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THE average rent sought for a new tenancy in Clare was €1,145 in the second quarter of the year. At the low point of the recession the average rent here was just €537, but it has since increased by 113%, and things are still getting worse rather than better for prospective renters. During the quarter Clare rents increased by 3.2%, while they were 12.9% higher than at the same time in 2021. At the moment buying a property is very likely to be significantly cheaper than renting a similar one. According to Daft.ie, the typical rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Clare is €765, while mortgage repayments would typically be less than half that, €368, per month.  Renting a three-bed house in Clare costs on average €1,029, while mortgage repayments on a similar property would be €622. This week the website had just 20 properties available to rent in Clare, with only four of those on offer for less than …

A man has died after he got into difficulty while swimming in a lake in Clare last evening. The incident occurred at around 6.30pm at Ballyalla Lake on the outskirts of Ennis. The man, believed to be in his late 40s, is understood to have dived into the water at the old pier at the southern end of the popular local amenity. It’s believed the man was seen diving into the water but not resurfacing. It’s also understood that a number of young men who saw him dive in, jumped in after the casualty and managed to reach him and bring him to the surface and then ashore. The local lifeguard also ran to assist while Gardaí, the National Ambulance Service and Irish Coast Guard were all alerted. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, which had been dealing with another incident in Doonbeg on the Clare coast at the time, was retasked from that mission to the unfolding …

AFTER spending the last five years in Shannon, Father Francis Xavier Kochuveettil is moving to Toomevara, where he has been appointed as co-parish priest, beginning there on August 26. An Indian native, coming to Shannon was obviously a huge change, but he says he adapted quite quickly. “The people are very friendly, very, very friendly. When I came here I had no idea about Ireland at all, I learned everything from Shannon. “People supported me and encouraged me with everything. When I came here Tom Ryan was the parish priest, there was Canon Brendan and Father Arnold was the curate at that time, and we’ve had a good team here. “People are lovely here and I always thank God for bringing me here. It’s such a nice place here.” To the uninitiated, the accents in Clare are not the easiest to comprehend, and that was something he had to get used to. “I can follow English, but the Irish-English is …

LOUGH Derg is to be the location for the release of another clutch of White-tailed Eagle chicks over the coming weeks.  As part of an ongoing project to boost the species at a number of Munster locations, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), have been collaborating closely, since 2020, with partner organisations in Norway, as well as local experts. Last week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined the NPWS for the release of a number of chicks at Tarbert, County Kerry, as part of the long-term wildlife reintroduction project.  The 2022 phase of the landmark effort to restore a once-extinct bird to Irish skies, will see the release of a total of 16 young eagles across sites on Lough Derg in County Clare, the lower Shannon estuary and Killarney National Park.  As in previous years, the young eagles were collected, under licence, in Norway by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and co-workers. All the birds have been fitted with …

THE LATE Oliver Moylan was remembered at his Requiem Mass last Sunday (August 7) as a man of business, a man of faith and a man devoted to his family, his culture and his native town. Mr Moylan was a prominent businessman and owner of The Ennis Cash Company. Dating back to 1880, the shop is a landmark in the town centre and in the town’s history. Oliver Moylan had been at the helm since the late 1950s and, even in the weeks before he passed away, he continued to play an active role in the development of Ennis, attending the July meeting of the Chamber of Commerce sharing his rich insights and ideas. In a tribute, CEO of Ennis Chamber, Margaret O’Brien commended Mr Moylan’s “strong civic spirit” and contribution to several organisations including Ennis Golf Club, Ennis Tennis Club, Ennis Chamber, Chambers Ireland, Clare Local Development Company (CLDC), and the Clare Association of An Taisce. She described him …

FIFTEEN conditions were attached to the decision to grant planning permission to Art Data Centres, one of which is that it pays over €2 million to Clare County Council. The chief executive’s order stated that prior to the commencement of the development, the developer/applicant “shall pay a contribution of €2,137,320 to Clare County Council in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the area of the Planning Authority”. It added, “At the time of payment, the contribution will be subject to any applicable adjustment in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Planning Authority’s development contribution scheme in place at the time of payment.” The planning permission is for a period of ten years from it being granted. Another condition is that prior to commencement, the developer shall submit a schedule of mitigation measures, as identified in its Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Waste Management Plan, in a completed and phased Construction Environmental Management Plan and Waste Management …

JET SKI activity at one of Lough Derg’s most scenic bathing areas has been described as “an accident waiting to happen”.  The issue has prompted a petition calling for restrictions to protect swimmers at Knockaphort, a popular bathing spot and launch point for vessels sailing to Holy Island. Local swimmers have reported a number of near-misses with jet skis. One Mountshannon woman described her own recent experience as “horrific”.  Clí Donnellan told The Champion she was so frustrated with the ongoing problem that she launched the petition last Sunday night on Change.org. “The situation last weekend was just shocking,” she said. “There is a massive, massive safety issue. Knocaphort is only around 500 metres from Holy Island. There are reeds about halfway between the shore and the island and jet skis just shouldn’t be there, and they certainly shouldn’t be speeding. Swimmers are now reluctant to go into the water because of the danger.” Clí recalled her own recent near-miss …

A CHARITY tag rugby game between the Limerick Leprechauns and the Kilkee Fallen Stars will take place on the beach in Kilkee this Saturday at 2pm. The game will benefit the Ukrainian Integration Fund, to help the tens of thousands of refugees who have arrived in Ireland since the outbreak of war. Kilkee itself has hosted hundreds of Ukrainian families. The funds raised during the annual Leprechauns game will directly help these families as well as many others living elsewhere in Clare and across the country. The Limerick Leprechauns, which is made up of retired club rugby players and members undertakes a number of events every year and has raised significant funds for charity over the past 30 years. In that time the Leprechauns say they have raised over €1million which has benefitted organisations such as Pieta House, Milford Hospice, Tipperary Cancer Support Centre, Kilkee Sub Aqua centre among others. Leprechauns President John Fanning said they were particularly happy this …