News

A NEW funding stream for works on former national roads will be exploited by the local authority for an upgrade of the old N18, writes Jessica Quinn. A meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard calls by Councillor Pat Daly for an upgrade of the road from Kelly’s Corner out to Cois na hAbhaine on the Gort Road. Barry Conway, A/Senior Executive Engineer, responded, “In 2021 the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport introduced a new funding stream which allows local authorities to apply for funding to resurface the former national road network. “Funding has been sought by this office for the former national roads in the district including the R458 Gort Road (formerly the N18). “Members will be updated in the coming months as soon as the 2022 grants have been awarded by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.” Councillor Daly welcomed the response, saying when the funding is available he would like to see some works done …

COUNCIL works to mitigate coastal erosion and flood management were outlined to members at a recent meeting of West Clare Municipal District, writes Conor Clohessy. From coastal erosion to flood management, the local authority outlined a range of plans for the creation of safer coasts and floodplains all around the regions of West and North Clare. Firstly, schemes through the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme are close to being carried out county-wide, according to Clare County Council’s chief engineer Seán Lenihan. In a statement at the West Clare Municipal District meeting on January 18, Lenihan was asked to provide details on the progression of these schemes by Cllr Gabriel Keating. Mr Lenihan thanked many of the councillors who were involved in acquiring agreement from landowners in Clonahinshee, where plans for a flood relief scheme have been in place for quite some time and had proven problematic due to said landowners not being local and appearing otherwise unavailable. …

ALMOST two years of restrictions helped stem the march of Covid-19, but it undoubtedly came at a cost to many people’s emotional and mental wellbeing. Loneliness was always one of the main reasons that people picked up the phone and rang the Samaritans, and with interaction virtually banned at certain times and severely restricted at all others, it was far worse than ever between March 2020 and January 2022. Margaret McMahon is director the Clare & Ennis branch of the Samaritans and on Monday, she said the pandemic had resulted in more callers. “I think we got more callers and they were coming from a wider range of backgrounds. We would have had students who were not back at home, young people who would have been staying away and there are all the pressures that come with that in a family.” “Particularly in the beginning there would have been people who were trying to keep a long distance relationship together. …

A NEW bill is going through the Oireachtas, which aims to allow the State to tackle instances of illegal dumping through the use of CCTV, drones and automated number plate recognition, writes Owen Ryan. The Local Government (Surveillance Powers in Relation to Certain Offences) Bill 2021 was introduced to the Seanad on Tuesday by Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne. His party colleague Cathal Crowe said it is a piece of legislation that he himself has taken an interest in. “Over the past year, I’ve been in regular contact with Senator Malcolm Byrne and the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors in the Oireachtas – they being the team that support members of the Oireachtas in drafting new legislation. “Senator Byrne and I feel that the current laws in place relating to litter pollution make it very difficult for local authorities to use modern technology to catch offenders. “This difficulty has increased with the advent of GDPR regulations which make it very …

ON THE Feast of St Brigid (Tuesday, February 1), pilgrims gather at the well dedicated to the saint at Ballysteen in Liscannor.  The work of Michael Houlihan and Tony Kirby in collaboration with Clare County Council has produced a county-wide survey of more than 230 wells and St Brigid’s is among the best known and most popular. The survey, which is to be launched online tonight (Feb 1), outlines the history of the well. “The well lies beside Considine’s Bar on the Moher Road in an area set aside for the well house and the way up to the graveyard above. This could be Clare’s most celebrated holy well. The well house is crowded with remembrance cards, offerings, little statues, rosary beads – all brought in thanksgiving or as part of a request to the well and the saint.” Pilgrims visit regularly, but two feast days are particularly important. “Saint Brigid’s Day, is the feast day observed at the well, …

A land owner in south-east Clare has provided a major boost for biodiversity thanks to the help of a local ecologist, writes Dan Danaher. Substantial work has already been completed near Parteen on the first raised bog restoration and rewetting project in Clare on private land. Shanakyle Bog Restoration and Habitat Enhancement Project is a locally-led European Innovation Partnership (EIP) scheme project headed by ecologist Barry O’Loughlin and landowner Catherine Ní Ciardha of Shanakyle Bog Restoration Group. The group hopes that other land owners will follow this example by undertaking similar projects over the coming years. Ms Ní Ciardha decided to embark on this project to help address climate change and hopes to turn this land into a wildlife sanctuary. “Wildlife is getting less and less. I want to encourage the return of birds and biodiversity. I have noticed a decline in swallows in recent years,” she said. Shanakyle bog is of conservation interest as it supports three Annex One …

A RACEHORSE trainer who was last year banned from the sport for animal welfare abuses has avoided jail following conviction over his dogs killing a neighbour’s sheep. Stephen Mahon, 53, was spared a prison sentence after paying out €6,500 compensation to a 67-year-old farmer left ‘brokenhearted’ by sheep kills over the years. At Gort District Court, Judge Mary Larkin made the judgement after the compensation payout to John Moran who has been farming for 52 years. Judge Larkin said: “If Mr Mahon hadn’t paid the compensation, he would definitely be going to jail.” Judge Larkin made her comment after imposing cumulative fines of €1,350 on Mr Mahon of The Ranch, Kilcolgan, concerning a sheep kill on June 3 2018 at Caherpeak, Kilcolgan, involving two dogs, a Rottweiler and a Terrier belonging to him. Judge Larkin imposed six separate fines concerning six separate offences concerning the two dogs. The largest fine of €500 concerned Mr Mahon being an owner of a …

THE Armada Hotel has already filled half of the 100 new roles it advertised in a high profile campaign started at the beginning of winter and the process continues. It plans to have a €3 million expansion and renovation completed early next month, with a new 90-seater restaurant, bar, private dining area and dedicated space for wedding arrivals with panoramic views. Speaking about the progress of the redevelopment, hotel owner John Burke said Covid has made things difficult, but it is on schedule. “After dealing with pre-Christmas challenges caused by restriction changes and issues around staffing due to close Covid contacts, we began the New Year facing into our renovation and expansion programme. “On day one, we were down to 8 staff out of a team of 24 due to Covid. We now have up to 90 people a day on site at different times and the contractors are constantly making arrangements and juggling schedules based on resources available. “It …