Environment

IT wasn’t Christmas trees that were on the mind of Councillor Mary Howard at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, but the damage trees can cause to urban localities. Councillor Howard asked the local authority to produce a list of trees suitable for planting in an urban setting at the monthly meeting of the council. This follows her highlighting of the concerns for residents of Kincora Park last month of the “dangerous condition” of the footpath leading up to St Joseph’s Church which was blamed on “vigorous root growth”. Speaking at the December meeting of the Ennis Municipal District Councillor Howard said she was a “real fan of trees”. However she pointed out that they can cause problems. “There can be damage caused during strong winds, fruit falling, roots lifting footpaths, obstructing sight lines, leaves blocking gutters,” she said. She explained that having suitable trees planted would help solve some of these issues. “Putting the right trees in …

CLARE County Council carries out regular checks on retailers of solid fuels to ensure they comply with regulations surrounding the selling of smoky fuels, a spokesperson for the council has said. Responding to concerns highlighted about the quality of air in Ennis, Clare County Council stated, “At present, Ireland has an established network of stations to monitor air quality which are configured to meet the requirements of the European Union CAFE (Clean Air For Europe) Directive. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the designated competent authority for the implementation of all Irish and European Union (EU) ambient air quality legislation. “The EPA is also the specified monitoring and reporting body under this legislation. The EPA manages and co-ordinates current ambient air monitoring activities in co-operation with local authorities and other state bodies, complying with strict sampling and reporting requirements. “Currently there is 1 No. CAFE Air Monitoring site situated in Ennis in the former Ennis Town Council complex in Drumbiggle. “The …

AIR pollution in Ennis has been described as “dangerously high” with levels of particulate matter associated with burning solid fuels more than seven times higher than Shanghai in recent days. Community group Better Ennis are among those voicing concerns about the “health hazard Ennis residents and visitors are exposed to”, while during one evening a UCC professor took to social media urging Ennis residents not to go outside. Green Party Senator Roísín Garvey says, “People are afraid to go for a walk in the evening because of the quality of the air.” Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Johnny Flynn is seeking a report on air quality in Ennis from Clare County Council to be included in the monthly management report, and is reiterating calls for an Ennis Clean Air Strategy. “Short term poor air quality events or spikes have very significant adverse health impacts, they result in significant  spikes in hospital admissions for up to two days after such events,” he stated. A …

COILLTE is planning a second East Clare wind farm development, as part of a joint venture to develop a renewable energy generation facility between Broadford and Sixmilebridge.  The company, together with the ESB, operate as FuturEnergy Ireland. They are the developers of the 19-turbine Carrownagowan Wind Farm, on the slopes of Slieve Bearnagh, which recently secured planning permission directly from An Bórd Pleanála under the Strategic Infrastructure Act. Their latest Clare venture is the Knockshanvo Wind Farm, whose precise specifications have not yet been outlined. The company has promised “a comprehensive community engagement programme” as two liaison officers begin to introduce the project in the locality. A website for the project estimates that the application will be submitted, as Strategic Infrastructure, at the end of 2023.  According to the company, the proposed site is located around 3km south of Broadford and 4km north-east of Sixmilebridge. The wind farm project is described as being “in the early stages of development”. A …

SHANNON weather station has recorded a new temperature record for a November day. On Friday, November 11, the temperature at the Met Éireann weather station in Shannon never dropped below 14.9 degrees celsius. This represented a new November highest daily minimum temperature record for Ireland. It was an exceptionally warm month of November in general at Shannon, well ahead of the long term average for the month. It was also particularly sunny for the time of year, with 71 hours and 36 minutes of sunshine over the course of the month, 21% more than the long term November average. On the negative side, the amount of rainfall for the month in Shannon was 44% greater than the long term average. The Met Éireann report for the month said, “November 2022 was a mild and windy month, dominated by Atlantic low pressure systems to the west of Ireland, with the airflow mostly between southerly and south-westerly. “This set-up steered many tropical …

A ONE-girl crusade to help save the planet is taking place in Clare with young Lani Meaney urging people to take action and do their bit to save the environment. 11-year-old Lani has become a regular sight where she lives in Darragh putting up posters in the locality calling on people to think green and clean up after themselves. Recently the Lissycasey national school student wanted to get her message across to a wider audience, so she wrote an article for the Clare Champion. In the article she asked the public to, “Stop Climate Change Before it’s too Late”. She wrote, “Climate Change is happening right now, this second. It’s already starting to get out of hand. Letting Climate Change get worse, would be like destroying someone’s home, and then destroy everyone else’s home in the world. “Earth is everyone’s home and we need to take care of her. When a home is messy we clean it right? Well Earth …

MANY hands make light work was the theme of the day as fourth class students from Ennis National School gave Irish Water a dig out with planting native trees at Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant. Members of Irish Water’s South West Region Biodiversity Forum, staff from Green Belt Forestry, EPS, and Clare County Council, greeted the students on a bright and breezy morning at the treatment plant last week to plant 50 trees in time for Christmas.  The pupils arrived on site ready to learn more about how the River Fergus provides Ennis town with all of its drinking water, and about the Alder, Oak, Birch and Hazel trees that would soon be thriving in the area.  The Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant is soon to have some 5,520 trees planted over the coming weeks where it will eventually become a wild and wonderful habitat for Jay Birds and Red Squirrels.    Speaking at the event, Chair of Irish Water’s South West Region …

PLANS for a €450 million data centre in Ennis have been described as “ill timed and ill placed” by Clare’s Green Party senator. The observation by Senator Roisin Garvey came as the developers submitted a response to appeals against the proposal submitted to An Bord Pleanala. A decision on the controversial plans for the Art Data Centre Campus near the Tulla Road is set to be made by An Bord Pleanala in the new year. Appeals against the development have been submitted to An Bord Pleanala by Clare Green Party, Futureproof Clare, Friends of the Irish Environment and An Taisce as well as three individuals. Senator Garvey commented this week, “At a time of huge energy security concerns this is ill timed and ill placed. “There is a moratorium by Government on Data centres and if any more go ahead in the future they will have to have access to renewable energy. “I think West Clare with its offshore wind …