News

Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a female child with serious injuries in a Clare village this morning. Gardaí and National Ambulance Service paramedics responded to the incident The girl was discovered at a premises in Clarecastle and has been taken from the scene to University Hospital Limerick to be treated for her injuries. Gardaí have sealed off the property while a technical examination of the scene is undertaken. Investigations are ongoing. More to follow.

CLARE gardai are appealing for witnesses to a hit and run incident that occurred when a car mounted a footpath in Ennis. On Thursday, September 22, at 4.20pm the hit and run road traffic colission occurred at Claureen roundabout on the Lahinch Road. A car drove onto the footpath on the roundabout striking a pedestrian who was walking on the footpath. The lady fell over on impact and her right leg was then driven over by the back wheel of the vehicle. The driver left the scene immediately and drove out the Lahinch Road. The car is described as a light grey Sedan. Clare crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or to anyone who may have dash cam footage to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100.”

AN O’Brien’sbridge community activist is pulling out all the stops to try and get a ten year-old boy battling a rare form of brain cancer to appear on the Late Late Toy Show. Tracy Howard has organised a series of fundraising ventures and drive-bys to show the huge support in the twin communities of Killaloe and Ballina for Joey Moran, who lives in the neighbouring village of Portroe. In a bid to give a “courageous warrior” a huge boost, Tracy joked she is “stalking” Ryan Tubridy and using every contact she has to get Joey on the Late Late Show. “I have emailed the Toy Show, I have emailed Ryan Tubridy himself and his radio show. I have a cousin who hopes to seek him out at an event he is attending in a few weeks. However, I do it, I want him on the Toy Show. If I have to sleep outside Ryan Tubridy’s house in Dublin, I will …

A COMMUNITY information meeting will take place in North East Clare to highlight the work of an important water quality initiative.  The event, which will focus on the catchment of Lough Graney, will be held at Lough Graney Community Hall in Flagmount at 7.30pm on Wednesday, October 5. The Graney Catchment is one of six pilot catchments in Ireland which have been selected for inclusion in a new €20 million European Union funded project called ‘Waters of LIFE’. The initiative aims to address the decline in water quality in Ireland’s most pristine and sensitive river catchments, like the Graney Catchment, which covers East Clare and part of South East Galway. Pristine, or near pristine waterbodies (rivers and lakes), are called ‘high-status objective waterbodies’ and are assigned a ‘Blue Dot’ to distinguish them as ‘the best of the best’ among Irish waterbodies. Blue Dot waterbodies are mainly located in remote and lightly populated areas, with many of them found in upland …

THE EDUCATION minister has said she will examine a situation whereby secondary school students in parts of North East Clare have missed out on public school transport for the current academic year. Minister Norma Foley was responding to Deputy Michael McNamara during a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Education. The Scariff TD highlighted how post-primary students in the Whitegate area, who previously held concessionary tickets for transport to Scariff Community College (SCC), did not qualify for a school bus place this year, under the terms of the new school transport scheme unveiled in July. Deputy McNamara outlined how the criteria disqualified some students in the Whitegate area from securing a bus place to SCC, as it had marked Woodford in County Galway as their closest school. He described the road from Whitegate to Woodford, which was identified, by the Department, as the shortest route as little more than a “forest track” and “not fit for school buses”. He …

A DECISION on funding for the long-awaited Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience Centre is expected to be made in the coming weeks, Deputy Michael McNamara has been told in Dáil Éireann. The Independent TD questioned Minister Heather Humphreys as to when there would be news on a major funding application made by Clare County Council. A Category 1 application was made, in April, by the Council to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF). Deputy McNamara sought a statement from the Minister for Rural and Community Development in relation for the timeframe on that funding decision.  The Fine Gael minister told the Scariff TD that she understood that the application in question was made to the fourth round of funding, which closed at the end of April. “My Department received 42 applications to this call, together seeking funding of over €149 million,” Minister Humphreys said. “I understand that an application was received for the project referred to by the Deputy.” She …

AN APPLICATION for a major private housing scheme in Tulla is the subject of several objections, over issues including the density of the proposed 60-home development. Wiskin Property Developments is seeking permission for 15 detached houses; 36 semi-detached houses and nine terraced houses on a site of just over three hectares at Loughaun South. To date, four submissions have been sent to planners by locals living close to the site, and a representation has been made by Councillor Joe Cooney. A submission from one local couple has raised questions over the density of the development, which they maintained should only be eight to 12 units per hectare, according to the current zoning. Wiskin Developments has proposed to build 18.3 units per hectare. The submission also questioned the adequacy of parking provision and potential disturbance and intrusion from additional traffic. Another resident noted a high level of undeveloped residential land within the Tulla settlement boundary, where planning permission exists for 108 …

COMMUNITIES across Clare are being urged to get involved in setting up a Community Text Alert group following the announcement of an extension to the Text Alert Rebate Scheme. James Browne TD, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, announced the extension at the National Ploughing Championships. “I am pleased to announce that my Department will be providing €150,000 in financial support to Community Text Alert Groups in 2022, continuing this Government’s support for crime prevention in rural communities. “Text Alert Groups registered with An Garda Síochána can apply directly to Muintir na Tíre, who administer the scheme, for a rebate of up to €350 on their 2021 costs.” The grant will continue to be administered by Muintir na Tíre. Under the scheme, eligible groups will receive a rebate of up to €350 towards their operating costs. Groups can apply by completing a simple application form available at https://www.muintir.ie/community-alert/text-alert-rebates/ or by contacting Muintir na Tíre before 30 November next. …