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CONDITIONAL permission has been given for a new eight-home development on the outskirts of Tulla, on a site opening onto the R462 The estate, to be made up of detached, two-storey homes, has been given the green light by the local authority, subject to 20 conditions. Among these is the requirement for an agreement to be drawn up preventing purchase of the homes, for a specified time, by any “corporate entity”. According to the Council, this is to ensure “adequate choice and supply of housing, including affordable housing, in the common good”. Developers, DRM Construction, must also ensure that open spaces are “developed for, and devoted to public use”, and kept free of development. Other conditions relate to street layout, public lighting, external finishes, the estate name, visual amenity and storm water drainage. Under the Development Contribution Scheme, the Council has levied a charge of €44,392. A cash security bond of €40,000 has also been applied. While the application was …

WHEN the Clare footballers take to the pitch at Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday, there will be just 200 people in the stands. The hurlers will face Waterford at Semple Stadium the following day and again there will again be a mere 200 spectators there. Of course this is due to Covid-19, but with progress having been made in recent months, Clare TD Joe Carey has written to Minister for Sport Catherine Martin, asking that consideration be given to allowing fully vaccinated people to attend championship games. In his letter to Ms Martin, he said, “I am writing to request that your office considers significantly increasing the numbers of people allowed to attend inter-county GAA, camogie and ladies football fixtures across the country. “As you know, the GAA championship season is due to get underway this weekend. “My own county, Clare, play Waterford in Thurles on Sunday. The stadium capacity is 45,690 but under current guidelines, a maximum of 200 supporters …

CLARE Water Safety Committee has produced a new safety leaflet for Lahinch beach, which has been circulated to tourism related businesses for the benefit of visitors and locals to the west Clare resort. People are advised in the leaflet to always swim between the red and yellow flags. If the lifeguards can’t see swimmers, they can’t help them. Swimmers are warned not to enter the sea when the red flag is up because it is too dangerous to swim. If unsure, people are urged to ask a lifeguard or seek local knowledge. People can also refer to Clare County Council’s Facebook page for advice about the conditions at other lifeguarded beaches. Children should be kept under constant supervision when in or near the water. Entering and leaving the water at full tide can be extremely dangerous due to the risk of impact on beach rocks. People should check tide times at the lifeguard station or online. In Lahinch, the tide …

A CALL has been made for a Clare representative to be appointed to a committee reviewing the defective concrete blocks scheme, in the hope that redress might be extended to homeowners in this county. In the Seanad this week, Senator Timmy Dooley said the lives of homeowners in Clare and elsewhere have been “decimated” by the presence of defects caused by pyrite and mica. The matter was raised in the upper house by Senator Dooley and two party colleagues, Lisa Chambers and Niall Blaney. Senators Chambers and Blaney, representing Mayo and Donegal respectively, which are covered by the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, called for the redress to be increased from a maximum of 90% to 100%. Senator Dooley told the house the scheme must be extended to this county, where the extent of the issue is only becoming known. “…There is a real issue with defective blocks in County Clare,” the Fianna Fáil senator said. “It is not mica …

Under 13 Hurling Academy A Round 1 Newmarket-on-Fergus 4-4 Clarecastle 2-7 Newmarket and Clarecastle derbies have never been dull affairs no matter what the age grade and this opening Under 13 battle of the neighbours’ second strings proved no different in Clarecastle on Saturday morning. With a strong wind blowing towards the national school, both sides took full advantage but in the end Ryan O’Leary’s electric 11 minute first half hat-trick proved sufficient for the Blues to prevail. Opting to have the conditions at their backs, Newmarket had to recover from an early set-back when chief threat Cathal Murphy raided for a Magpie goal after only five minutes. Points from Donal O’Callaghan (2), John Burke and the lively Dylan Routley eventually nudged the Blues back in front before stopping their authority on the tie with a goal either side of the water break for powerful poacher O’Leary at 2-4 to 1-0. Clarecastle responded with inspirational points from influential pair Eoghan …

A FULLY integrated ticketing, booking and capacity management system is being introduced at the Cliffs of Moher to further enhance the overall visitor experience for the 1.6 million annual visitors to Ireland’s most popular natural attraction. Clare County Council has engaged Vivaticket to roll out the Visitor Attraction Management System (VAMS) which will enable individuals and group tours to secure their visit and experience at an available time via a booking portal allowing for improved visitor flow and a better visitor spread. The new technology also offers a range of other features aimed at delivering economic and social benefits for the wider Clare tourism sector. “We are pleased to appoint Vivaticket in helping us deliver our promise of ensuring the first interaction the public has with the Cliffs of Moher is a warm welcome rather than a focus on a monetary transaction,” explained Leonard Cleary, Director of Service, Rural Development and Tourism, Clare County Council. Bobby Kerr, Chairperson of the …

MEMORIAL plaques were unveiled on Wednesday evening to remember the lives of two of Ennis’ best known figures. A plaque was unveiled at the Queen’s Hotel dedicated to the late Laura Brennan, while the late Michael Tierney and his dog Paddy were remembered opposite Ennis Cathedral with a plaque dedicated in their memory. Unveiling the plaques, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Mary Howard, in one of her last functions in the role, said “For many years I have tried to have something permanent in the town of Ennis to remember the larger than life character that was the late Michael Tierney. Last June when I became Mayor of Clare I promised that both Michael and Laura Brennan would have a permanent presence in the town, my term is finished on Friday,” she said. Laura was diagnosed with cervical cancer and passed from this life in March of 2019 after dedicating her final months to advocating for the HPV vaccine …

GARDAI seized €51,000 of suspected cannabis plants as part of two separate investigations in Kilrush, on Tuesday. As part of an ongoing operation targeting the cultivation of drugs in West Clare, uniform Gardaí executed a search warrant at a house in the Kilrush area at around 8pm. During the course of the search they discovered approximately 60 suspected cannabis plants worth an estimated €48,000. In another unrelated search in Kilrush on the same evening, Gardaí seized €3,000 of suspected cannabis plants. All of the suspected drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. No arrests have been made in either investigation but Gardaí are following definite lines of enquiry.