News

Irish Water has been accused of causing a “public health hazard” by allowing a wastewater treatment plant to pollute a stream in West Clare that is potentially contaminating bathing waters for local swimmers. This assertion comes after an EPA report found breaches for ammonia at the Miltown Wastewater Treatment Plant were 171 times the permitted emission levels following an inspection carried out on June 10, 2021. It has also emerged that that the EPA raised concern about the absence of a proper roadway into this plant in August 2018 to facilitate desludging, which still hasn’t been properly addressed by Irish Water. North Clare civil engineer Mick Duffy has expressed major concern about the contents of an EPA report, which stated a visual inspection of the Legard Stream at its discharge points indicated widespread sewage fungus following discharges from the Miltown waste water treatment plant. Irish Water was requested to examine the pathway of this stream to the sea to identify …

A hapless serial bicycle thief was caught red-handed by Gardai after he put up some of his stolen bikes for sale on his personal Facebook page, a court has heard. At Kilrush District Court, Adam Sullivan (19) of Fort Road, Cappa, Kilrush, pleaded guilty to the theft and handling of bikes valued at a combined €4,750. In total, 10 bicycles were stolen from holiday makers staying at Aylevaroo Caravan Park in Kilrush in August 2021 and the most expensive bikes stolen included a Drag Racer valued at €1,900 and a Carrera Valour and a Bentini Frazier each worth €400 and €500. Judge Mary Larkin told the court that “this was an organised crime and warrants a jail term”. However, Judge Larkin said that she would consider community service for Sullivan who has no previous convictions. The court was told that Sullivan’s girlfriend is expecting the couple’s baby and Judge Larkin told solicitor for Sullivan, Patrick Moylan: “If he wants me …

THE average rent now sought for a Clare property on daft.ie is €1,109, up by 106% on the lowest point of the recession. In its report covering the first quarter of the year, Daft.ie found that prices in Clare had increased by 14% on the first three months of 2021. It also found that it is cheaper to pay a mortgage than rent a property in Clare, in many cases significantly so. Rental supply is very tight in Clare, with just 17 properties available to rent last week. Writing in the report, associate professor of economics at Trinity, Ronan Lyons stated, “In some ways, for Ireland’s rental sector, it’s like the pandemic never happened. “As Covid-19 moves from a shock that brought daily life to a standstill, to something more like part of daily life, pre-existing patterns and pressures are re-emerging in the rental market. “The figures in this latest Daft.ie Rental Report confirm, for example, that for prospective tenants …

A 32-year-old west Clare man “destroyed” the family home in a row with his mother over the purchase of dog food, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court, Sergeant Louis Moloney said that the man sent his mother a text message on Monday of the week in question concerning the family dog. In response, the mother said, “This is how it all came about. He wanted me to get food for the dog because I was gone for two weeks. “Because I didn’t come with the dog food and I didn’t have his messages, it made him angry.” Sergeant Moloney said that the man told his mother by text “your dog will suffer now”. In response, the mother said: “He says things like that all the time. He loves the dog.” The man had sent his mother a previous text stating “All I want is dog food.” In the case, the man is charged with the criminal damage to …

ACCORDING to Shannon Group’s annual report, it experienced a degree of financial recovery in 2021. It states “The Group recorded a consolidated profit of €26.0 million (post-tax) (2020: loss of €28.2 million, post-tax and exceptional items) and consolidated turnover for the year was €40.5 million (2020: €34.3 million).” This came after a year in which airport passenger numbers increased by 30,000 and the number of visitors to Shannon Heritage sites went up by 193,000. The report states that “Group EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) for the year, before exceptional items, is €8.6 million (2020: €1.2 million). This result is considered satisfactory in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a devastating impact on the Group’s business during 2020 and 2021. “During 2020 the Group incurred exceptional charges of €27.9 million in respect of a non-cash impairment of Airport assets and a group-wide voluntary severance scheme. No such exceptional charges were incurred in 2021.” Regarding Shannon Group’s …

A CELEBRATORY service of evensong will welcome the new Anglican bishop of the diocese that covers Kilfenora, to the village’s ancient cathedral on Sunday next, May 22.  The Right Reverent Michael Burrows, whose diocese has recently been expanded to encompass Tuam, as well as Limerick and Killaloe, will be ‘enthroned’ in Kilfenora Cathedral, in a history-making ceremony, at 4pm. It follows the formal installation, on May 1, of the Catholic Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora. Bishop Michael Duignan was formally installed in a ceremony at Galway Cathedral.  Sunday’s ceremony will be a celebration of song and welcome and refreshments will be served in the cathedral after the service. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend. The last enthronement took place in 1981, when Bishop Walton Empey, who was later COI Archbishop of Dublin, came to Kilfenora Cathedral. The bishop’s throne was donated in that year for the deremony, and will be used again on …

WITH the north Clare property market soaring, auctioneer Peri Griffin said it is very difficult for local people who want to rent a home in their own areas. Ms Griffin, of Streets Ahead Properties, said there is a massive level of interest in almost any property that becomes available. “For instance we put up an advertisement for a place in Coore lately, and that wouldn’t be somewhere many people would be looking for, but we must have had 60 to 70 emails. “Here in Ennistymon you could have 150 emails. I put up one for Lisdoonvarna and in the space of five minutes there must have been 20 emails in.” She says the difficulties in the local rental market are actually going on for a long time. “We have had a crisis on our doorstep for the last six years, never mind just now.” She said that since she became active in renting properties in 2008 a number of landlords …

AS first reported in the Clare Champion last month, Ryanair has today opened its first aircraft heavy maintenance facility in Ireland at Shannon Airport, which will create 200 high-skilled jobs in the locality, including licensed engineers, mechanics, and support staff. The airline will invest €10 million in this state-of-the-art three-bay facility, leased from Shannon Group, to support the maintenance of Ryanair’s fleet as it grows to 600 aircraft by 2026. Ryanair Director of Operations, Neal McMahon, said, “We are delighted to announce the opening of our new aircraft maintenance facility at Shannon Airport – our first heavy maintenance facility in the country. This facility will create 200 high-skill jobs, demonstrating Ryanair’s continued growth & commitment to Ireland. “Ryanair creates opportunities for highly skilled engineering jobs, with our industry leading rosters and the youngest fleet in Europe. Shannon is an ideal location with opportunities to attract, train and employ local talent to support this new facility.” Shannon Group CEO, Mary Considine, …