News

A RESTRICTION on the height of headstones in the county’s graveyards is just one of the conditions outlined in draft bylaws being planned for burial grounds by Clare County Council. According to the draft, a maximum height is to be imposed for headstones, not exceeding 1.5 metres above ground level. The proposed bylaws, if given the go-aheadm will mean that no tomb, monument, vault, headstone, tablet or permanent structure of any description or material can be erected or constructed on any place of burial in the ground, unless it has been approved of, in writing, by the council, after submission of a formal written application. The draft bylaws were put before this week’s meeting of Clare County Council’s Strategic Policy Committee for Community and Enterprise, Tourism and Emergency Services. Betty Devanny of Clare County Council outlined to the meeting that the council’s predraft consultation into the proposals have seen positive feedback. She added the bylaws incorporate national regulations, while also …

By Nicola Corless As the final week of canvassing begins for Elections 2014, we take a look at the local candidates in the Loughrea Electoral Area Eight seats are up for grabs in the Loughrea Electoral Area, which extends from Kinvara to Kiltullagh and on to Kilreekill, Abbeygormacan, Derrrew, Kilquan and Tiranascragh. Thirteen candidates are in the running in the constituency, to represent an electorate of 37,416. In 2009, the total electorate was just shy of 31,000 for the then seven-seat constituency. Since the boundary change, Athenry has moved into the Oranmore-Athenry area and, with it, sitting Councillor in the Loughrea Electoral Area, Fine Gael’s Peter Feeney. Fine Gael is running four candidates in the new electoral area, including three sitting councillors, Michael ‘Moegie’ Maher, Loughrea; Jimmy McClearn, Killimor and Bridie Willers, Ardrahan. Joe Byrne from Kinvara is a first-time candidate but with strong family ties to the party. Fianna Fáil has put forward three candidates: Shane Donnellan from Loughrea; …

By Dan Danaher SIR Winston Churchill is credited with summing up the value of democracy. “Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried,” the former British Prime Minister stated. Environment Minister Phil Hogan bit the bullet and introduced several controversial changes as set out in the Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government, following a succession of reports on local government reform. However, when Clare people pick up the phone to ring their local councilllor for assistance to resolve a personal difficulty after the May 23 elections, they could find that Minister Hogan’s new local goverrment structures have put consistituents last for the most important aspect of every local councillor’s work – public representation. The number of councillors in Clare will be slashed from 68 to 28 following the abolition of four town councils in Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush and Kilkee. This will result in a total loss of 36 town councillors and the …

FIVE years ago, Fianna Fáil was in meltdown and the grassroots membership in Clare in open revolt. Bedevilled by ongoing controversy and the country in financial crisis, such political embarrassment was always going to stimulate a ballot box backlash, and it did. The political turmoil presented a window of opportunity for Fine Gael to make political gains, and they did. For the first time since the formation of the state, Fine Gael became the controlling party in Clare County Council holding 12 of the 32 seats, one more then their long-standing rivals. Fianna Fáil paid a high price for the economic hardship they foisted on the nation through poor judgement calls and downright bad management. Their vote in Clare dropped to an all-time low of just 35.5%, down almost 15% from the 1999 elections. Conversely, Fine Gael’s stock rose. Their first preference vote jumped from 26.66% in 1999, when they held eight seats, to the 2009 level of 34.2%. Clare’s …

IN Ireland, the system of voting in all elections, Dáil, Seanad, Presidential, European and Local, is proportional representation, with a single transferable vote in multi-seat constituencies (three, four and five-seat constituencies at Dáil elections). Hopefully, this guide, compliments of the Citizens Information Bureau, will be a help in tracking what happens on election day and at the count the following day. The ballot paper Proportional representation means, as a voter, you can indicate your first and subsequent choices for the candidates on the ballot paper. The names of the candidates will appear in alphabetical order on the ballot paper, together with their photographs and their party emblem (if they wish). Voting by proportional representation You indicate your first choice by writing 1 opposite your first choice and 2 opposite your second choice, 3 opposite your third choice and so on. You may stop marking your paper after 1, or any subsequent preference, or you may go right down the ballot …

IN one of the final acts of Ennis Town Council, funding has been arranged for an amenity scheme for the Rocky Road and water-based leisure facilities at Ballyalla, both a couple of miles on either side of the town. The council, in its last financial statement, has recommended that credits available in its current account be assigned to a number of areas, including specific funding of €22,697 for the Rocky Road and €25,765 for Ballyalla. The statement recommends that development contributions paid and due for recreation and amenity projects be assigned to recreation and amenity improvements, open space redevelopment and development at Ballyalla. The allocation of funding to the Rocky Road and Ballyalla was welcomed by all councillors. Other recommendations in the annual financial statement include that tenant purchase redemptions be assigned to improvement works on the housing stock of Ennis Town Council; that development contributions paid and due for car parks be assigned to the acquisition and improvement of …

THE Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn this Friday officially opened a new school for Ennis National School. The project cost in the region of €6.7 million. The school, at Ashrine, Kilrush Road in Ennis, was provided with a grant from the department and was further funded by the board of management to the tune of approximately €300,0000 to provie a larger general purpose room, changing rooms and the installation of a playing pitch. It is about a mile from the old “Nash” at the Carmody Street/Kilrush Road junjction. Speaking at the school, Minister Quinn said, “I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to aboard of management, staff, parents and the wider community are all to be congratulated for their hard work which made this new school possible”. Ennis National School has 594 pupils and the new building is a two storey, 32 classroom school, with large hall, changing rooms, and ancillary accommodation on …

THE controversial €120 million Limerick Northern Distributor Road has become a key issue in the local election campaign in the Shannon area. Councillor Cathal Crowe has been acccused of “playing politics”, following his request for all candidates in the area to outline their stance concerning the issue. The charge was levelled by Councillor Gerry Flynn, after a local opposition lobby group invited councillors and candidates to outline their views at a public meeting in Parteen. His call for a pre-election commitment conicides with a pledge from Limerick Northern Distributor Road Concerned Residents secretary, Zinaida Nourreddine, to chain herself to railings or equipment to obstruct construction work when they reach the road she lives on. Ms Nourredine said she was prepared to be sent to jail for civil disobedienc,e to make the authorities sit up and listen to their opposition to this road. According to Councillor Crowe, who is opposed to the road, the families affected by the proposed road deserve …