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Breaking News

Conway appointed to Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) panel

CLARE Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway has been appointed to a panel within the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to promote political participation of people with disabilities. Senator Conway was officially appointed to the advisory panel of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) after impressing the panel with his commitment in encouraging people with disabilities to become involved in politics.  Senator Conway, who is the first visually impaired member of the Oireachtas, said, “As a life-long campaigner for equal opportunities and rights for those with disabilities, I am honoured to have been appointed to the ODIHR Advisory Panel on the Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities for a term of four years. “My role will involve providing advice, guidance and recommendations to ODIHR, and through ODIHR to the OSCE participating States, on matters related to the political participation of persons with disabilities. “The work includes the implementation of relevant OSCE commitments; legislation, policies …

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Missing Ennis man found safe and well

AN Ennis man who had been missing from his home for nearly a week has been found safe and well. Gardaí confirmed on Monday evening that 30 year old Jason Burcombe has been located. “An Garda Síochána would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance in his matter,” said a spokeperson. Jason had been missing from his home since Tuesday, November 23.

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Irish Water accused of throwing up roadblocks to development in Clare

IRISH Water has been accused of creating “a huge obstacle” to the development of rural Clare. At a meeting of the council’s committee on Physical Development, frustration was aired at the fact that the authority is striving to protect water quality while Irish Water is unable to provide critical infrastructure in some locations. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy made her comments following a presentation from Ruairí Ó Conchúir of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO). Mr Ó Conchúir outlined the pressures on waterways across the Mid-West region, after which the Fianna Fáil member asked him if he believed there is a policy problem when it comes to funding waste water treatment. Thanking Mr Ó Conchúir for his presentation, the Ennis member noted the recent criticism of Irish Water by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the discharge of raw sewage at a number of coastal locations. “I want your opinion on this,” she said. “Do you think a different approach needs …

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Ennis Musical Society is desperate for men!

Society ideal for those looking for love says chairperson as plea issued for male voices “WE need men”. That’s the message from the Ennis Musical Society who have put out a desperate plea for the men of county Clare to get involved in their upcoming show Legally Blonde. As if taking part in a fun show isn’t enough of an incentive, chairperson of the society Rachael Culligan reveals that the society is the ideal place to be for those looking for love. She describes the group as “almost the Tinder of Ennis” with many couples meeting and falling in love after joining. “It’s kind of a wonderful dating service I would say,” she laughs. The Ennis Musical Society are holding auditions for the show in January, and Rachael is urging men to put themselves forward. Auditions had been scheduled to take place this weekend, however the society have decided to pause those plans due to Covid-19 and they are instead …

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McCourt: ‘Capitalism is under fire around the world for good reason’

HE’S A self made multi-millionaire who is leading one of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects, but when one speaks to David McCourt it’s apparent he’s not solely interested in the issues faced by the 1%. Mr McCourt is chairman of National Broadband Ireland (NBI) and when he talks about connecting the country, it’s very clear that he’s interested in its potential for redressing rural-urban imbalance, taking the sting out of the runaway property market, and saving villages from a death spiral. The Tradaree building in Newmarket on Fergus hosted a board meeting of NBI last week, and Mr McCourt said he wanted to give a message to those attending. “This is to demonstrate to my board that everything needs to be rethought. We’ll have our board dinner in Meals on Wheels, which will be transformed for the night. It’ll be a physical representation of how everything needs to be rethought. “Meals on Wheels are rethinking food waste, a high percentage …

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Call to drive on with Killaloe Ballina plan

AN ambitious plan for the twin lakeside towns of Killaloe and Ballina was adopted at the November meeting of local councillors, paving the way for a range of enhancement works. The Killaloe and Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan, (TEMP) outlines a number of key projects for both sides of the Shannon, including future pedestrianisation of the old bridge once the new bridge and bypass are completed. Measures to boost walking and cycling are outlined as well as actions to connect the flow of traffic to the bypass, reducing the number of vehicles in the centre of the two towns. The drafting of the plan involved extensive public consultation and cooperation, over the course over over a year, between the local authorities in Clare and Tipperary. The blueprint was warmly welcomed by Councillor Tony O’Brien who commended senior planner Brian McCarthy and the Killaloe Municipal District team. “This is simply a fantastic plan, I have been saying that the greatest …

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Bike rental scheme is mooted for town

A BIKE rental scheme for Ennis town and its environs would be the solution to a shortage of parking in the county capital, Ennis’ Deputy Mayor believes. Councillor Paul Murphy made the call for the introduction of such a scheme to be “prioritised” as part of the Ennis Town Mobility Plan at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. The motion seconded by Mayor of Ennis Councillor Ann Norton who voiced her support. The proposal will be considered in the Ennis Town Mobility Plan, Leonore O’Neill, senior executive officer with the Ennis Municipal District confirmed. Councillor Murphy stated that the inclusion of a bike rental scheme “should be a key component” of the mobility plan for a number of reasons, to improve mobility and also to give more options to people who want to come into town.” He added that the villages of Clarecastle and Barefield should be included in the proposed scheme. “People could come and park on …

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Clare player scoops €457,080 in Saturday night’s Lotto

A LUCKY Clare lotto player scooped €457,080 in Saturday night’s draw. The most coveted prize in Irish Lotto history remains up for grabs after Saturday night’s record breaking €19.06 million jackpot draw continued to roll without a winner. However Clare player matched 5 numbers and the bonus ball to share a €914,160 prize pot with a Donegal winner, with each player winning €457,080. The player in Ennis purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket on the day of the draw at the Tesco store in Ennis Shopping Centre while the Donegal winner picked their own numbers on a Normal Play selection on Thursday, November 25 at Kernan’s Spar store in Ballyshannon in County Donegal. As no additional funds were added to the capped Lotto jackpot, the funds that would usually go to the jackpot were instead distributed to the next prize tier at which there was a winner and in Saturday’s, this was the Match 5+Bonus category.  The National Lottery are …

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