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Clare County Fire and Rescue Service responded to two bonfire incidents on Halloween night. Both incidents occurred in the Cloughleigh area of Ennis. The overall cost associated with the call out of the Fire Service to these incidents was approximately €2,000. The cost associated with the clean-up of the bonfire sites has not yet been determined. Denis O’Connell, Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer, said: “There was a significant reduction in the number of callouts this Halloween compared to previous years which is partly down to a combination of wet weather and increasing fire safety and environmental awareness amongst the general public.” “As well as being illegal, uncontrolled backyard burning and bonfires pose a significant risk to property and public safety and therefore, we would like to acknowledge the public for their cooperation and for heeding our safety advice issued during recent weeks.” Meanwhile, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service took part in a river rescue in Ennis on Halloween night. …

The European Recycling Platform (ERP), Ireland’s only pan-European compliance scheme, has this year celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the EU Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC in Ireland. ERP has collected over 1,809 tonnes of batteries across all of its territories since the Directive was launched in 2008. The amount collected in Clare over the last 10 years is the equivalent of 1.25 times the length of the Wild Atlantic Way or if stacked upright – 15,300 times the height of the Cliff of Moher. In 2012, European member states were tasked with achieving a collection rate of 25% of all waste portable batteries placed on the market. The target increased to 45% in 2016. ERP is delighted to announce that in 2017, it surpassed the EU target with a collection rate of 64%. Encouraging people to recycle their batteries Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer from Clare County Council said: “Recycling batteries is a great way to help protect the environment. Recycling enables …

TURAS Nua has announced they are increasing their efforts to work with more employers in Clare and are targeting an additional 160 businesses and organisations over the course of the coming year. This is on top of the 490 employers there are already working with in the county. The employment activation organisation delivers the JobPath programme on behalf of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in 13 counties across the southern half of the Republic of Ireland. They are now placing approximately 1,000 people in jobs each month. In Clare they have already helped 1,131 people find work and expect that number to increase further over the course of the coming year. Turas Nua help prepare the long term unemployed (ie those out of work for 12 months or longer) to secure and sustain employment. Across their entire area of operations Turas Nua has now placed more than 20,000 long term unemployed people in work. While a total …

CLARE has voted by a significant majority to remove the crime of blasphemy from its constitution. As expected, Clare voters endorsed this move with 61.88% voting in favour and 38.114 voting against. The total electorate was 83,044 and the total poll was 41,766. There were 755 spoilt votes leaving a total valid poll of 41,021. The blasphemy referendum, which was held alongside the presidential election is the latest sign of the weakening of religious conservatism in the country. The last prosecution for blasphemy in Ireland was in 1855, but three years ago gardaí investigated comments made by Stephen Fry on television in which the comedian described God as “capricious”, “mean-minded”, and an “utter maniac”. The investigation, which was initiated following a complaint made in Ennis Garda Station was later dropped after gardai decided insufficient numbers of people had been outraged. Ireland voted to allow same-sex marriage in 2015, and nearly two-thirds of Irish voters backed the repeal of the country’s …

    Outgoing President Michael D Higgins has topped the poll in the Clare constituency. Returning Officer, Pat Wallace revealed on Saturday afternoon that President Higgins secured 22,639 first preference votes in the first count. Independent candidate Peter Casey secured 11,722; Séan Gallagher 2,289; Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ni Riadha got 2,186; Joan Freeman 1,969 and Gavin Duffy 617. The percentage breakdown of the first count is Michael D Higgins: 54.65%; Peter Casey; 28.27%; Séan Gallagher: 5.52%; Liadh Ni Riadha: 5.277%; Joan Freeman: 4.75% Gavin Duffy: 1.489%. The total Clare electorate was 83,044. The total poll was 41,871 and there were 449 invalid votes giving a total valid poll of 41,422. Comparisons between the 2018 and 2011 Presidential Elections in Clare make interesting reading. Michael D Higgins, who was proposed by the Labour |Party in 2011, has increased his first preference vote in the county he was reared by 10% from 44.3% to 54.654% while Séan Gallagher has seen his vote …

Outgoing President Michael D Higgins is expected to head the Presidential poll in Clare when all the votes are counted. Counting has got underway for the Clare Constituency in the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis. About 50 counters are separating the ballot papers for the Presidential Election and Blasphemy Referendum. Twenty-five boxes have been opened out of total of 153. There is no official tally being conducted by political analysts at this count. Returning officer, Pat Wallace estimates the first count made not be officially known until 4 or 5pm subject to official confirmation from Dublin Castle. Early indications suggest Clare voters have voted in huge numbers for outgoing president Michael D Higgins with independent candidate Peter Casey finishing very strongly in second place. The former Dragon’s Den star is well ahead of the chasing pack with Joan Freeman likely to finish third while Sinn Féin’s Liadh ni Riadha and Séan Gallagher are neck-in-neck. It looks highly likely that Gavin Duffy …

  Minister of State Pat Breen has become embroiled in controversy after it emerged he arranged for former Communications Minister Denis Naughten to attend a dinner with a key bidder in the national broadband process. The Clare Deputy has also outlined he had met Irish-American businessman, David McCourt on a number of occasions in his role as minister of state. Minister Naughten resigned from cabinet yesterday over revelations he met four times with Mr McCourt, the only bidder who is still involved in the national broadband plan process. In a statement issued last night, Minister Breen has outlined meetings he had with David McCourt, the key bidder in the broadband procurement process, and has said he knows him “on a personal basis”. The Minister of State with responsibility for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, he has “ no role in the National Broadband Plan, its rollout or its procurement”. “In my role as Minister of …

THE unpredictability faced by people in private rented accommodation has been illustrated by the case of an Ennis couple who were told the rent for their apartment would be increasing by an incredible 50%. Pensioners Hilari Hinnant and Greg Miller rent a one-bedroom apartment at Parnell Street and on July 11 they received a letter from a representative of their landlord, informing them the rent would be going up from €400 to €600 a month. In certain parts of the country, designated rent pressure zones, prices may only rise by a maximum of 4% per annum, but no part of Clare is included, meaning tenants here can see prices rise by any amount. The letter to the couple informing them of the rent increase stated “the new rent is not greater than the market rent, having regard to the other terms of the tenancy, and letting values of dwellings of a similar size, type and character to the dwelling that …