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A new group has circulated a petition urging Clare County Council to stop the proposed development of riverside car parks in Ennis and to abandon what has been described as the “transfer of public land to a private company, Ennis 2040 DAC”. The “Save Ennis Town” group has collected almost 700 signatures from its online petition since it started a new campaign on Monday. This is a group drawn from community, business, retail and political representatives. It formed after a public meeting on 4th May in the Temple Gate Hotel where more than 200 people voicing opposition to the Ennis 2040 plans. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the group stressed it aims to have constructive engagement with Ennis 2040 DAC and develop a plan that will enhance the county town for everyone. Group members include Gearoid Mannion, chairman; Edel Cassidy; Joan Duggan; Councillor Johnny Flynn; Bridget Ginnity; Cora Hahessy; Teresa McGrath; Councillor Tom O’Callaghan; Michelle O’Connell, John …

THE SUMMER Solstice was celebrated on  Lahinch Beach this morning (June 21) with a Dip at Dawn in support of The National Council of the Blind of Ireland (NCBI). Senator Martin Conway joined the dozens who took part in the event which aims to remind the entire sight loss community that there is light even on their darkest days. Senator Conway, who sat on the administrative panel and is now the Seanad Spokesperson on Health, is an advocate for Disability and Equality, has just 16 per cent sight and is the first visually impaired Oireachtas member. Senator Conway said he understands the difficulties faced by those with severe sight loss and blindness. “Almost every week, I am contacted by somebody who has recently been impacted by sight loss,” he said. “Often, the contact is made by a family member, a son, a daughter or a parent of a young child. Very often, they are traumatised, deeply upset, with very little …

SHANNON grandmother Mariea Marley spent 55 hours on a trolley at UHL recently and this week she says she would be very reluctant to go to A&E in the future. Mariea’s only daughter Michelle lives near her two parents and she brought her mother to hospital, after having been told to go in at a doctor’s appointment. “She went in on Saturday after being down at ShannonDoc, her blood pressure was a bit up from this cough she had. I was a bit concerned because it was going on a while. “My mother is a dialysis patient, so she’d pick up things, and it seemed to me to be an infection, it was more than a cough or a cold. She had numerous antibiotics and steroids since Christmas and they weren’t clearing it.” Initially things didn’t look too bad at A & E. “It didn’t seem to be too manic at the time. There were a few in front of …

ON the advice of the HSE, Clare County Council has today issued bathing prohibitions at both Spanish Point and White Strand, Miltown Malbay. The red flag will be flying at Spanish Point until further notice. The restrictions have been introduced as the results of routine bathing water samples taken at both locations had elevated levels of bacteria. Run-off from the catchment after exceptionally heavy rainfall has resulted in elevated levels of bacteria being identified in the water. In accordance with An Taisce’s Blue Flag programme, the Blue Flags at both bathing areas are being removed until such time as the water quality improves.

CLARE will return to the TUS Gaelic Grounds as they face Dublin this Saturday in their crunch All Ireland quarter final showdown, writes Ivan Smyth. Brian Lohan’s side will take on Dublin the quarter-final on Saturday at 4pm in the first game of a double header with Galway facing Tipperary at 6.15pm. This will be the third Championship game this year Clare will play at the Ennis Road venue. The Banner beat Limerick in the round robin stage of the Munster Championship by a single point before losing out by the same margin in the decider. This will be Clare’s first game since that Munster final defeat as they try and secure successive semi final appearances and set up a rematch against Kilkenny. Dublin reached this stage of the competition after finishing third in the Leinster Championship. They trailed Joe McDonagh Cup winners Carlow by a point at half time in their Preliminary Quarter Final clash last weekend before powering …

A FATAL road traffic collision occurred in the townland of Ballinagun, near Kilrush on Sunday evening. The single vehicle collision occurred on the R483 at approximately 9.20pm. A car collided with a ditch causing significant damage to the vehicle. The rear seat passenger, a female aged in her 70s, was fatally injured during the collision. She was pronounced deceased and taken to University Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem examination. The R483 remains closed this morning pending a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Local diversions are in place. Gardaí in Kilrush are appealing to any person who may have witnessed this collision to contact them. Any road users who were travelling in the area of Ballinagun and Cree on Sunday evening between 8.45pm and 9.45pm and who may have camera footage (including dash cam), is asked to make this available to investigating Gardaí. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Kilrush Garda Station on …

PYRITE homeowners in Clare will have to wait another five weeks before they can apply for grant support, according to the county’s Fianna Fáil TD.  Tempers flared at meeting in Ennis on Friday evening (June 16) and that update met with both scepticism and anger. Several homeowners challenged Deputy Cathal Crowe over what they see as previous broken promises and missed deadlines in their three-year campaign. While deadlines for ministerial sign-off  on the new grant, slipped on June 1 and 14, several homeowners angrily recalled Minister Darragh O’Brien’s visit to Clare in August 2021, and the promise of support “within a matter of weeks”.  Deputy Crowe assured homeowners that despite a last-minute delay, over concerns in Donegal – one of the three other counties covered by the grant – they would be able to make applications “five weeks from now”.  Deputy Violet Anne Wynne, who was the only other Oireachtas member present, was sharply critical of the delay saying that …

BALLYEA (hurling) and Éire Óg’s (football) quest for a historic three in a row of senior titles were put into sharper focus on Wednesday evening when the draws for all eleven adult hurling and football championships were made at the June Meeting of Clare GAA in Hotel Woodstock, writes Eoin Brennan. With only two teams to emerge from each group in the senior hurling championship, the back-to-back champions face a difficult title defence when pitted against 2021 finalists Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare Cup holders Kilmaley, Intermediate winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and 2020 equivalents Scariff. One of the most intriguing pools was Group 3 which comprises of four neighbours Cratloe, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Wolfe Tones and Clooney-Quin. In the race for Jack Daly, three teams will emerge from Group 1 that involves last year’s semi-finalists Corofin and Kilmurry Ibrickane, Cusack Cup champions St Breckan’s and 2020 intermediate winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. It was also announced that TUS have come on board as sponsors of the …