News

CLARE Ógra Fianna Fáil has elected its first female chair, Ennistymon’s Aoíbhann de Búrca Quinlivan, at its recent AGM. Youth wing members from across the county came together with Oireachtas members Cathal Crowe TD and Senator Timmy Dooley to elect the leadership team for the year at the meeting. The newly elected chair replaces outgoing chair Fionn Sexton of Miltown Malbay. Clare Ógra veteran and national political staffer David Griffin will remain on as deputy chair with Liam Hayes as secretary, Jack O’Dea elected PRO and Colm Maher taking the role of treasurer. Aoíbhann said, “I’m delighted to take on the role of chair of Clare. There is a lot of work to do but we are all very excited to see what we can achieve in the coming year. “We have a fantastic team in place with excellent support from our public representatives. “The main focus over the next few months will be getting our name out there and …

A FARMER has had to use silage bales to prevent illegal encampments beside a graveyard in East Clare, in a situation described as “crazy, outrageous, and scandalous”. At the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, incoming Cathaoirleach Alan O’Callaghan appealed to the Council to put in a long-term solution, saying the problem at Ballysheen Graveyard is an ongoing one.  “The ground was given to Clare County Council for the graveyard, in order to facilitate parking,” the Kilmurry man outlined. “Unfortunately, it was being used for other things. A local farmer hat to put bales out. I would not be in agreement with them being taken away, until something long term is actually done in order to stop the issue of illegal encampments. “When pressure is on in other places, that’s when encampments arrive there. Kerbing might work. We have to remember that the farmer has forfeited several bales of silage.There are a good few there.” The Fianna Fáil member …

VANDALISM in the local playground has prompted a staff of Clare County Council to contact Crusheen Gardaí. The matter was raised by the incoming Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District when members held their July meeting. Councillor Alan O’Callaghan said he had been asked by locals in Crusheen to raise the issue. He tabled a motion calling for lighting or other works to stamp out the problem.   “There have been a few incidents of anti-social behaviour recently within the playground,” he said. “I think that a few lights leading into the playground would be ideal.” The Kilmurry man thanked Community Playground Coordinator, John Treacy for a reply to his motion. He said the problem of anti-social behaviour wasn’t widespread, but that there were concerns in Crusheen. “There are a lot of lovely playgrounds, on some occasions, anti social behaviour happens,” he said. “We don’t have too much of it, but the problem is rising in Crusheen area and I hope …

I MET with former Primary School principal in Mullagh, Co. Clare, Seán McMahon and church gate collector organiser in Clare for Self Help Africa in Ennis last week, writes Ronan Scully. We spoke of the need for volunteers across County Clare for the next three to four weekends to help out with our charity church gate collections.   Self Help Africa, as you might be aware, is an agricultural development charity and the official charity of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA). The upcoming collections are the first to be held in County Clare since before the coronavirus pandemic, and we need every bit of help they can get in order to mobilise a local network of support. I know that people are finding it challenging at present because of rising fuel prices and cost of living, but it is nothing compared to the challenges being endured by Africa’s poorest. They have seen prices of fuel and fertiliser spiral out of …

THERE has been a 19.6% increase in the total amount of salaries, expenses and allowances paid by Clare County Council to its elected members over a three year-period, new figures have revealed. Official statistics obtained by the Clare Champion show payments totalling almost €750,000 were paid to 28 Clare County Councillors in 2019. This jumped by almost 20% to a total of €897,002 in 2021 for 29 councillors after the salary for every Clare councillor went up from €17,060 to €21,894 over a three-year period. Former council chairman, Councillor P J Ryan finished at the top of the payments table with a total payment of €40,556 after he received an additional payment of €10,400 for his work as first citizen. Councillor Liam Grant came at the bottom of the table with a payment of €7,464 after he only served on the councillor for part of the year, replacing Councillor Susan Crawford, who resigned her seat last year. Councillor Ryan said …

CONTROVERSIAL legislation which revises the grant scheme for homeowners with defective concrete blocks has been signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.  After the Bill passed through the Oireachtas earlier this month, as distraught campaigners looked on from the public gallery, and others protested outside Leinster House, the President signed the draft legislation at the end of last week. A spokesperson for Áras an Uachtaráin said: “Having considered the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.”  The terms of the new scheme have been sharply criticised by campaigners in Clare, as well as those in Mayo and Donegal where a grant has been available since 2020. While there had been hopes that it would improve on the previous scheme, which covered only 90% of remediation cots, campaigners are adamant that homeowners will still be left seriously out of pocket. Concerns have …

A JUDGE has granted a three-year barring order against a man after hearing that in the past he has taken out a belt to try to whip his wife. At the Family Law Court, Judge Mary Larkin issued the order which bars the man from the family home for three years after hearing a daughter of the couple describing her father as “a very violent person” and said that in the past he has taken out his belt to try to whip her mother. Previously, the man’s wife here alleged as part of her Protection Order application against the man that he has “secretly got married to three of four ladies in Nigeria”. When asked in court by solicitor, Ann Walsh for the woman “what about these wives in Africa?” the man replied “there are no wives in Nigeria – point of correction. I had one wife before her”. The man denied assaulting his wife and daughter but Judge Larkin …

A Clare-based mother, who was once homeless on the streets in London, is raising funds for a mobile shower for homeless people in Ennis, saying, “I believe people deserve to be treated with dignity. For homeless individuals, having access to a hot shower is the first step in reigniting a feeling of self worth.” Fiona Faulkes has been living in Ennis for nearly 10 years and regularly helps the town’s homeless, having experienced first-hand sleeping under cardboard in England’s capital. She describes becoming homeless as feeling like “the whole world is going to just collapse”. However support from those working with people on the streets in London as well as others who were homeless helped her get through it. She is now hoping to raise €10,000 through an online GoFundMe campaign to buy a caravan and convert it to give people living on the streets here in Clare a wheelchair accessible place to wash and dress. “This is just a …