News

A PUBLIC information event will take place next Monday (August 16) to air environmental concerns over the planned €1.2 billion Ennis data centre. The online briefing will be hosted by Futureproof Clare, who are calling on the local authority to reject the application on the grounds of the centre’s massive energy requirements. It will be addressed by Deputy Bríd Smith and Professor Barry McMullin of Dublin City University (DCU). According to an application lodged by Art Data Centres Ltd last month, the facility will have access to 200 mega-watts of power from both the network grid and gas generation on site. The data centre campus, whose developers have promised will create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions, is identified by Clare County Council as a key pillar of the Ennis 2040 Economic Plan. Concerns over energy and resource consumption by the facility have now been raised by Futureproof Clare, Extinction Rebellion Clare and the Clare Environmental Network. …

Group 1 – O’Callaghan’s Mills, Inagh-Kilnamona, Whitegate, Kilmaley, Clonlara The footballing ‘Group of Death’ bears only a mild toxicity to its hurling equivalent as while three teams advance directly to the last eight of the Jack Daly race, only two will emerge unscathed from this heavyweight pool. All but Whitegate have contested at least a semi-final since 2017 so it means that at least two genuine contenders for the Canon Hamilton will suffer a premature exit. While O’Callaghan’s Mills are the seeded team and don’t appear to have any hangover from last year’s final reverse, it’s a reinvigorated Clonlara, complete with returning county senior duo John Conlon and Colm Galvin for 2021, that might steal their thunder to top spot. In addition, the winners of the opening round derby between Inagh-Kilnamona and Kilmaley will be favourites to nick the other spot. Whitegate could topple one of the four but perhaps haven’t the depth to be in the mix come the …

THIS Saturday will see a local Heritage Week event, with the launch of the Hastings Farmhouse Restoration Project, from 3-5.30pm. Hastings Farmhouse (which is between the Crematorium and Illaunmanagh Cemetery) is the last remnant of 19th Century farming landscape in the Tullyvarraga area. Its remaining walls were conserved by Dúchas na Sionna in 2012, and it is now hoped to fully restore the house and outbuilding for use as a heritage centre, community venue and exhibition space. The restoration is a collaborative project between Dúchas na Sionna and the Shannon Archaeological & Historical Society with assistance from Clare County Council, the Clare Local Development Company, the Heritage Council and the Built Heritage Fund, Saturday will launch phase one of the project, which will see the completion of a conservation plan, feasibility study, architectural survey and the consolidation of the existing walls in advance of the proposed restoration. It will be launched by Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council PJ Ryan and …

ROISÍN McGeever never anticipated the sheer size of the crowd who turned out to welcome her son, Finn, back from the Toyko Olympics last week. “I didn’t expect the numbers for one person. People in Ballina and Killaloe felt that qualifying for the Olympics was huge. I don’t think it has sunk in with us yet. “We didn’t know until the Tuesday before he went he was going. Before they lined up for the race, I wasn’t sure they were going to swim. All you needed was one swimmer to have a positive Covid-19 test. “If you couldn’t go to Toyko there was no better place to be than watching the race on the big screen in Ballina. “When Finn came on the starting block everyone roared. When Finn dived in, everyone roared. He went off the screen, his elbow would appear and everyone would roar again. When he would turn the crowd would scream again. It was very exciting …

A BALLINA swimmer says the “amazing” Olympic experience and homecoming will provide him with additional motivation to to and qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024. Finn McGeever is still taken aback by the rousing reception he received from people who lined the streets of the twin communities of Ballina and Killaloe to welcome him home from the Tokyo Olympics last week. He believes this is one of the motivating factors that will help him to continue his improvement to try and book a second successive Olympic swimming spot in three years’ time. “Loads of things have happened in recent weeks that will maximise the incentive to try and qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics,” he told The Champion. “The support from the village, coaches and my family and the Olympic experience gives me more incentive to try for the next Olympics.” The 20-year-old former St Anne’s Community College student made history by being part of an Irish swimming relay …

ALMOST a year after Rose Hynes’ tenure concluded, there is still no chairperson of the board of Shannon Group, but a shortlist for the position has been finalised. In a statement this week the Department of Transport said that the Public Appointments Service has carried out its work, and that Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan is considering the names that it has given him. “The Public Appointments Service (PAS) recently concluded the selection process for the position of Chairperson of the Board of Shannon Group. The Minister is conscious that this is an important and challenging time for Shannon Group. Accordingly, the Minister intends to appoint a new Chairperson to this key position as soon as possible, following due consideration of the candidate shortlist.” Local politicians had expected that the vacancy would be filled a month ago, before the Dáil concluded for the summer, but that never happened. It is almost six months since the appointment of businessman Aaron Forde …

A SIXMILEBRIDGE family has stated the nine-month delay concerning the publication of a state inquiry report into the Garda investigation concerning the death of a deceased 23 year-old banqueting manager “beggars belief”. A spokesperson for the Nugent family has also hit out over the lack of communication with the family, describing it as a “total disregard”. Former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald appointed retired District Court judge Patrick Clyne to lead an inquiry under Section 42 into the Garda investigation and disciplinary inquiries that took place following the death of Patrick Nugent (23) Feenagh, Sixmilebridge at the end of a 40th wedding anniversary party in the early hours of February 11th, 1984. Judge Clyne completed his inquiry on October 31, 2020 and the Department of Justice received this report on November 3, 2020. The family are concerned about repeated delays in publishing a report concerning the inquiry, which started in January 2017. Deputy Michael McNamara has tabled Dáil questions asking …

A ROAD in north Clare has been closed today, as a crane is to be used to help right a cement truck that overturned there yesterday afternoon. The truck overturned on the R476 at around 4pm, at a location around 1.5 miles outside of Kilfenora, on the way towards Lisdoonvarna. Gardai said that no-one was injured in the accident. It is understood that the accident happened on a section where roadworks have recently taken place.