News

BUSINESSES from County Clare and across Munster gathered in Adare, County Limerick this week for the Munster SMILE Resource Exchange event.SMILE (Saving Money through Industry Links and Exchanges) invited businesses across Munster to learn how they could potentially save money, reduce their waste output and develop business opportunities.Attending and speaking at the event was John Torpey of Torpey Wood Products in Clare.By his own admission, John says he is a born entrepreneur and a passionate hurling man. He spoke about how he turned his waste product into a new business opportunity.“We have managed to save thousands of euro in waste disposal costs, while at the same time developing a new product by turning our unwanted wood into briquettes suitable for wood stoves, ranges and open fires.“I believe there are huge opportunities out there for businesses to reuse materials and reduce waste. I would encourage them to seize that opportunity and tap into resources such as SMILE Resource Exchange,” he said.SMILE …

THE Clare Trails Strategy 2012-15 has just been launched.Cyril Killeen, trails animator, explained the background to the initiative. “The Clare Trails Steering Group was established in 2006 with the introduction of Shannon Development’s Shannon Region Trails Programme. The steering group brought together all the relevant bodies involved in walking trails in County Clare in order to progress the development, maintenance and promotion of walking, cycling and other activity trails in the county.“The vision of the Clare Trails Steering Group is that through the implementation of this strategy, new trails will be created and existing trails in the region will be further developed and expanded to enhance the attractiveness of Clare as a place to visit and live.”A key aspect of trail development is the economic value that can accrue to an area. “In 2010, approximately 920,000 overseas visitors to Ireland participated in some form of outdoor activity and this generated in the region of €830 million in tourism revenue,” said …

CLARE County Council is launching its annual Green Christmas campaign at a special event in Áras Contae an Chláir this Thursday from 10am to 2.30pm.Local food and crafts producers will illustrate the importance of purchasing goods locally and the knock-on positive effects for the environment. Participating local traders will include The Clare Jam Company, Seoda na Boirne (Jewels of the Burren), Cratloe Hills Sheep’s Cheese, Ray Forde Native Irish Hard Woods and Burren Perfumery.Talks on upcycling will also demonstrate to the public who attend the many benefits by providing new ideas for customised, sustainable Christmas gifts. Meanwhile, the council’s environment section will host an information stand promoting the importance of upcycling, recycling and waste prevention during the festive period.The event coincides with European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), a European-wide project aimed at promoting sustainable waste reduction actions in member states.Meanwhile, pre-Christmas tips being promoted by the local authority include buying presents that do not require excessive packaging, wrapping presents …

Eleven Clare firemen with a combined service record of 260 years were honoured at the annual National Long Service Awards Ceremony held last weekend.Martin Rodgers, a sub-station officer with Killaloe Fire Brigade and Joe McMahon, a firefighter with Kilkee Fire Brigade, were in receipt of 30-year awards.An additional nine other service members were in receipt of 20-year awards. They include Adrian Kelly (Clare chief fire officer); Brian Rudd (firefighter, Ennis Fire Brigade); Robert Fitzgerald (sub-station officer); Frank O’Gorman (firefighter) and Cormac Quinlivan (firefighter of Kilkee Fire Brigade; Paddy Doyle (firefighter, Scariff Fire Brigade) and Johnny Byrne (firefighter), Joe Tuohy (firefighter) and Paul Mollaghan (station officer of Killaloe Fire Brigade).The National Long Service Awards scheme is administered on the minister’s behalf by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. The award, in recognition of 20 years’ service, takes the form of a medal bearing the traditional logo representation of the fire service – a helmet and crossed axes. The medal …

Fine Gael Senator Tony Mulcahy has received confirmation from the Department of Education that two Clare schools will receive additional accommodation. The department has approved the provision of a mainstream classroom for Scariff Central National School as well as a mainstream classroom, a resource room and toilet facilities for St Aidan’s National School.Senator Mulcahy said, “This is very welcome news for staff, students and parents of the two schools concerned. The areas served by the schools have experienced considerable population increases, which has inevitably put pressure on class sizes. For example, Shannon experienced a 5% growth in population between 2006 and 2012, while Scariff saw its population increase by 2% during the same period.“These latest approvals bring to 10 the number of additional accommodation projects approved by the Government in Clare since the beginning of the year. A further eight Clare schools have benefited from emergency works approvals so far this year.”  

“THE Bill is unlikely to receive Government support when it is fully debated in the Dáil.” That line featured in an Irish Times report dated February 22, 2012 on the subject of a private members’ bill introduced by the Socialist deputy Clare Daley. The intention of the deputy’s bill was to ensure limited access to abortion was available to women whose lives were in danger. It was moved 20 years after the infamous X Case. Labour women supported “the Medical Treatment (Termination of Pregnancy in Case of Risk to Life of Pregnant Woman) Bill 2012” and the chairwoman of Labour Women Katherine Dunne said “no Irish woman should ever be left in a position where she is worried she will die but she has no clear legal route to get the medical help she needs”. We are 10 months on from the tabling of that bill and Ireland is in the international headlines because a woman has died in the …

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to attend the official switch-on of the Christmas street lights in Ennis this Friday evening. The lights will be switched on by the Mayor of Ennis Councillor Peter Considine at 5pm in the Marketplace. Entertainment will be provided by local primary school choirs and theatrical group, Pantaloons.Mayor Considine explained, “Ennis Town Council is switching on the lights earlier than normal this year after the local business community suggested such an action would help to further enhance the shopping experience, as well as improve trade around the town during the pre-Christmas period.”The Christmas Lights scheme is complemented by the Christmas parking and pedestrianisation initiative, which has been developed following a recent consultation between business representatives and Ennis Town Council with the key task of promoting shopping in Ennis over the Christmas and New Year period.According to Mayor Considine, “The pedestrianistion of Ennis on December 15, 22, 23 and 24, coupled with other initiatives in …

IT is very much a case of Donegal’s loss is Clare’s gain following the appointment of Dr Austin Stack as Professor of Medicine at the University of Limerick.Dr Stack has joined existing nephrologists Dr Casserly and Dr Cronin at the dialysis unit in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick and at the Fresenius unit on the Dock Road.He was consultant nephrologist at Letterkenny General Hospital in Donegal where he was highly respected.The Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) have welcomed his appointment to the Mid-West area, while he has been enquiring about the kidney association in Clare, as he was familiar with the work of the Donegal branch. He has been invited by the Clare branch to speak to patients and members next Tuesday at 7.45pm in the West County Hotel, Ennis.Clare IKA branch treasurer, Peggy Eustace said Dr Stack is looking forward to meeting patients during his Ennis visit. Ms Eustace said patients can learn a lot of …