Sergeant Moloney said …

Pop quiz hotshot, name the current Clare minor mentor that helped a county garner back-to-back All-Ireland minor titles in the past five seasons? In a vastly experienced team headed by former Clare senior captain Brian O’Connell, it’s not six-time Munster and three time All-Ireland winning joint-manager Donal Moloney nor 1995 All-Ireland winner Cyril Lyons who guided his native county to the 2002 All-Ireland decider as manager. In fact it’s coach Damian O’Halloran who while teaching in Balinasloe, was part of Jeff Lynskey’s backroom team that made the breakthrough for Galway with All-Ireland minor crowns in 2017 and ’18 before also having a stint with the Tribesmen at Under 21 level alongside Lynskey, Franny Forde and Tony Ward. “It was a great experience.” Recalls O’Halloran. “Going in cold, it certainly opened my eyes as to the standard required, the levels at which even minor set-ups are operating at along with the workload of management teams that are actually comparable to a …

ONE of the world’s most famous and popular pieces of classical music, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons gets an amazing reshaping by renowned Slovakian violinist Vladimir Jablokov on Friday May 13 in glór. Performed as part of his Four Seasons Explained tour, with this unique arrangement, not only will the audience get to hear the most amazing music, but also get a visual translation of the 300-year-old sonnets that inspired the pieces. Vladimir’s father performed Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons regularly and some of his performances and recordings go back to 1985 – the year Vladimir was born. “I remember one concert in Bratislava when I was about 10 years old. Dad was not only playing the full Four Seasons with his chamber orchestra, but he was also reading the sonnets published in the original Vivaldi score 300 years ago.” In August of last year, Vladimir’s Dad sadly passed away. Vladimir now wants to continue his father’s legacy and explain the sonnets to …