Motoring

CONCERN has been aired by a local councillor about incidents of anti-social behaviour in Ennis, writes Dan Danaher. Councillor Mary Howard expressed concern at a recent Joint Policing Committee about boy racers operating near Shiels’ Garage following a number of complaints from people who are working early in the morning. “Cars are being revved up in the car park and a lot of noise is being made with handbrake turns. Some people want to sleep at night but they can’t because boy racers are gathering at night time,” she said. She also raised concern about a complaint from a woman who was trying to park near Ennis Cathedral but was intimidated by drunk people in the vicinity of the parking ticket machine. This prompted the woman to return to her car and drive away to find another parking spot in the town. “These people are picking awkward spots to hang around in Ennis. People are frightened when they come upon …

A POSTMAN got “bull thick” with a garda after he found out he was getting a speeding ticket, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court, Garda Darren Lynch said he was operating a speed detection point at Cahercalla More, Kilrush Road, Ennis on January 14, 2021, when he stopped a vehicle driven by Gearoid Noel O’Brien (25). Garda Lynch said the vehicle was detected driving at 82 km per hour in a 60km zone The garda said Mr O’Brien told him he had been “caught here before” and that he was not going to pay any speeding ticket. Garda Lynch said Mr O’Brien then said to him, “Shove it (ticket) up your hole, you fat b*****d”. Mr O’Brien, with an address at Villa Park, Monmore, Kilrush, denied speeding and contested the summons against him. In cross examination, defence solicitor Daragh Hassett put it to Garda Lynch that it appeared that he and his client did not get on too …

ENNIS bus and rail station is being “run into the ground” a county councillor believes. Councillor Mary Howard has criticised both Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann accusing them of neglecting the station and leaving it to become a “sad and lonely place”. Her comments came in the wake of images circulating on social media showing bus times at the station written in marker which was heavily criticised online. When contacted about the timetables, Bus Éireann said that it worked to ensure the timetables were replaced as soon as possible, and confirmed there are no plans to introduce a supervisor to the station. While Iarnród Éireann has insisted that it is “committed to providing a quality service to our customers at Ennis”. Councillor Howard has called for a permanent bus inspector and station master to be installed in Ennis, fearing that there is a risk of future anti-social behaviour at the station. “If you go to any country in the world, …

CANNONBALL, the action-packed supercar spectacle, will pass through Clare on Saturday September 17th arriving in Killimer Ferry Terminal at approximately 3.30pm and driving along the N67 through Kilrush, Kilkee, Doonbeg, Quilty, Miltown Malbay, Lahinch, Ennistymon, Lisdoonvarna, Ballyvaughan and Kinavarra before heading on to Galway. Top mark cars include, not one but two spectacular Ford GTs for the first time in Ireland. Cannonball, fuelled by milesPlus from Circle K, will also feature firm favourites McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, Maserati, Rolls Royce and Bentley. It will blaze a trail from Malahide to Cork and then take in Kerry, Clare, Galway, Westmeath, Longford, Meath, Cavan, Louth and Antrim. Any car enthusiasts and Cannonball fans wishing to come out to see the cars on the route are asked to please adhere to the advice of the Cannonball COVID-19 marshals and maintain social distancing. The official charity of Cannonball will be The HOPE Foundation, an Irish Charity doing incredible work with the street …

WELCOMING the return to full capacity on all public transport, Bus Éireann has moved to remind passengers that certain health measures remain in force. These include mandatory face masks throughout the journey (with exemptions on health grounds). Hand sanitising units will be on board all buses and the company has committed to deep cleaning overnight and additional cleaning during the day. Cashless payment options including Leap cards, ticket machines in stations and online at buseireann.ie will be available for customers. Guaranteed seat reservation is possible for interurban travel on expressway.ie and windows will be kept open where available, though coaches have air conditioning. Allen Parker, Chief Customer Officer, Bus Éireann said, “We are grateful to our Clare based employees and customers for all their support over the past 18 months. We have been proud to operate continuously throughout the pandemic, keeping Ireland connected. “The very high rate of vaccination in Ireland and the proven effectiveness of face masks in reducing …

THERE have been 1,945 new cars registered in county Clare to date this year. This compares to 1,795 registered to the same point in 2020 and represents an 8.36% increase. Clare’s share of the new car market this year is 2.02% of sales nationwide, a slight drop from 2.28% at the same stage in 2020. Overall in Ireland some 96,309 new cars have been registered in the year to date compared to 78,864 for the same period in 2020, an increase of 22.1%. When compared with 2019, however, pre-pandemic, there have been 12.9% fewer cars registered to the same point. In 2019, by the end of August 110,527 new cars had been registered nationwide. Another stand-out in the figures is the continuing surge in purchases of electric vehicles. Some 831 new electric vehicles registered were in August compared to 294 in August 2020. So far this year 7,057 new electric cars have been registered in comparison to 2,954 on the …

A ROAD in north Clare has been closed today, as a crane is to be used to help right a cement truck that overturned there yesterday afternoon. The truck overturned on the R476 at around 4pm, at a location around 1.5 miles outside of Kilfenora, on the way towards Lisdoonvarna. Gardai said that no-one was injured in the accident. It is understood that the accident happened on a section where roadworks have recently taken place.

RISING demand for staycations could lead to an increased risk of the theft of caravans, with those planning on buying a caravan also being warned to be on alert. “Going on holiday at home and the use of caravans has become very popular and with the demand for caravans increasing so will the possibility in an increase in thefts caravans,” says Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. She urges those with a caravan to get an alarm fitted and to keep doors and windows locked at all times, even if out for a short period of time. “GPS tracking devices can be relatively inexpensive. Consider uniquely marking your caravan on various parts of it and take a photograph showing any marks, scratches or dents,” she adds. Wheels clamps are a visual deterrent, she advises saying, “ use a good standard clamp which will take time, effort and noise to remove. Ensure that you have a hitch lock in place.” …