News

This year has seen “a dramatic improvement” in the finances of Lahinch Golf Club, according to club chairperson John Gleeson. in his first report to golf club members, Mr Gleeson stated that green fee income at Lahinch is expected to exceed the projected €2.8m for 2022. Currently in ‘high season’ it costs non-members €250 in green fees for a round of golf for Lahinch’s main course. The club successfully hosted the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and Mr Gleeson said that “our finances are in a very healthy state”. Mr Gleeson told members that the last two years have been very challenging but exceptional management by the Club Council and Club management in controlling costs together with tight cash management “meant we exited the pandemic very well”. He said, “We are committed to rebuilding the Club’s finances and our Contingency Fund to ensure we can sustain any future shocks and to also fund our capital expenditure programme including the …

PLANNING permission has been refused for a 30-metre high telecommunications structure on Loop Head due to visual impact. An application had been made by Vantage Towers Ltd for the mast with antannae, dishes and associated telecommunications equipment at Moyarta East, Carrigaholt. The proposed site is 260 metres west of the R468 regional road and 1.56km from the R487 regional road, which is a designated scenic route to the north west. The mast was to be sited in a locally elevated position in a relatively low landscape and views would be available towards the site from the south and south west on the local road network. This last point especially mitigated against the granting of planning permission as the planner’s report stated, “Having regard to the locally elevated nature of the site, the open nature of the receiving landscape and the height of the structure as proposed, views would be available towards the tower from multiple vantage points to the north, …

The fact that almost 58,000 people are now waiting for care across hospitals in the Mid-West has been condemned as a “national disgrace” by a local lobby group. The Mid-West Hospital Campaign (MWHC) has claimed removing 24-hour casualty cover from Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals in April 2009 has resulted in 58,774 people waiting for public hospital inpatient/day treatment, GI endoscopies or an outpatient appointment with a consultant throughout the region. New figures released by the HSE confirm that one in every three (33%) approved permanent Hospital Consultant posts in the UL Hospitals’ Group are either vacant or filled on a temporary or agency basis – an all-time high 68 out of 206 approved Consultant posts3 – an increase of 16 posts not filled as needed since November 2020. Outpatient waiting lists at hospitals in the Mid-West region have almost doubled, with a 94% hike since 2015. The number of ‘long waiters’ on the list to be assessed by a consultant …

NEW housing could be horizon for O’Callaghan’s Mills, with planners considering an application for the development of three homes in the village.  Proposals for three four-bedroom homes were lodged by East Clare Construction, whose directors are listed as Joe and Teresa Cooney of Ballymacdonnell, Bodyke. Plans submitted show the proposed homes are detached, two-storey units, each with a garage. They are proposed for a site of just over half a hectare at Iragh, inside the village, owned by the company since 2015.  The floor space of each home is 167.5m squared and the application states that Part V of the Planning and Development Act does not apply in this case.  The development would be connected to the public water supply, and waste water management systems would have to be installed. A Site Suitability Report for one of the proposed homes, was prepared for the Waste Water Treatment System, in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) codes in July. The report …

A CLARECASTLE woman has officially become Ireland’s first female Ambassador to Singapore. Ambassador Sarah McGrath last week presented her credentials to President Halimah Yacob, the first female president of Singapore. Ambassador McGrath is also responsible for Ireland’s relations with Brunei Darussalam. In her welcome message Ambassador McGrath stated, “I am thrilled to have moved to the Little Red Dot and proud to be the first Irish woman to hold the role of Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. “Representing Ireland in Singapore is an honour and a privilege and I look forward to broadening and deepening the many connections which already exist between our two island nations during my time here.” She continued, “I am proud to lead a small but dedicated team here at the Embassy which works in partnership with Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to promote Irish interests in Singapore, to build the bilateral relationship and to provide consular and visa services. “People are at …

A GROUP in Doonbeg have developed a heritage trail featuring 29 points of interest around the Long Village. It can be accessed at walking.doonbeg.info/heritage-trail/ and it features stories, pictures and archive records from the 1901 and 1911 censuses, along with school children’s stories and pictures. Local resident Aisling Ryan said, “Burren Beo organised a heritage keeper’s course and on the back of it they gave us a little grant to go back to our community and develop a project. Three other ladies, Jacquie Wade, Elizabeth McEntee and Betty Condon, and myself put together this heritage trail.” Describing the trail, she said, “The Heritage Trail has 29 points and each one is along a walking trail, it’s along flat terrain so it’s suitable for young and old. You use the map to click on a point and it gives you a small bit of information about the place, it might be a house that used to be an old shop, it …

THE number of referrals to Clare Crusader’s Clinic has jumped by 15% over the last 12 months due to the impact of Covid-19, it emerged this week. Clinic managing director, Councillor Ann Norton confirmed there has been a significant increase in the demand for their therapists in the clinic. A lot of work is taking place getting their therapists ready to assist children with additional needs once the primary schools re-open. “Families with new diagnoses are constantly coming to us because they can’t access a public service. The demand was very high during our very successful summer camps. “We were very fortunate to get a number of primary school teachers who came with new ideas. We had music therapists and a yoga teacher who was available every day. A lot of work and time was put into the summer camps. “We will continue to provide the yoga teacher and music therapists once funds are there to provide the service,” she …

GOLD Star Homes 3 Limited has been refused permission for the development of a caravan park at Dough Kilkee. There had been a number of objections to the proposal, while permission was refused on a number of grounds, including one that the road network was inadequate. “The road network that serves as the access to the site from Circular Road is deficient in terms of its capacity, its horizontal alighment, surfacing and pedestrian provision in order to accommodate the volume and composition of vehicular and pedestrian traffic associated with the development. “In addition the proposed layout and boundary treatments would restrict visiiblity at the proposed access points and the existing adjacent access points to the east and west of the site.” The site is zoned for low density residential development and the Chief Executive’s report stated that “the proposed development is not in accordance with the onsite objective as it does not constitute an appropriate consolidation of the structure of …