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PEOPLE getting their driving licences renewed in Ennis and Limerick are being treated very rudely, this week’s meeting of Clare County Council heard. Several of the members had stories of people being belittled as they sought to renew their licences, while it was claimed that the service to the public was far better when it was provided by local authorities rather than the Road Safety Authority. Councillor Gerry Flynn introduced a motion calling on the Minister for Transport and Government “to urgently address the many issues and problems experienced by members of the public in Clare when accessing the delivery of Driver Licences”. During the course of the discussion there was absolute consensus that the current situation is not acceptable. Many Clare people are having to use a centre at the Parkway in Limerick and independent Michael Begley said the service is very poor. “On two occasions, both myself and my wife had to make three attempts to eventually get …

TWO OF the county’s biggest GAA rivals have come together to collaborate with Eoin Gavin Transport to assist the people of Ukraine. Both Newmarket-on-Fergus and Sixmilebridge are known as fierce rivals on the hurling and camogie fields but the clubs have put their differences to one side as they encourage their members to partake in a joint venture whereby they will help Bunratty based Eoin Gavin Transport fill a truck full of twenty six pallets containing vital items to be transported to Ukraine. As part of the Irish hauliers network, Eoin Gavin Transport have given a commitment to make their trucks available to get supplies into Ukraine as its country continues to come blistering attacks from Russia. This Tuesday, an Eoin Gavin Transport truck will be on the ferry and move towards Hrubieszowski Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji in Hrubieszow, beside the Ukrainian border in Poland. “The trucks will be coming, they will be pulling open the curtains and distributing the …

A DOCUMENTARY about the Burren that captivated Irish audiences on its release has begun a run on US television with the potential to reach up to 200 million people. Burren: Heart of Stone cast new light on our understanding of the region, presenting evidence of human activity in Ireland 20,000 years earlier than previously known. Narrated by multi-award winning actor Brendan Gleeson, the show is a two-part documentary that captured an unprecedented audience of one million people when it premiered on RTE. The two-part series created by film maker Katrina Costello, of Silver Branch Films will be broadcast to 90% of US households to 200 million people on Public Broadcasting TV station over a 12-month period. “The audience reach in the States will be massive, a predicted 200,000,000 people will watch it in the next 12 months. I imagine people will long to come here,” said Katrina. The programme will get repeated airings in every part of the USA and …

A UKRAINIAN woman has expressed her relief after family members managed to escape their home city of Irpin, which is besieged by Russian forces, as the war on Ukraine intensifies. Mariya Nikishanova, who lives in Ennis, has been trying to help her mother, Nataliia (70), sister, Olanna and niece get to safety from their home in Irpin. Barring an unexpected setback, they are due to fly from Warsaw to Shannon this Thursday before they will be transported to Mariya’s home in Ennis. In an interview with the Clare Champion, she said her family had to flee Irpin because it is no longer safe to stay here following the arrival of Russian tanks on the streets of her city. For Russian forces, the city on the North West edge of Kyiv is seen as vital to capture for a possible push deeper into the capital city in their bid to capture the seat of the Ukrainian government. In an attempt to …

GARDAÍ in Clare are warning about the potential for criminals to impersonate Census takers issuing security advice on how to identify legitimate enumerators ahead of Census 2022. “People should always be aware of the potential for ‘bogus callers’ calling to homes pretending to be from different organisations which could include impersonating a census enumerator,” says Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. The 2022 Census will take place on the night of Sunday, April 3 with 5,100 enumerators delivering and collecting forms to and from every household in the country over ten weeks between March 2 and May 6. “Enumerators will call to every dwelling a number of times in an attempt to make contact with the householder, to deliver forms and explain about the Census. It is anticipated that enumerators will work mainly between 9am and 9pm on weekdays and weekends,” Sergeant Brooks explains. She adds that Census enumerators will not ask to come inside people’s homes. When it comes …

FOLLOWING years of fundraising, Rice College officially opened a new state-of-the-art Home Economics room this week. Current and past Parents’ Associations drove the fundraising effort and as a result the school is finally in a position to offer Home Economics as a Junior Cycle subject to the current First Years. A Home Economics teacher, Meagan Bourke, was appointed last summer and a conversion of an existing classroom into a custom designed practical room with 10 stations, disability access and high spec fixtures and fittings took place. Louis Mulqueen, principal, welcomed the development saying, “The broadening of the curriculum that this room allows, along with the obvious skills that will be developed by our students, life skills, the meeting of the Junior Cycle Indicators of Wellbeing – Active, Responsible, Connected, Resilient, Aware, Respected -is a fantastic achievement for the college. “We have long hoped that this day would come and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our parents, staff …

A MEMBER of the local authority has pledged to make his views known on the performance of Irish Water when representatives of the utility attend a public meeting of Clare County Council tomorrow (Thursday).   Councillor Pat Hayes was among a number of members to express annoyance at the manner in which Irish Water treated the authority over an online briefing last month. He welcomed the fact that representatives have finally agreed to the in-person meeting this week. However, he said he would not hold back in telling Irish Water what he thought of the process to-date of consultation with the Council. “It’s just deplorable that we have to go through all this effort to try to get a public body to come to talk to us, when it’s trying to promote a scheme that is proposing to take water from the Shannon to supply the other side of the country,” he said.  Councillor Hayes explained that his understanding is …

A man accused of murdering another man in Lisdoonvarna in January has been granted bail by the High Court, writes Ronan Judge. However, Thomas Lorigan remains in custody as he been unable to meet the conditions of bail, Ennis district court heard. Lorigan (32), of no fixed abode, appeared at Ennis district court this Wednesday, March 9, via video link. Lorigan is charged with the murder of pensioner John O’Neill at St Brendan’s Road, Lisdoonvarna, at a time unknown between January 6 and January 7. The charge against Lorigan is contrary to Common Law. The case came back before Ennis district court today when a book of evidence was due to be served on the accused. Sergeant Aiden Lonergan told the court some matters related to the forensic science aspect of the investigation had to be finalised before the book of evidence could be served. He asked that the case be adjourned to April 6. Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said …