News

MOTORISTS have been urged to avoid parking on narrow access roads to amenities in the Killaloe area after the local fire service encountered difficulties during a recent rescue. Killaloe Fire and Rescue Service was tasked on a call to provide assistance to an injured person on the trail up to Moylussa recently. There have been occasions when firemen would be requested to bring a casualty out of the woods into the ambulance. In this case, the casualty was near the road on the way up to the mountain. Due to careless parking, firemen were not able to use their fire engine and had to instead use their fire truck. The ambulance was just about able to squeeze through with very little to spare. Killaloe Station Officer, Graham Tuohy recalled the difficulties local firemen encountered. “It wasn’t ideal. It was the upper car park where we encountered the difficulty. As luck would have it the van went up first and they …

GENERATIONS of students and the wider community will benefit for years to come, thanks to an ambitious project to invest €250,000 in an astroturf facility at St Joseph’s National School, Miltown Malbay. An information and fundraising campaign for an all-weather pitch will be launched at the school at 2pm on Friday (February 3). The event will showcase the multiple benefits for pupils, local clubs and sporting organisations, as well as the Miltown community as a whole.  Principal of the 113-pupil school, Mr Aidan Looney said that while significant work had been done on the school building over the years, the outdoor facilities were in need of an upgrade. “Part of the school building dates to 1963 and the second phase was done in 1973,” he outlined. “In 2008, I secured funding for an indoor refurbishment, but there has been no real development of the outdoor playing facilities in all of that time.” Thanks to a funding boost of €50,000 from …

‘HELL’ has been predicted, when people start to receive tax bills on zoned land in their ownership, under next year’s Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) regime.  The comment was made by Councillor Shane Talty on foot of a motion tabled by Councillor PJ Ryan. The Shannon member called for a derogation, for a fixed period, on the RZLT. He voiced concern at the number of people looking for their lands to be dezoned, and the impact that that might have on the provision of housing. Supporting the motion, Councillor Talty said many people were unaware of the implications of owning zoned land. “I think this is going to blow up into serious controversy when these Revenue letters arrive, the actual bills,” he said.  While there was widespread support for the motion, Councillor Ryan deferred it on the advice of Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling, to give time to examine recently-received public submissions on the RZLT.  Outlining a topic that generated …

A JUDGE has stated that she is not going to criminalise four respectable north Clare farmers involved in a row over a right of way in Bellharbour in the Burren. At Ennis District Court, Judge Mary Larkin told the four men, “You can’t be pushing and shoving and rowing about a right of way. I am happy for the circuit court to resolve the right of way matter.” In the case, the four men deny the assault charges against them before the district court. Twin brother and farmer, Terence McGann (43) of Turlough, Bellharbour, denies  the assault of Joseph Forde at Turlough, Bellharbour, on October 4 2021. Mr McGann’s twin and farmer, Justin (43) of the same address denies the assault of Emmet Forde at the same location on the same date. Arising from the same incident, Emmet Forde (32) of Glenoir, St Senan’s Road, Ennis, denies the assault of Justin McGann at the same location on the same date …

HERBAL cannabis with an estimated value in excess of €240,000 has been seized this Wednesday at Shannon Airport. As part of routine operations and with the assistance of detector dog, Marley, Revenue officers seized over 12kgs of the illegal drugs. They were discovered concealed in two parcels that had arrived in an air cargo consignment from France and were destined for an address in Limerick. Investigations are ongoing. This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number in 1800 295 295.

A SURFER who rescued a swimmer caught off the Clare shore by a rip current and an Ennis lifeguard named Volunteer of the Year were among those honoured at Water Safety Ireland’s national awards. Patrick Gordon’s quick actions saved the life of a man in difficulty at Spanish Point last summer. He received a SEIKO Just In Time Awards and Rescue Appreciation Award at the annual ceremony which was held online. Last July, Patrick was out surfing in strong winds with a friend at Spanish Point. They heard a swimmer shouting for help after getting pulled from shore by a rip current. He immediately paddled towards the swimmer and told his friend to make for shore to get help. Patrick took his friend’s board, reached the exhausted swimmer, and got him to hold onto the board until he regained his breath and was able to make it safely back to shore. Also honoured on the night was Sinead Mortell from …

MORE than six Whole Time Equivalent posts were vacant in different health disciplines of the West Clare Community Healthcare Network (CHN), new figures have revealed. The Mid-West Community Healthcare has confirmed the CHN manager post was vacant at the end of November for the West Clare CHN, which covers a population of 70,652 in Ennis, Ennistymon, Kilkee and Kilrush. A GP lead working one day a week was also vacant, while there was 1.1 Whole Time Equivalent absent in Occupational Therapy Services in this network, 2.1 WTE short in Physiotherapy Services where eight WTE were filled by agency and three more WTE were required in Dietetics Services. The East Clare CHN covering a population of 33,945 in East Clare, Shannon and Sixmilebridge also had one administrative support WTE vacant; it required a GP lead and had no Podiatry Services staff as this speciality was covered by the West Clare CHN. Ballina and Killaloe are covered by the East Limerick CHN …

PERMISSION has been granted for the creation of four serviced sites in Quin, with outline permission for four detached homes. Concerns had been raised by local authority planners over a number of aspects of the proposals. Developer, Jimal Investments, addressed these in a Further Information (FI) submission made at the end of last year, and the green light has now been given subject to 21 conditions. Among these are controls on the height of any future dwellings on the sites. Conditions relating to external finishes, landscaping, the name any future residential development and public lighting have also been applied. Outline permission applies for a period of three years and the Council has stipulated that any residential development granted within that time must be subject to a development contribution and the lodgement of a cash bond. Plans for the creation of the sites in Quingardens were lodged last September, with the developer telling the Council that they would involve demolishing an …