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Breaking News

Senator Róisín Garvey becomes Green Party Seanad leader

CLARE Senator Róisín Garvey has said she is “honoured” to take up the role of the Green Party’s leader in the Seanad. The Green Party decided shortly after the formation of the current government to rotate the position of its Seanad leader in tandem with the rotation of the cathaoirleach of the Seanad. The change means that Senator Garvey takes over from Senator Pauline O’Reilly who had served in the position since 2020. She said she is excited to take on the responsibility and will use it to put people’s needs to the fore in the upper chamber, particularly around water quality, nature protection and regional balance. Senator Garvey, the party’s spokesperson for Rural Development and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said, “It’s a great honour for me to take on the role of Green Party leader in the Seanad. It’s a position I intend to devote myself to over the coming two years and I plan to use it to …

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Clare family seeks judicial review of proposed Ennistymon road

THE long-awaited construction of the Ennistymon Inner Relief Road has been hit by an unexpected delay after a local couple whose florist business and family home are being put at risk lodged a Judicial Review. John and Sheena Clancy, Bogbere Street, Ennistymon, who are plaintiffs in a Judicial Review application, which was made on November 14, challenging recent planning approval granted by An Bord Pleanála. The family run West Clare Flowers in the heart of Ennistymon. This review taken by Augustus Cullen Law Solicitors was adjourned and the couple were given liberty to amend their statement of grounds. It was mentioned again in the High Court on November 21, and it is adjourned until January 30 for mention. The defendants listed in the case are An Bord Pleanála, Clare County Council and the Attorney General. In their objection to the appeals’ board, John and Sheena Clancy, Bogbere Street, Ennistymon, outlined the process has had a significant stressful impact on them …

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Clare partnership has got water safety in the bag

AN initiative that aims both to aid water rescues and help preserve the safety of those doing the rescuing was launched in Lahinch this week. The provision of Rescue Throw Bags for each squad car in the Kilrush Division is one of a number of initiatives agreed by Water Safety Clare, An Garda Siochana and the Irish Coast Guard. The Gardai are most often the first to arrive at the scene of a water based incident. On arrival at a scene the Gardai are dependent on the availability of Public Rescue equipment and their own experience, initiative and knowledge. Members of the force regularly place themselves at risk in these situations. This is evident during Water Safety Ireland’s “Just in Time” annual awards ceremony where many of the recipients of Rescue Awards are Gardai who have gone beyond the call of duty to save others. Incidents occur throughout the year in all types of waterway, weather and water conditions. The …

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€8k award for ‘glancing blow’ between two car mirrors

A-27-year old gym enthusiast who told a court that he wasn’t able to lift a shopping bag or do the shopping after a ‘glancing blow’ with another car has been awarded €8,000 by a court in a personal injuries claim. At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford stated that Patrick Joyce’s car had “a glancing blow” with another car where the “wing mirrors did hit off each other”. Along with awarding father of three, Patrick Joyce €8,000, Judge Comerford awarded his then pregnant wife and front seat passenger, Helen Joyce €11,000 in personal damages. Ms Joyce told the court as her own pregnancy went on, her back pain got worse and she had the pain “nearly every day”. In the assessment case where the other driver, a Clare man, accepted liability for the collision, Judge Comerford also made a material impact award to Patrick Joyce from the damage to his Volkswagen car at €1,254. Judge Comerford said that he was …

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Redesign submitted for proposed homes in east Clare village

DESIGNS for three homes proposed for the village of O’Callaghan’s Mills have been revised by the developer, after planners described them as “highly suburban” and “not acceptable for a village setting”.  East Clare Construction have just submitted a response to a Further Information (FI) request from the Council. This 12-page document includes fresh house designs which the company have described “suitable for this village”. The developers have also responded to other issues raised by the local authority and reduced the proposed floor level for one of the sites. They have corrected a misprint on the previously-submitted layout map to show the correct ground level, removing the perception of a sharp gradient where the proposed access road connects to the R466.  The company, whose directors are listed as Joe and Teresa Cooney of Ballymacdonnell, Bodyke, have also clarified their intentions for another parcel of zoned lands in their ownership close to the development site. The FI response said that, “any further …

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Clare GAA players on course to help plant a million trees

THREE of Clare’s best known players recently returned from a historic trip to Africa, where they kick started a bid to plant more than a million trees to combat climate change. Clare players Podge Collins, Dean Ryan, and Eimear Kelly joined 50 leading GAA stars to compete in the first ever ‘Plant the Planet Games’ in Nairobi, Kenya, on a visit that also saw them plant the first thousand trees in a GPA-backed tree planting effort to tackle climate change in Africa. Each of the participating players, who included inter-county hurlers, footballers and camogie players from 23 different counties, were tasked with raising €10,000 in sponsorship to support the effort.  The group’s collective total has already topped half a million euro, with funds still coming in. The initiative was organised by Galway dual player Alan Kerins Warriors for Humanity in conjunction with development charity Self Help Africa, and is also being supported by Kenyan Olympic medalist and world record holding …

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Clare man accused of falsely imprisoning woman further remanded

A man accused of falsely imprisoning a woman at his home in Clare last month has been further remanded in custody. The 37-year-old man appeared at Ennis district court via video link from prison where is on remand. The case is subject to reporting restrictions, meaning the accused and the alleged victim cannot be identified. The man is charged that at his home in a rural area of Clare on November 9, 2022, he did falsely imprison a woman, contrary to section 15 of the Non Fatal Offences Against The Person Act. Sergeant Aiden Lonergan said he had been told that the file in the matter will be with the director of public prosecutions (DPP) by the end of the week. Sergeant Lonergan said he was seeking a further adjournment to obtain DPP’s directions which will determine what court the trial will proceed in. Sergeant Lonergan asked that the accused be further remanded in custody to appear again in court …

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Tarred-over road sign at site of accident restored

ROAD markings have been reinstated at Ballyhannon Cross where recently a resident was hit by a van which failed to halt at a stop sign. The need for the road markings was highlighted at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District by Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy. She urged that the “necessary road markings be reinstalled at Ballyhannon Cross”. The work has since been done. Since the roads were resurfaced months ago, she said, the white lining from the stop signs indicating the stop line were tarred over at Ballyhannon Cross. “These white lines need to be replaced urgently, in light of a recent incident where a local resident was going down Ballyhannon to Quin when he was struck by a van at the cross who failed to stop at the stop sign.” Paddy Tiernan, A/Senior Executive Engineer, informed the meeting that the road markings would be reinstated at Ballyhannon Cross with Councillor Colleran Molloy saying the …

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