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CLARE’S Oireachtas members have been urged to lobby for a dramatic change in the allocation of population growth for the county compared to other counties and cities along the West coast, writes Dan Danaher. Under the National Planning Framework, Councillor Joe Killeen said Cork City is to grow by 105,000, Galway City is expected to increase by 45,000, Limerick City is set to attract an extra 35,000 to 40,000 inhabitants, while Clare’s population is expected to jump from 119,000 to 130,000. With Ennis projected to grow from 25,000 to 35,000 under the Ennis 2040 plan, and a 3,500 increase planned for the Limerick/Shannon Metropolitian area, Councillor Killeen told a council meeting on Monday there isn’t a huge population growth planned for West Clare, North Clare and North East Clare. He claimed people living in some parts of the county were effectively paying the price because they couldn’t afford to secure new homes in tourist hot spots. “We are delighted we …

IN LINE with national guidance on Covid-19, U Hospitals Group is now asking all patients attending its acute hospitals about their vaccination status. The group stated today that the move was to keep all patients and staff in their hospitals safe from Covid infection, as numbers with the virus remains stubbornly high. All patients will receive care and treatment whatever their vaccination status, a spokesperson for UL Hospital said. “Knowledge of vaccination status enables safer management of patients, and assists with contact tracing either in the hospital or afterwards in the community, if a patient comes into contact with a COVID-19 case in any of our hospitals,” UL Hospitals Group Information on the vaccination status of patients in acute hospitals would be determined and recorded, either prior to admission or as soon as possible thereafter. The request for the information applies particularly for unscheduled attendances at the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick. People attending acute hospitals can present the …

THE Clare Association in Dublin (Muintir an Chláir) has a new chairperson. Tom Conway, a native of Ballyea, Inagh, will now lead the association for the coming year after his unanimous election at the association’s annual general meeting at the Clasac Comhaltas Ceoltoírí Centre, Clontarf. He succeeds Gerry O’ Reilly, who stepped down after a very successful term as the association’s chairman. The new chairman and long standing association officer, Liam O’Looney, also from Inagh, were among those who paid tribute to Mr O’ Reilly for his efforts and wonderful work on behalf of the association. He will continue to support the association as one of its officers. Mr O’Reilly thanked all members of the association for their endeavours and all who assisted the association in any way during his term in office. Mr Conway, who was a chief superintendent when he retired from An Garda Siochana in 2016 after 41 years service –most of it in Dublin- joined in …

GLOWING tributes were paid to the work of Superintendent Brendan McDonagh at a recent Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting, writes Dan Danaher. Superintendent McDonagh has completed 40 years’ service with An Garda Siochána, 33 of which were in the Clare Garda Division. Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran noted Superintendent McDonagh wasn’t in attendance at the meeting ahead of his retirement later that week, and lauded his four decades of service with the force. Councillor Mary Howard wished Superintendent McDonagh well in his retirement, having served the force very well during his time in Clare. The Fine Gael Councillor recalled any time an issue was raised with Superintendent McDonagh she knew he would always deal with it in the best possible manner. Councillor PJ Ryan also praised Superintendent McDonagh’s work ethic. “Brendan has been a very good friend to Clare people. He is leaving a fantastic legacy behind him. When I served as chairman of the Joint Policing Committee for five years, …

CLARE County Council and Waterways Ireland have been urged to pool their resources to source an anti-slip mat following reports of an “extraordinary” number of falls at a popular east Clare bathing spot, writes Dan Danaher. It has been proposed that the mat, which would cost around €3,000 would help prevent swimmers getting injured on the slipway at Two Mile Gate, located between Ogonnelloe and Killaloe. Killaloe community members, Dr Alison Bonham and Pam Teese, have launched an online petition to expedite a solution to a series of accidents on the slipway. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, Ms Teese outlined she is a regular swimmer at Ballycuggeran, where she belongs to a very active WhatsApp social swimming group. Having personally witnessed first-hand many concerning accidents on the slipway, she joined fellow group member, Dr Alison Bonham – herself a victim of concussion resulting from her own recent slip there – in launching an online petition to push …

DOZENS of submissions have now been made to Clare County Council on controversial plans for a serviced caravan/motorhome park at Kilkee Road, Doonbeg, writes Owen Ryan. By last Friday three county councillors – Gerry Flynn, Ian Lynch and Cillian Murphy – had made submissions on it, along with one from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). Others to voice concern include Doonbeg National School’s board of management, Doonbeg Community Development and Doonbeg Residents Group. The submission made by TII said the proposal is not in compliance with its requirements. “The Authority has examined the above application and considers that it is at variance with official policy in relation to control of development on/affecting national roads as outlined in the DoECLG Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2012). “The proposed development by itself, or by the precedent which a grant of permission for it would set, would adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network”. In his …

AFTER a fraught and difficult 18 months for the hospitality industry, a number of tourism businesses in Clare were celebrating this week after landing prestigious national awards. Four local outfits were cited in the Georgina Campbell Irish Food Hospitality awards, while a north Clare hotel’s sustainability leadership was acknowledged at the Chambers Ireland Awards. This year’s Georgina Campbell winners were concentrated in the north and west of the county with Hazelwood Lodge, Gregan Castle Hotel, both Ballyvaughan, The Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, and Vaughan’s Anchor Inn, Liscannor, winning prizes in their categories. Hotel Doolin, meanwhile, won the Excellence in Environment Award from Chambers Ireland. Hazelwood Lodge, Ballyvaughan, scooped the B&B of the year, with the citation stating there was a big welcome, genuine hospitality and a great sense of generosity about the place. Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan won the Sustainability Award for its “constant drive to do things right, and do them better”, particularly relating to the environment. The best …

PEOPLE have been forced to sell their house and emigrate because of anti-social behaviour carried out by “neighbours from hell”, a local councillor has claimed. Clare County Council has undertaken 1,731 callouts dealing with anti-social behaviour this year. Many of these call outs were repeat calls where an incident of anti-social behaviour was reported the team would have initially responded to that complaint and would have followed up with repeat calls to help prevent recurrences. Since his election to Ennis Town Council in 2004, and ETC and Clare County Council in 2009, Councillor Johhny Flynn has expressed concern about the actions of a small but very troublesome minority of local authority tenants that are creating “havoc” for vulnerable neighbours, while vulnerable children in these households are also at risk. “Since the abolition of Ennis Town Council as a housing authority, I have seen a huge increase in influx of ‘neighbours from hell’ from rural parts of the county that have …