News

MORE than 180 Clare patients were waiting for cataract, hip, knee and small volume procedures last May, new figures have revealed, writes Dan Danaher. The HSE has confirmed there were 99 Clare patients waiting for a cataract operation, 33 for hip, 35 for knee and nine for small volume procedures on May 31. These figures were provided in response to a Dáil question tabled by Deputy Michael McNamara. The HSE recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last 16 months as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack. While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021, and the resultant curtailment of acute hospital services, is reflected in the most recently available waiting list figures to May 2021. On March 23 2021 the HSE published the “Safe Return …

THERE was a substantial drop in the number of people who opted to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the second series of walk-in clinics throughout the Mid-West last weekend. Two weeks ago, a total of 2,649 people received first-dose Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines at walk-in clinics in the three Mid-West Vaccination Centres. The regional total was composed of 1,273 vaccinations in the Limerick Racecourse Centre; 822 in the West County Hotel, Ennis; and 554 in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh; following walk-in clinics held in the centres on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. A total of 639 people received first-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines at walk-in clinics in the three Mid-West Covid-19 Vaccination Centres last weekend. This included 359 vaccines delivered at the Limerick Racecourse Centre on Friday and Sunday; 106 in the West County Hotel, Ennis on Saturday; and 174 in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh on Friday and Sunday. These doses, and all activity at the vaccination centres up …

GARDAI have warned Clare motorists about thefts of alloy wheels following two incidents on the same night in the county last week. In the early hours of the morning of Thursday, August 5 two separate cars were targeted at different locations in the theft of alloy wheels. The first occurred when the owner parked up his vehicle overnight outside his house at Cloghaun Holiday Homes, Ballinalacken, Lisdoonvarna. He woke the following morning to discover the four alloys wheels stolen. The rear window was broken to get the lock nut key in order to remove the wheels. The second occurred again on the same date on the morning of Thursday, August 5, between 1-3am at Shallee, Kilnamona. The owner of a car woke to find the four alloy wheels removed from the car outside his house.

CROOM Orthopaedic Hospital has made another great leap forward in service quality this summer, when the doors of Ireland’s most modern operating theatre suite were opened recently. The brand new €15 million theatre suite has four operating theatres, increasing the hospital’s surgical capacity volume by 100 per cent, a new Sterile Services Department, a reception area, a first stage recovery room and other ancillary support spaces. According to the UL Hospitals’ Group, it is a key part of the effort to rejuvenate and develop Croom Orthopaedic Hospital as a beacon of surgical and nursing excellence and professional advancement, with major benefits for patient experience in the Mid-West. The new complex is situated on the first floor of the hospital’s state-of-the-art Maigue Unit, which has been developed as part of the nationally-funded UL Hospitals’ Group response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the region, and with funding from the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust. The Trust acknowledged the significant contribution from the JP …

IRISH Water has completed its upgrade of the Shannon Wastewater Treatment Plant which it says will protect the local environment and support growth and development in the area for years to come. This project, carried out in partnership with Clare County Council, will ensure that there is adequate treatment of wastewater, for now and into the future, as well as protecting public health and safeguarding the environment. The project also ensures compliance with the European regulatory standards. The works had been sought locally for a number of years, before they began. Irish Water has invested €7.5 million to carry out this project which upgraded several aspects of wastewater treatment and provided new ventilation and odour treatment systems. The upgrades made maximum use of the existing infrastructure on site, minimising the carbon footprint of the works. Infrastructure Delivery Lead, Anthony Kavanagh said: “We are delighted to announce the successful completion of this project which brings many benefits to Shannon from an …

THE Kilrush.ie website has been revamped and relaunched by the Kilrush Town Team, a volunteer led group of local people, who have been working to promote the West Clare town as a place to live and work. Chairman of the Town Team Charlie Glynn has a local business, Glynn Technical Diamonds and he said the site is for both locals and visitors. “We’ve been working on it for a while and we’re trying to use it as a landing page for various businesses in the town. If Covid has shown us anything it’s that an online presence is important. “It was important from a Town Team perspective to be able to showcase businesses and act as directory. “You can look at it from a tourism perspective too, to draw tourists into the town. Also it’s a one stop shop for people in the town, a directory of services. It’s not fully 100% there yet, it’s a work in progress at …

SPANCILHILL International Horse Fair is to be recognised at the highest level for its contribution to Ireland’s cultural heritage. Minister Catherine Martin announced that the renowned fair is to be among eight practices to be added to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Theo other activities are Beekeeping, Clones Crochet Lace Making, Headford Lace Making, Irish Traditional Travelling Circus and Funfair, Lá an Dreoilín/Wren Day, Native Irish Cattle Breeding, and Traditional Seine Boat Building, Fishing and Racing. Speaking on behalf of the Spancilhill Fair Association, Michael Duggan said there is great local pride in the horse fair. “I am delighted that the Tradition of the Spancilhill International Horse Fair will be included as part of the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage,” he said. “I want to thank the Minister that she saw fit to include this tradition that is over 400 years old as part of the recognised cultural heritage of Ireland. We are very proud of the …

CNOC na Gaoithe in Tulla was lauded by the Minister Heather Humphreys as an outstanding example of how local communities can harness support to bring old buildings back into use. The Minister for Rural and Community Development stopped off in East Clare during her whistle-stop tour of the county last Thursday (July 29). As part of the national ‘Our Rural Future Roadshow’, the minister saw a range of projects which are being supported by funding from her department. At the Cnoc na Gaoithe centre, where Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann are redeveloping the old convent and primary school building into a cultural hub, Minister Humphreys was treated to a tour of the work to-date as well as a flavour of the rich musical traditional of the area. “What I’ve seen here is absolutely fantastic,” Minister Humphreys told The Champion. “What strikes me most is community. Community, working with local authority, and realising their ambitions, identifying what they want to do in their …