News

AS we count down to the opening of the polling stations for Friday’s local and European elections, The Clare Champion this week talks to five people with a deep knowledge of  Clare politics about the candidates and their prospects of success. With reporter Dan Danaher posing the questions in a round table discussion at Cairde in Barrack Street, Ennis, former TDs, Donal Carey (Fine Gael),  Moosajee Bhamjee (Labour) and Tony Killeen (Fianna Fáil), Clare Sinn Féin’s  Kevin Halpin and political observer, Mike Torpey from Tulla, gave their assessment of how the new 28-seat Clare County Council will shape up.

A woman’s body was found in a campervan in Corofin on Tuesday afternoon. The woman who was in her 60s and believed to be British, had been staying in the area since last week. Other holiday makers staying nearby became suspicious when they had not seen the woman since the weekend. They accessed her campervan and detected a smell of gas. Gardaí were contacted and the woman’s body was discovered at approximately 3.30pm. Fire and ambulance personnel also attended the scene. A technical examination of the campervan was carried out and the body was taken to University Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem examination. The woman’s death does not appear suspicious but Gardaí are liaising with authorities in Britain in an effort to locate the woman’s next of kin.

A man is due to appear before a sitting of Ennis District Court this Wednesday morning in connection with a seizure of cannabis plants and herb estimated to be worth almost €100,000 . The seizure was made at an address in Ballymaley in Ennis on Monday as part of on-going intelligence-led operations targeting the sale and supply of drugs in the Clare area. Gardaí from the Divisional Drugs Unit, on foot of a warrant, searched an address and located 118 cannabis plants and a quantity of cannabis herb with an estimated value of €98,000 (pending analysis). Two men were arrested at the premises on Monday at approximately 12:30pm, one aged in his 30s and one in his 40s. They were arrested at the scene and detained at Ennis Garda station under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. One of the men was later released and a file is to be prepared for the Director of …

One in four people have been subjected to some form of sexual violence, according to Rape Crisis Midwest – a service which offers support and help to the one in four affected by sexual violence in County Clare. However, due to the declining financial status of the charity organisation, which is used by 12 people every week in Clare, they will close their Ennis based service temporarily for the month of  September. Rape Crisis Midwest has had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close both its Clare and Tipperary services for the month of September as the charity faces a shortfall estimated to be in the region of €120,000. All services provided at the Tracklands Business Park, on Clonroadmore in Ennis will be cut for the month of September and will be reassessed based on whether the service can make up the shortfall through public support in the interim. A skeletal service will remain in Limerick for the month …

By Owen Ryan GARDAI have arrested one man and are still seeking others following an incident in which three teenagers were robbed at knife point in Shannon last Saturday evening. On the evening in question at about 7.30pm seven teenagers were together in a wooded area of Drumgeely. They were approached by three males, all wearing hoodies with the hoods up. One of the group produced a knife and threats were made, before the group took sums of money consisting of €20 and €4 as well as a speaker for a phone which was valued at €60. The three hooded males ran off towards Corrib Drive after the incident. On the night Shannon Town were playing a soccer match against Moyross United and after the males suspected of being involved in the incident were seen getting onto a large coach that had brought people to the match, Gardai were alerted. Gardai brought all passengers off the bus and one person …

THE Ennis to Limerick railway line will reopen from the start of business on Tuesday morning The line had been closed since February 2, due to extensive flooding in the Ballycar area, with water levels peaking at almost two metres above the rail line. The closure was prolonged due to the slow draining nature of the karst landscape in the area. Bus transfers had been substituting the rail service throughout the closure. However, water levels have now receded and following a final inspection and test train this Monday, full services will resume on Tuesday for Ennis to Limerick services (including Sixmilebridge Station), and full Galway to Limerick services. As trains will once again be operating on the route, users of level crossings have been reminded by Iarnród Éireann to be vigilant and to use level crossings safely at all times.  

65,000 hairdressing professionals descended on Frankfurt for a spectacular event to see the OMC World Cup take place. With over 1,300 world class competitors from 50 countries local hairstylist Bridget Haren from Altamoda Hair in Ennis triumphed with a fourth placement with her ladies fashion look and as part of a four team in the ladies progressive cut and colour took the bronze third place world medal overall in the team event.

Clare County Council is marking National Biodiversity Week 2014, which runs until Saturday, with the official launch of a new strategy aimed at promoting, protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the county. The Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2014-17, approved by the council, has identified how biodiversity can boost tourism, enhance the local environment, and assist organisations and individuals working in the area of conservation and heritage. Key objectives of the Plan include supporting the recording of biodiversity across County Clare and to submit all biodiversity records to the National Biodiversity Database Centre; raising awareness of the role of biodiversity in climate change and the importance of wetland management in preventing flooding, and encouraging proposals relating to the positive management and additional planting of native tree species. Among the agencies that have contributed to the preparation and delivery of the plan is Clare County Council, the Clare Biodiversity Group, Coillte, Burren LIFE, Burrenbeo Trust, County Clare Bat Group, Celt, the Shannon …