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CLARE GAA has been successful in its goal of turning the Cloister car park in Ennis’ town centre into a permanent parking facility. Clare County Council has given the green light to an application for planning permission to a change of use of the site on Lower Abbey Street. Prior to this the location had permission to provide spaces for vehicles only before and after GAA matches and authorised events at Cusack Park. The granting of planning permission paves the way for the site to be used as a commercial car park for both long term and short term parking for members of the public. Local authority planners in assessing the application acknowledged the development of car parking “would be welcome” in the area, helping free up spaces in other parts of the town centre. The site lies within the Ennis town centre Architectural Conservation area and within the immediate vicinity of a number of protected structures including Ennis Friary …

THE final presentation of the Ennistymon Enhancement Strategy took place at a public event in the town on Tuesday evening. “There were a lot of positive comments and some other comments that we need to take on board. I think we satisfied more people and we’ll explore some things a bit further,” said Ennistymon Town Team member Maude Hogan this Wednesday. “The crowd might have been a little bit smaller than previously, but then people are on holidays and some might feel they’ve seen it already. We’re putting up the presentation boards in the Library for ten days or so,” she added. Ms Hogan said a lot of effort has gone into getting the views of locals and now there is a vision for the future of Ennistymon. “It’s good to almost be at the end of the road and we now have a blueprint for the future. We’ve had a lot of consultations, in-depth ones, open public meetings in …

THE man who died in this week’s drowning accident at Fanore has been named locally as Patrick McCarthy. Patrick, who had worked at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, is survived by his wife Christina and four children. Local councillor Joe Garrihy said that the family lived between Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan and are very well regarded in the area. “They’re involved in everything in the community and they’re involved in everything that we do. It’s devastating to be honest to you, we see it all the time, the worst things happen to the nicest of people. They’re so nice and they give to the things and help with a heart and a half.” He said that the death has caused huge sadness in the area. “The place is devastated. This is a young person, a young family, they know everyone and are involved in everything. “In small communities like ours, it’s like an extended family. Especially when kids are growing up …

VISITING restrictions have been put in place on the inpatient wards at Nenagh Hospital due to the increased level of COVID-related activity within the hospital and in the community at present. A spokesperson for UL Hospitals Group said, “We regret the inconvenience these access restrictions cause for inpatients. The decision has been taken to help keep all our patients, their loved ones, and our staff safe, and to ensure essential hospital services can remain open for patients. “The situation is being monitored on a daily basis, and hospital management hopes to reintroduce visiting to relatives of inpatients as soon as it is safe to do so. “We wish to reassure patients and their loved ones that all appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients within our health facilities, and also within the wider community. All other services in the hospital continue to operate as normal. The only exceptions, on …

THE lack of motorway service stations is forcing people to turn the side of Clare’s stretch of the M18 into a public toilet, a local authority member has asserted.  Offering to produce video evidence of the practice of public urination along the M18 and N18, Councillor PJ Ryan appealed to the Council to ask Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the Transport Minister to install public services on the Clare stretch of the motorway. “It has been brought to may notice that quite a lot of vehicles cars on N18/M18 are using side of motorway when they need to go to the toilet,” he said. “Making a public toilet out the motorway is a disgrace It is mostly on the south-bound side that there is the problem. The north-bound stretch has services at Birdhill. Clare County Council needs to do something.” Seconding the motion, Councillor Pat McMahon agreed that the Tipperary stretch of the motorway has better services. “In Tipperary, there …

A PROPOSAL to develop housing in Lahinch has been refused planning permission due to inadequate sewage treatment. The local authority stated the development would be “premature” due to a deficiency in sewerage facilities locally and “result in a risk of pollution and would be prejudicial to public health”. John Talty Construction Ltd had applied to Clare County Council for planning permission to construct a development of eight houses, comprising six detached and two semi-detached homes. The proposal included all associated site development works, wastewater pre-treatment and connections to public services at Cill Stuifin, School Road, Attycristora, Lahinch. However in refusing permission Clare County Council stated the proposal would be “premature by reference to the existing deficiency in the provision of sewerage facilities in Lahinch and the period within which this constraint may reasonably be expected to cease”. The planning authority’s decision continued, “It is further considered that the proposed development of eight houses to be served by means of an …

THE country’s most successful soccer club, Shamrock Rovers is a Dublin institution. However, when the club had an away tie in the first qualification round of the Champions League this week, the Hoops ended up flying from Shannon rather than from the capital, even though it is 188km further from their ground than Dublin Airport. The club spent over €100,000 on chartering a flight to Malta for their second leg tie against Hibernians, but so congested was Dublin Airport that they couldn’t fly from there and had to go to Shannon instead. While it was unfortunate from the club’s point of view, it was yet more positive marketing for Shannon at a time when Dublin Airport is struggling to cope with the numbers using the airport, which is helping make the case that Irish aviation is far too centralised. Shannon Airport tweeted pictures of the Rovers squad at the airport and after wishing them well added, “It’s easier, faster and …

Passengers from a flight that made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport on Wednesday had to be bussed across the country to hotels ‘near’ Dublin, as there weren’t enough rooms available in the Shannon area. Travellers were left stranded in Shannon for several hours on Tuesday after their Delta Air Lines flight from Edinburgh, Scotland to Boston in the U.S. was forced to divert and make and emergency landing at Shannon Airport. Delta Air Lines flight DL-123 took off from Edinburgh Airport at around 12.30pm on Tuesday bound for Boston in the United States. Soon after departure, the crew of the Boeing 767-300(ER) reported ‘serious issues’ with one of the aircraft’s hydraulic systems. So left on a @Delta #767-300 out of #EDI & one of the hydraulic systems failed over the Irish Sea, so we are sitting here now at #SNN – #Delta doesn’t service #Shannon so not sure what’s going to happen. #Boeing767 #avgeek #aviation #Boeing pic.twitter.com/PEUI8ZRTia — Chris …