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Three of the 12 new cases of Covid-19 are in Clare.  The number of confirmed cases in Clare now stands at 372. The new cases in Clare are the first confirmed in the county in a fortnight. There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today. There has now been a total of 1,764 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight Saturday July 25, the HPSC has been notified of 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 25,881 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.  The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.

A MAN fractured both his feet and one of his arms attempting lift off in a device known as a “TrikeBuggy Bullet”, effectively a flying tricycle, in Bellharbour. The Air Accident Investigation Unit have just published their report into the incident which happened in June of last year. It found that the flying tricycle just about departed the ground before quickly crashing into a wall at the boundary of the field it was attempting to take off from. One person watching the attempted take off was almost hit by the TrikeBuggy Bullet. The report says, ” All three wheels were off the ground for approximately one second and the trike turned further to the left. The engine noise also increased. When the trike returned to the ground, it was travelling towards the perimeter wall, and was almost perpendicular to it. The trike impacted the wall, nose wheel first. The engine noise decreased just before impact. “The video shows that as …

RESIDENTS of an Ennis housing estate are appealing for help from the council in clearing a significant amount of human waste and litter left behind after an encampment that sprang up on a vacant site beside their homes, earlier this month. While a number of caravans left the site beside Castle Rock on the Tulla Road last Tuesday evening, there are still concerns about the hazard posed by the waste, in terms of Covid-19. The area is also expected to be visited in the coming days by judges from the Tidy Towns, prompting further frustration among local residents. Councillor Johnny Flynn who raised the residents’ concerns at a meeting of Clare County Council welcomed the decision of those involved in the encampment to move, and the intervention of Gardaí, said a significant public health issue remains. “Often, we find ourselves incurring a major costs after an illegal encampment,” he said. “In this case, there is a major public health concern …

AS THE height of the holiday season draws closer, authorities are to step-up efforts to ensure people enjoy their time in Clare safety. Concerns have been voiced by some members of the council that a recent influx of visitors is putting public health and safety at risk, while a senior Garda spokesperson urged people to remember their personal responsibility in minimising the risk of a second wave of Covid-19. At the July meeting of Clare County Council, a number of members were torn between welcoming the economic boost created by the spike in visitor numbers and concerns that social distancing guidelines are being flouted in some areas. “We welcome everybody to County Clare,” said Councillor Ann Norton. “We are still in a pandemic and it is hugely important that people take heed of public health advice, whether they are here for a holiday or on a day trip. Visitors are hugely welcome, but people must be kept safe.” Councillor Johnny Flynn also voiced some …

The Government has today announced the July Jobs Stimulus, a €7.4bn package of measures designed to stimulate a jobs-led recovery and build economic confidence while continuing to manage the impact of Covid-19. It contains over 50 measures to try to alleviate the impact of Covid-19 and the recent lockdown. Launching the Jobs Stimulus, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD said: “The stimulus package announced today will protect existing jobs while creating new and sustainable employment options in the months and years ahead.  These measures will support small and medium businesses, give young people greater opportunities in training and education, support workers who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and rejuvenate communities worst affected by the economic impact of the virus.  This is a comprehensive plan which will boost the economy and bring confidence back to towns and villages across Ireland.” The July Jobs Stimulus will provide a boost to the economy, building confidence and moving us towards a more …

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has become aware of a number of phone calls to farmers from a person purporting to represent the Department, seeking bank details. They state that they need these details to allegedly offer refunds or seek due payments. This Department never seeks bank details or any other personal information by phone or by text message. If you receive a telephone call purporting to be from this Department and seeking this type of information, please do not share your information. None of our staff will mind you taking their name and ringing back on one of the official numbers listed on our website – do not use the number such a caller gives you. You can also report such phone calls to our Quality Service Unit us at 076 1064468. Anyone who mistakenly provides personal information in response to these types of fraudulent phone calls should contact their bank or credit card company immediately and alert …

The number of new residential address points added to the GeoDirectory database in Clare in the twelve months to June 2020 was 363 according to the latest GeoView Residential Buildings Report released by GeoDirectory and EY-DKM today. A total of 262 residential buildings were under construction in Clare in June 2020. Nationally, the number of new address points fell by 32.9% year-on-year in the twelve months to June 2020, the first indication of the impact that Covid-19 has had on residential housing supply in Ireland. In total, 16,617 new address points were recorded, with over half (50.5%) located in the Greater Dublin Area of Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Dublin continues to be the driving force in terms of residential housing supply, with 30.2% of all new address points found in the capital. This was significantly higher than the total percentage of additions in Munster (21.4%), Connacht (10.7%) and Ulster (4.1%). Leitrim (46), Roscommon (116) and Longford (123) were the …

CLARE Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe is calling for a new and separate criminal offence of companion pet theft to be enshrined in law. He said that recent weeks have seen a significant spike of such incidents around Clare, with the use of drone footage reported as one method of scoping out potential animals to steal. “Irish law considers dogs and other family pets to be property, meaning that if someone steals a family pet, such as a dog, it’s punished in the same way as if someone steals the likes of a mobile phone or a power tool,” said Deputy Crowe. “The current law does not reflect the emotional harm that can be caused to victims of pet theft. The penalty for pet theft should be more severe than for the theft of a non-living property. Currently, there is no specific code on the Garda PULSE system to record theft of animals, the same code is used for all …