News

COUNCILLOR Johnny Flynn has called on the developers of a proposed €1.2 billion Ennis data centre to make substantial changes to their plans for the development, writes Dan Danaher. A significant number of objections have already been made to Clare County Council in relation to the planning application lodged by Art Data Centres Ltd. An objection to the plan made by Future Proof Clare includes the signatures of 250 people, the majority of which the organisation say were gathered within seven hours in Ennis’ town centre. Concerns have been raised about the planned development by politicians, individuals and groups with Future Proof Clare, Extinction Rebellion Clare and the Clare Environment Network joining forces in their opposition to the proposal. Friends of the Irish Environment, Environmental Trust Ireland and Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe are also among those who have lodged submissions. In a comprehensive submission to the local planning authority, Councillor Flynn outlined he is in favour of the development …

ANTUN Pasalic, seminarian in Ennis Parish, who is a native of Croatia, has been ordained a Deacon in the Cathedral of SS Peter & Paul Ennis. The ordaining prelate was Bishop Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe who said, “Today is a happy day and we rejoice in great delight on this occasion of the ordination of Antun as Deacon, another great milestone on his pathway to priesthood to serve in the Diocese of Killaloe. Antun was joined by his brother and his family in the Cathedral, and by his parents, brothers, and sisters, online from their home in Croatia. His Excellency, Dr Davor Vidishe, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Ireland and Fr Yosep, chaplain to the Croatian community in Ireland also attended. The newly ordained Deacon will continue to minister in the Abbey Pastoral Area and reside in Ennis parish. Speaking during the celebration, Bishop Monahan welcomed those who had gathered in person and those joining the ceremony …

PEOPLE of all ages and all walks of life are falling victim to fraud on a daily basis, Clare gardaí have warned. Victims of suspected scams are being urged to contact their local garda station, with assurances that they will be treated with total confidentiality. This comes as reports of yet more frauds operating in the county have come to light. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks outlines a number of incidences during which members of the public were targeted by fraudsters and money was taken from bank accounts. “Unfortunately, again this week a number of people have been the victim of scams One lady got a text from internet banking saying that there had been unusual activity on her account. She followed a link and then realised that two fraudulent transactions on her account. “Two more people got a phone call from a male purporting to be from Amazon saying that their accounts had been compromised and that …

THE number of emergency calls made to Clare Gardaí that didn’t receive an appropriate response is less than 30, according to a garda chief. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris recently publicly apologised to domestic violence victims who made emergency calls for help but did not receive the standard of service from gardaí that they required and to which they were entitled. Mr Harris issued the apology at a Policing Authority meeting after a garda inquiry into how 999 calls were dealt with found that more than 600 emergency calls in 2019 and 2020 were cancelled before there was an appropriate policing response. The inquiry is examining more than 3,000 cancelled 999 calls to gardaí about domestic violence, missing persons or health issues. Superintendent Sean Colleran outlined the number of reported breaches of a barring order, safety order, protection order, which fell from 89 for the first eight months of 2020 to 60 for the same period this year – a percentage …

A SO-CALLED “convention of people with broken hearts” met up for a late night rendezvous in a parked car in the west Clare village of Kilmihil during a Covid-19 lockdown, a court has heard. At Kilrush District Court, Garda Niall Donegan stated that when he approached the car and reminded the three occupants of the Covid-19 travel restrictions, driver, Finbar O’Gorman (27) replied that the three “were out of bad relationships and were meeting up for a chat”. Garda Donegan stated that the two other occupants of the car were female and the car was parked up in the forecourt of a filling station in Kilmilil at 12.05am on February 18 last. A Covid-19 travel ban outside 5km was in place at the time and Mr O’Gorman had driven 29km on the night from his home at Bruach na hAbhainn, Ennis, to meet his two friends in Kilmihil. Mr O’Gorman pleaded guilty to breaching the Covid-19 health regulations by being present in …

LUFTHANSA Technik Shannon has filed its annual report for 2020 which says a decision on the future of the company is likely before the end of the year, writes Owen Ryan. The report stated the outcome of a strategic review process in relation to restructuring options being considered “represents a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt over the ability of the company to continue as a going concern”. Outlining the 2020 performance, the report said, “Turnover for 2020 at €51.5 million was lower than 2019 at €74.2 million”. The company’s profit for the financial year was €1.145 million, compared to €1.896 million in 2019. “Average employee numbers were 505 in 2020, slightly up on the 2019 level of 476. Direct employee levels increased by 7% in 2020 compared to 2019. Administrative personnel levels also increased by 45 compared to 2019,” the report stated. Regarding the future it said, “The company is currently undergoing a strategic review under which a …

FUNDING allocated to Clare County Council for the transformation of parts of Ennis to facilitate permanent outdoor dining “will add to the already stellar outdoor spaces that have sprung up around the town over the past few months”. That’s according to Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe who has welcomed the allocation of €186,875 to Clare County Council under the government’s Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme. Francis Street, Lower Parnell Street, Abbey Street Car Park and the Temple Gate Plaza are set to benefit from the funding announced under Fáilte Ireland’s Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme. “Businesses across Clare and the country have adapted hugely to deal with the outdoor dining necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Deputy Crowe. “It’s one of the very few positives of this pandemic that we, as a country, are now ramping up the dining options available to ourselves as citizens and also tourists. “The funding allocated to Ennis will add to the already stellar outdoor …

Group opposing windfarm in east Clare says public has been misinformed about potential dividend for residents, writes Dan Danaher A LOBBYIST promoting a controversial wind farm in East Clare has refuted a claim from a local group that he objected to a similar proposed renewable energy project in West Clare last year. The Fahybeg Windfarm Information Group (FWIG) has claimed that RWE Renewables Ireland representative Kieran O’Byrne’s name appeared on an official objection from Birdwatch Ireland against the proposed construction of eight wind turbines with a maximum overground to blade height of up to 574 feet on land about 6.5 kilometres east of Miltown Malbay. The group is also concerned that Mr O’Byrne was public relations officer for the Scientology “cult”, and has claimed that very little money will be allowed to be invested in certain sporting and community facilities under current draft government guidelines. The planning application by Slieveacurry Renewable Energy Development was subsequently withdrawn by the developers. A …