News

A DOCUMENT that brings together figures on everything from the ratio of men to women in the region to vacant houses, migration, unemployment, education levels, social housing, population growth, fields of employment and quality of life will be launched this week.According to the Mid-West Regional Authority (MWRA), the group behind the Mid-West Regional Profile 2012, the report will encourage investment by local and international companies in the region. The report is the first of its kind undertaken by an Irish regional authority and will form the basis for determining plans and policies for the future of the region, the MWRA claims.Among the profile’s findings is a need to “improve competitiveness and cost-efficiency for alternative transport infrastructure (rail and bus)”. It also highlights a requirement to sustainably increase the population in the Mid-West and to retain its educated population.The report recommends that the Lynx cargo facility be developed at Shannon if “it is to remain a commercially viable entity and a …

THE Old Ground Hotel struck gold at the Shelbourne Hotel on Tuesday evening when Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar presented them with a CIE Tours Award for Best Hotel Service, as voted for by the most important VIPs – their guests.Held annually by CIE Tours International, the awards of excellence are now in their 22nd year of recognising excellence in all areas of tourism. The winners of CIE Awards of Excellence 2011 were chosen from an independent evaluation of questionnaires completed by CIE Tours International Coach Tours customers.A firm favourite with CIE Tours guests, the four-star Old Ground Hotel’s special award for Best Hotel Service is given on the basis of excellence in all areas of service, including housekeeping, waiting staff, reception team and bar staff.The Old Ground Hotel’s owner Allen Flynn is delighted with the accolade. He said, “Awards are always an absolute pleasure to receive but the fact that this award has been won on the basis of …

CLARE County Council does not have full title for lands it has agreed to lease to Clare Camogie Board, it has been revealed this week.At the end of 2011, the council agreed a 99-year lease with the camogie board for a pitch for a designated county grounds at the former landfill site in Doora, on the outskirts of Ennis. However, it has since emerged that a portion of that land is not vested in the local authority’s name.Despite this, Clare camogie officials remain confident they will have use of their new pitch this year and plans are advancing towards an official opening in October.When the Doora landfill site was closed a number of years ago, it was decided to develop a number of playing pitches. Now it appears the council had facilitated waste disposal for decades on lands for which it did not have full title.Asked about the transfer of the pitch to Clare Camogie Board, the council said its …

THREE Clare County Councillors this week proposed the council initiate a scheme in which it would co-operate in providing finger signs to name local roads.Councillor PJ Kelly, Bill Chambers and Tom McNamara all gave their backing to the proposal. Introducing it, Councillor Kelly said putting numbers on roads without place name signs was “just bizarre” and he said people were being confused.He said not allowing villages on secondary roads to have signs amounted to “discrimination”, while he claimed people visiting Ireland “love the musical names”.The Lissycasey man said the NRA were not being asked to pay for the works but the motion only wanted the council to provide assistance to communities.Councillor McNamara said what was being proposed was local community would work with the local authority to ensure areas can be identified easily. He was critical of the NRA. “The NRA is dictating what we should and shouldn’t do and we can’t promote tourism in beauty spots.”However, Green Party Councillor …

A variety of free events will take place countywide as part of the nationwide Adult Learners’ Festival, running from February 20 to February 24. The festival aims to celebrate adult learning and achievements of adult learners and people are being urged to drop in to a free event or book a place on one of the free taster classes in the Adult Education Centre, Clonroad Business Park, Ennis. On Monday next 20 at the Adult Education Centre, Clonroad Business Park, Ennis, there will be an event titled  Making Sense of your Cents – Budgeting Made Easy from  1pm to 2pm, contact 065 6824819 to book. Also on the day, learners and providers who are finalists will attend the AONTAS STAR Awards in Dublin. In the West Clare Resource Centre, Miltown Malbay, there will be Sowing Seeds for Spring from 10am to 12 noon, contact 065 6824819. A coffee and information event will be held in the Molua Centre, Killaloe from …

IRISH language support group Kilrush Coiste Forbartha Gaeltachta has cranked up the pressure on local politicians and Minister Dinny McGinley with a view to restoring Gaeltacht status to Clare. TG4 paid a visit to Kilrush last Friday and spoke to Seosamh McIonrachtaigh about Gaeltacht status and the wishes of the coiste. Gael Scoil Kilrush principal Bríd Ní Comhraí spoke of the need for further Irish education after primary school finishes. Ennis is too far a distance to travel to the Gael Coláiste, she stated. They visited Carrigaholt and filmed the school, which is hoped will be very much in use also during winters for adult Irish courses if Gaeltacht status is returned.Máire Hamilton spoke of the advantages of Irish-speaking status for the region. The programme was aired last Sunday night on TG 4’s Guth an Phobail. Since the programme was aired, Kilrush Coiste Forbartha Gaeltachta, Seósamh Mac Ionnrachtaigh, called on departmental officials to review the matter in the light of …

Playing the concertina since the age of eight, legendary North Clare musician Chris Droney from Belharbour, now 87, was honoured as the Clare Person of the Year 2012 by the Clare Association in Dublin at their recent function. For their voluntary work in helping the children of Belarus and their involvement in the support group to help the people of Pemba Island in Tanzaniua, Pat and Neilus O’Doherty from Ballingaddy West, Ennistymon, were presented with the Clare Association’s Hall Of Fame award.Acknowledging the recipients, chairman Liam O’Looney said the association prides itself in awarding the person of the year to an individual whose achievements have stood out in their particular discipline, be it business, academics, sport, music, or the arts.  Music is very much in the Droney family; Chris’ father and grandfather were accomplished musicians and while his sons play a few tunes, his grandson Daithi is also making quite a name for himself in the industry.Chris made it to …

JUST 3,000 people work in Shannon, according to official census figures, with fears this “anomaly” could result in the region losing out to future investment.At this week’s meeting of Clare County Council’s Community, Enterprise, Tourism and Emergency Services Strategic Policy Committee, the preliminary census findings understating Shannon’s employed people by 9,000 were outlined to members.Michael Neylon, from the council’s community and enterprise section, explained the data collected only refers to the area within the Shannon town boundary, with both the industrial estate and the airport left out. Figures from the Clenagh and Drumline electoral divisions, including the industrial estate and airport, shows a total of 12,000 jobs in the area.Mr Neylon added that in information used by the Western Development Commission, “the significance of Shannon seems to be less   Portumna”.He explained the consequences of this data could be a poor gateway jobs profile, with the figures not taking into account multinational companies and he stated   the “apparent small population of …