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IF there was an Olympics for operating in slow motion Irish Water would win the gold medal every time, Councillor Pat McMahon told Tuesday’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District Councillors. The veteran Fianna Fáil man sought an update on the planned upgrade to the waste water treatment plant in Newmarket, which he said is vital to the delivery of housing in the area. A written response from the Council’s Senior Executive Engineer stated that there has been little progress for months. “The planning application for the Newmarket on Fergus waste water treatment plant upgrade project was submitted to Clare County Council by Uisce Éireann in February 2023. The response to a further information request is to be submitted to Clare County Council by Uisce Éireann in mid July 2023. Subject to a grant of planning permission and the completion of a tender and contract award process, it is anticipated that construction will commence in 2024 for completion in 2026.” The …

THE offering at Shannon Town Centre is “second rate” this week’s meeting of local councillors heard. Councillor Gerry Flynn made the claim about the Town Centre, while he also criticised County Council planners for prioritising the Town Centre by refusing planning permission for an Aldi store across the road from it. Councillor Flynn criticised the decision to develop a new public facility at a site in the Town Centre, which the Council is set to lease rather than buy from the Shannon Airport Group. This week saw Clare County Council sign contracts for the design of the One Shannon Hub, which is set to combine a town hall, an adaptable performance and community space, library, and flexible co-working spaces at an unused site in the Town Centre. The land is set to be taken on a 999 year lease by the Council, and will feature public realm improvements to the Town Square. While progress was being presented as a positive …

GLOBAL warming has seen southern Europe endure hellish conditions this month, while it has been relatively moderate here, following the exceptionally warm weather seen in June. The intense heat being seen in many part of the world lately shows the impact of global warming, while new figures from Met Éireann show that more locally temperatures are also on the way up. This week saw Met Éireann release average figures for the 1991-2020 period. They showed that the average temperature per year at Shannon during the period was 10.7 degrees. This compared to an average of 10.1 degrees for 1961-1990. Summers are certainly warmer going by the data, with mean temperatures of 14.5, 16 and 15.8 degrees for June, July and August in the 1991-2020 period. This compared to equivalents of 14.0, 15.7 and 15.5 during 1961-1990. On average there were 20.3 days of air frost and 70.9 days with ground frost during 1991-2020. This was down from 25.4 and 68.6 …

WARM tributes have been paid to Darren Richmond, who died after falling from a cliff in Kilkee last week. Darren, who had lived in Barefield and was originally from the UK, was well known in local music circles. His funeral was at Shannon Crematorium on Monday and paying tribute to Darren, his friend Dave Harper said he had been an immensely likeable character. “Our journey as friends started almost 20 years ago. He had moved into the old Station House in Crusheen where I was living, both of us invited by Moya who had originally rented the house,” he said. “I immediately took to this big gentle lad, and we became great friends. We established a regular music session in the local pub in Crusheen and Darren started learning the bodhrán so he could join in and he wowed us with his great singing voice and his vast repertoire of songs. “The Station House became a go-to place for sessions …

Ennis family overwhelmed by the support of the local community as their baby is diagnosed with a rare condition AT just three months old, Kody Meaney from Ennis, described by his parents as their “superbaby”, has already endured three surgeries after being diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic condition. Little Kody’s family were stunned when they were told that he had been born with a condition called Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome (MMIHS). The life-long condition with no cure affects the bladder and gastrointestinal system and Kody has been in the care of Crumlin Children’s Hospital since he was born five weeks premature on March 27. His family need to be with him at all times and mum Lea has been staying in Dublin while dad Conor has reduced his hours of work so he can be with them as much as possible. According to Lea they are at “a loss for words” at the support they have received since …

ONE OF Golf’s most prestigious tournaments will come to North Clare in 2026, it was revealed this week.  On Monday afternoon (July 10), as members gathered for the last County Council meeting of the year, Chief Executive Pat Dowling broke the news, which had been confirmed just an hour before the gathering.  “One of the oldest and most prestigious event in the world of golf, the Walker Cup will take place in Lahinch in 2026,” Mr Dowling said. “The tournament will take place on the first weekeend in September. This is only the third time for the tournament to be held in Ireland in 100 years. Limerick can have the Ryder Cup, Clare will take the Walker Cup. The even will be live on TV in US and Europe and Clare County Council will be fully supportive of it. Lahinch will continue to build on its already strong reputation. This is a worldwide golfing event and securing it is another …

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Kilkenny 1-25 Clare 1-22 A completely different Clare All-Ireland Semi-Final performance but still the result remained the same as a never-say-die Kilkenny weathered a strong second half Banner storm to tee up a final rematch with Limerick in a fortnight’s time, writes Eoin Brennan. In front of a Banner-dominated 48,360, Brian Lohan’s side brushed off a disappointingly cautious opening period (0-15 to 0-10) to go for the jugular on the restart, with a swashbuckling 0-9 to 0-2 third quarter turnaround, six from Mark Rodgers, catapulting them two clear. However, a defensive lapse provided a lifeline that a wily Kilkenny inevitably snatched with both hands as a TJ Reid interception set up Eoin Cody for the opening goal of the game in the 55th minute at 1-18 to 0-18. Such a sucker-punch was difficult to stomach but a moment of magic regained full parity in the 63rd minute when Diarmuid Ryan’s delivery over the top was …

When Sunday comes Clare’s prospective All-Ireland opponents will already be known and the dizziness among the Dalcassian Army on the long road to Dublin will be such that many will be racing ahead to the Big Dance. The Last Dance. The All-Ireland final. We know that the fourth Sunday in July doesn’t quite have the first Sunday in September ring to it, but it’s pitch-perfect at the same time, and in the minds’ eyes of the supporters it will be opening out before them. It’s because, what ever way the sliotar falls between Limerick and Galway on Saturday afternoon there’ll be a derby to look forward to for Clare — and a famous first. To a man, woman and child, they’re convinced. My 16-year-old says it’s a mix between manifesting and the placebo effect. Kilkenny have met Galway and Limerick in All-Ireland finals on more occasions than anyone from Clare cares to remember, so for Clare why not have something …