News

SADNESS has been expressed in Ennis with the news that the popular Coote’s bakery will be closing on Saturday after decades in business. According to the Coote family the “hard decision” was made to shut the bakery due to “forever rising costs” which have made it no longer sustainable to continue. However they have assured that Coote’s shop on the Kilrush Road will remain in business. A post on social media on behalf of the family, accompanied by a photograph of the bakery’s ovens, stated this week, “For the bones of 70 years, these oil ran ovens have produced millions of Coote’s pans, thousands of apple tarts and hundreds of other products. “Over those years generations of the Coote family have worked tirelessly day and night along with a great team of long term bakers to serve the people of Clare and beyond. “Unfortunately due to the forever rising costs across this industry it is no longer sustainable so we …

CLARE’S artistic community have shown their true colours of generosity by finding various ways to support the people of Ukraine. From selling artworks to raise funds for charities helping those affected by the war with Russia, to offering to give lessons to refugees who have found shelter in Clare, a number of local artists across the county have offered their support. Among those is Lahinch-based artist Michael Hanrahan who recently auctioned off one of his paintings with funds raised going to the Red Cross to help the people of Ukraine. He has also offered to provide water colour classes for Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in North Clare, believing the power of art may provide some kind of therapy for the new arrivals. Michael, who travels the world teaching watercolour painting on cruise liners, painted a view of the Algarve in Portugal while visiting the country earlier this year. He said that when news began to emerge of what was …

NEWS that the sale of turf is set to be banned from September has drawn criticism from one Clare Oireachtas member but been defended by another. The proposed ban is being justified on environmental and public health grounds by the Green Party, but Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has said it is excessive. Green Party Senator Róisín Garvey defended the move and said that people will still have the right to save their own turf and will be allowed to rent a bank if they wish to do so. She also said that people who would have bought a load of turf for the winter can purchase timber instead, which she said is more cost effective and provides more warmth. “It has a higher calorific value, so you get more heat off it.” Senator Garvey said that 1,300 people per annum die due to air pollution, and that turf is a particularly problematic fuel. “The people burning it in open …

WORK is still ongoing on the possible development of a rail spur to Shannon, Minister Eamon Ryan has told the Dáil. Clare TD Joe Carey asked for a report on progress with regards to the provision of a rail spur to the airport from the Ennis-Limerick line, and when he expects a study to commence. Responding, Minister Ryan said, “As stated in the National Development Plan the issue of a rail spur from Limerick to Shannon Airport is being considered in the context of the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (LSMATS). “As the Deputy may be aware, that strategy is being developed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in collaboration with Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland. “A draft strategy was published in September 2020 and was open for public consultation for eight weeks. “Since the conclusion of that public consultation exercise, the NTA has conducted further analytical work to inform the next iteration …

HUNDREDS of East Clare homes are still waiting to receive their forms, almost two weeks after Census night. The CSO has put the delay down to “a number of factors including enumerator vacancies in a small number of areas, a householder being unable to receive a form in person or an enumerator not having sufficient access to the premises to leave a census form in a secure location”. While a spokesperson described the number of homes without forms as “small”, local estimates put the figure at at least 500. It is understood the issue affects areas including Flagmount, Feakle, Scariff, Killaloe and Broadford. “If you were writing a book about this, people just wouldn’t believe it,” said Councillor Pat Hayes. “It’s very unsatisfactory and I’m totally annoyed. I understand there was a staffing issue for the CSO, but the solutions that were put in place to solve the problem clearly didn’t work. “You’d imagine that in the modern world this …

GARDA Headquarters is to carefully examine a ruling by a circuit court judge who found that a Clare man was unlawfully arrested at a garda checkpoint, because the arresting garda informed the man he was detaining him to check he actually was who he said he was. In the first stage of a two-part ruling, Judge Francis Comerford, at Limerick Circuit Civil Court, said he was satisfied that, Anthony O’Donoghue, 36, with an address at St Micheal’s Park, Gort Road, Ennis, Co Clare, had been unlawfully arrested. Mr O’Donoghue is suing the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice, and the Attorney General, for alleged false imprisonment, damages, aggravated damages due to alleged assault and battery by the application of handcuffs by gardai, trespass to the person, as well as an alleged breach of his constitutional right to bodily integrity. Judge Comerford, who is to finalise his ruling regarding claimed damages in the case, said: “Gardai cannot arrest people they don’t …

WITH road deaths nationwide in 2022 up almost 50% on the same period in 2021 a special safety appeal has been launched ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. The Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána launched the appeal in light of the worrying increase in fatalities on the roads – 50 so far this year. The campaign appeals to all road users to slow down, wear seatbelts, not to drive when impaired, or distracted – particularly by illegally using your phone while driving – or when tired. While the RSA and An Garda Síochána have issued a general appeal for road users to take greater care on the road this Easter Bank Holiday there will also be focus on drug driving. An Garda Síochána figures for the full year 2021 saw over 3,300 arrests for Drug-Driving. The number of arrests in 2022, up to 31 March, is 768. Analysis by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) shows …

VISITING on inpatient wards in University Hospital Limerick has been reinstated from this Wednesday morning, April 13. Scheduled visiting slots for one visitor per patient are now permitted, but in line with national guidance on infection prevention, visits must be booked through an online system on this link Visiting restrictions remain in place for the Emergency Department, Acute Surgical Assessment Unit, and Acute Medical Assessment Unit. A spokesperson said UL Hospitals Group “was glad to bring to an end this period of restriction of access, which had been in place during a surge in community transmission of COVID-19”. Visiting hours at UHL are from 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 9pm every day, and ward staff will assist with any queries about the booking system. Visitors will have to wear a face mask, which are available at the hospital entrance, and observe hand hygiene. Anyone who is feeling unwell is asked not to visit the hospital. The only exceptions to …