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CLARE County Council has been accused of effectively engaging in “coercion” by threatening to withhold payment to consultants if they did not withdraw objections to the compulsory purchase of lands in Killaloe and Ballina for the proposed €40m Shannon Crossing project.On the first day of an oral hearing concerning the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in relation to the project, Richard Rea of Martin and Rea Agricultural Consultants, Tipperary, also claimed that the council had failed to properly engage with a number of representations he made on behalf of Killaloe and Ballina landowners last May.Asked to clarify his comments during a break in the hearing, held in Nenagh, Mr Rea also claimed the council did not make any attempt to minimise the impact of the new river crossing and bypass on property owners.The Clare Champion forwarded a list of points raised by Mr Rea at the hearing to Clare County Council but there was no response …

Further developing Clare’s gastronomic potential will see more money coming into and staying in the county, according to one of Ireland’s top food writers. The Irish Food Guide was published this week and more than 50 Clare businesses feature in the 2012 publication compiled by John and Sally McKenna.Clare is “right up there with the best” and is the “template” for other counties to follow, John McKenna told The Clare Champion. “Clare is right up there with the best. It is as simple as that. This is the 10th edition of the book. When you look back and see the development of Clare, it is very interesting. It is the perfect example of what you need for a good food jigsaw. It has strength and depth. What you have in Connemara, for example, is lots of excellent destinations but no infrastructure. It has a few salmon smokers and a few people doing seaweed but it has no growers, no cheese …

A RECENT assessment of Ennis at night and in the early hours has found people’s perception of safety on the streets is lower than the reality.“The perception of safety on the streets of Ennis is lower than it actually is and this has been attributed to the narrow streets,” according to local Garda Inspector John Galvin.The results of the self-assessment were outlined this week at the third and final workshop to discuss the current status of the bid for Purple Flag recognition. In order to attain a flag, an accreditation recognising a safe night-time economy, Ennis must reach the standard across five themes: well-being, movement, appeal, place and policy envelope. Inspector Galvin said that in the category of ‘well being’, examining whether the town is welcoming, clean and safe, Ennis scored excellent/outstanding in the majority of categories.However, he stated, “Narrow streets can be uncomfortable for some people when there are a lot of people on the streets and there can …

UP to 150 farmers from across County Clare travelled to Dublin on Tuesday to participate in a protest rally over planned EU reforms to the CAP budget. Three buses left from Ennistymon, Kilrush and Sixmilebridge on Tuesday, while others made their own way to the march, which saw up to 20,000 farmers come out in force against the proposed reforms. Farmers are seeking to maintain the €1.6 billion-a-year CAP allocation with a ring-fencing of the agriculture budget from further funding reductions.Speaking about the protest and the issues a budgetary cut could present for farmers, Clare IFA chairman Andrew Dundass said he was very impressed with the gathering and the support received on Tuesday. “The plan was to raise awareness and I don’t think farmers and the general public realised that the single payment budget itself was under threat of being cut. The important point for us is this is money that’s coming in from Europe. It is a major part …

ACIST Skillnet, AIB and Ennis Chamber have announced the launch of the annual Your Business Expo 2012, which will take place in the West County Hotel in Ennis on Wednesday, November 14 from 4pm to 8pm.Based on the success of last year’s event, which saw over 100 businesses exhibiting on the day, organisers are again inviting companies to showcase their products and services. Companies are welcome from all areas throughout the Mid-West and the event promises to be informative and worthwhile for all who attend.The Your Business Expo is essentially a business showcase event that provides a unique opportunity for businesses to come together in one location to market their services to new and existing commercial customers as well as giving an opportunity to network with other businesses. Tim Forde, chairperson of ACIST Skillnet said, “ACIST Skillnet is delighted to be launching the Your Business Expo 2012 after the success of last year’s expo. Showcasing businesses and providing awareness of …

ANGER about the cost of commercial and water rates was voiced at a meeting in Shannon on Monday evening, at which the first steps were taken in a campaign to have the burden on businesses reduced.Around 60 business people attended and several of those there said they wouldn’t advise anyone to start their own business because of the burdens of the rates that are paid to Clare County Council.The council was more than once accused of using bullying tactics. Also, on several occasions it was said business people do not object to paying rates but the rates demanded must be at a reasonable level.Another meeting was planned and a small committee appointed on the night.A number of points raised at last Monday’s meeting were subsequently put to Clare County Council by The Clare Champion. However, the council declined to comment. It is understood county manager Tom Coughlan has agreed to meet with the group later this month to discuss their …

AN East Clare girl has been cooking up a storm overseas after taking the top prize in Finland’s first Junior MasterChef cooking competition.Ida O’Mahoney and her family moved from Feakle to Finland four years ago. Her prizes for winning the competition are €5,000, a set of professional kitchen knives and a cruise to Sweden with her family.The 12-year-old will be jetting off even further afield, as she has been invited to take part in the World of Food and Music Festival in Hong Kong, where she will meet with Junior MasterChef winners from all over the world.“She was barely three years old when she patiently baked ginger bread biscuits with her grandmother here in Finland and she has been interested in food ever since,” Ida’s father Gavin explained,Ida is a former pupil of the Raheen Wood Steiner School in Tuamgraney, where she still has many friends. Her very proud grandparents, Geraldine and Jim O’Mahoney from Ennis, have been following her …

CLARE County Council have been urged to follow the example of other local authorities by ring-fencing up to €150,000 in this year’s budget to fund events for the Year of the Gathering 2013.Calls have also been made for the presentation of special visitor certificates to all visitors to Clare during the celebration year.Councillor Johnny Flynn, at this week’s meeting of Clare County Council, called on the local authority to consider in the 2013 budget the setting aside of the funding. He commented that the money could be used for the development of up to half a dozen new festivals, one in each electoral area, around certain aspects that are unique to Clare.“This is in order to ensure a balanced regional spread of tourists, access to Clare residents to events and stimulate local economic activity,” he said.Galway County Council have already set aside €150,000 of their budget for the celebrations. He urged that resources be committed by Clare County Council to …