News

THE worst flooding in Ennis in living memory was described as an “act of God” by Environment Minister, John Gormley.

PLANNING guidelines governing the construction of houses on flood plains will need to be more rigorous in the future, according to Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Deputy Martin Manseragh.

CALLS for the removal of the existing flood protection barrage at Clarecastle to Latoon have been rejected by one of the top Office of Public Works (OPW) engineers Michael Collins.

CLARE County Council will not install a water tank in Doora National School despite a claim that the school has been left without water on a number of occasions.Councillor Sonny Scanlan submitted a motion at the Ennis East Electoral Area meeting held recently requesting an updated position on the Doora water supply, claiming that “Doora School is left without water on numerous occasions”. In a written response, Eamon O’Dea, senior executive engineer for the Ennis East Electoral Area stated that water pressure in the water main outside Doora School was checked within the last week and “was adequate”.Doora School is on the Doora water supply network, which is boosted at Clarecastle at the Skehanagh junction. Mr O’Dea acknowledged that there had been a number of incidents in the last year where supply had been lost to Clarecastle, Doora and surrounding areas and that this was down to watermain fractures. “After every watermain fracture, it takes about eight to 12 hours …

AN irrational blanket fear of teenagers in Ennis has resulted in a campaign from residents opposing the provision of a new youth café on the outskirts of the town, a local county councillor has claimed.Councillor Brian Meaney believes ephebiphobia (the irrational fear of young people) is causing harm to young people and adults in the locality following street demonstrations from householders in Cloughleigh over the location of a proposed youth and community resource building on Cloughleigh Road.Members of the newly formed Residents for Relocation of Ennis Youth Community Resource Building protested outside Clare County Council’s headquarters at New Road, Ennis on Friday to coincide with the visit of Environment Minister John Gormley and handed him a letter of protest.The group is taking legal advice on the procedures followed for Ennis Town Council’s Part Eight process and what their next course of action will be.Councillor Meaney stressed the “crippling” fear of youths and teenagers in Ennis has to be confronted and …

HEAVY rain and flooding caused tens of thousands of euro worth of damage to homes and business in Clare and South Galway this week. A number of motorists abandoned their cars unable to continue their journeys after driving into water on roads across the county on Tuesday night and Wednesday.Crowe Street in Gort on the main N18 between Galway and Limerick was particularly badly affected. The street was closed for a time on Tuesday night but reopened early on Wednesday. Water on the street reached nearly a foot at times before Frank Dillon Civil Engineering, a company currently working on laying the gas main in the town, began pumping it out.Local businessman Mike Finn of Finn’s Furniture on Crowe Street arrived at work on Wednesday morning to find most of his premises under between six inches and a foot of water. Mike estimates water damage could cost him in excess of €50,000. “I have €20,000 worth of furniture damage. I …

SPECULATION continues to mount as to whether or not Mike McNamara will be the Clare senior hurling team manager for 2010.Last week’s county board meeting unanimously supported McNamara to continue in the role, despite hearing that the players had voted no confidence in the manager by a margin of 26 to 1. The outcome of last week’s meeting was that county board chairman Michael O’Neill will meet with all parties, the players, the management and the board executive, in an effort to resolve the impasse which has developed.O’Neill announced after that meeting that he would appoint two mediators to join him in an effort to resolve the problems and he expressed the hope that he would have the matter finalised “in seven to 10 days”.“Meetings are taking place this week and we are all anxious to find a resolution. Hopefully, there will be a clearer picture by the weekend,” he told The Clare Champion on Wednesday.The players met following last …

A NEW study group is looking to make contact with young men who have lost male friends through death by suicide over the last five years.In 2007, 17 people were suspected of taking their own lives in the county, all but one of them male. Six of the males were in their 20s.The study is being carried out by St Vincent’s University Hospital and UCD and the researchers are seeking to interview men aged between 18 and 30 who have lost male friends of a similar age.Lorna Sweeney of UCD said that it’s a group that haven’t been studied closely before. “The majority of young men that die by suicide don’t consult their GP or a mental health practitioner so it’s important to focus on their support networks and get their perspectives.”Suicide among the age group in question needs to be studied in more depth she feels. “This is the leading cause of death in young men. Because they often …