News

HUMAN rights organisation Doras are collaborating with the Clare Immigrant Support Centre on a new community sponsorship initiative that will enable local groups to provide support for refugee families, writes Owen Ryan. The idea is that the groups would fundraise and help source accommodation for refugee families, who can then leave refugee camps in Lebanon for Clare. Orla Ní Éilí of the Clare Immigrant Support Centre said, “Essentially this is another stream operating from the Department of Justice and the Irish Refugee Protection Programme. In this one the idea is that individual groupings can come together, they need to fundraise, they need to prepare, they need to set all the things in place for a family to come to Ireland. The family would be coming from the Lebanon, they will probably be a Syrian family that’ll be living in a refugee camp. They’ll still be going through the screening and orientation process with the Department of Justice.” Ahmed Hassan will …

THE condition of a North Clare cemetery has been branded “a thundering disgrace”, amid concerns over arrangements for its upkeep and maintenance. The Holy Rosary Cemetery in Doolin is one of two local burial grounds and is located around a mile from the centre of the village. Among those who visit the graveyard are fans of Micho Russell, and before the pandemic, the late musician’s grave was the site of a wreath-laying ceremony during the Russell Festival Weekend. “At this stage, the grass is growing over the walls from the outside in and the inside out,” local man John Flaherty told The Champion. “Grass is cut in part of the cemetery and it’s just left there. The other side is out-of-hand altogether.” Mr Flaherty acknowledged recent clean-up efforts, undertaken with the support of the county council, but expressed concerns over long-term arrangements. “Councillor Joe Garrihy helped us by getting gravel to put on the paths,” he said. “A few months …

YOUNG Clare rider has been selected on the team to compete at the European Equestrian Semi-Finals in Poland in August, writes Conor Clohessy. Coen Williams (15), out of Parc Stables on the Kilrush Road, outside of Ennis, is the under-16 national champion in show-jumping and achieved his highest accolade to date at the RDS National Championships 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having trained on ponies since the age of four, he now travels to the biggest competition that he can attend at his age. Coen’s mother Paula said: “Once he comes out of the 16s he’ll be taking part in adult competitions and looking onward to the Aga Khan and the Olympics. He’ll be going to Strzegon, in the south-west of Poland, with four others on the Irish team. “There are 20 nations competing, and over 150 individuals. Coen will be taking part in the team and will also compete as an individual.” The competition stretches over five days …

‘A SHARED partnership’ between the two local authorities responsible for services in the lakeside towns of Killaloe and Ballina is being sought. Councillor Tony O’Brien made the call at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District and asked that discussions be instigated with Tipperary County Council. With the Draft Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan currently open for public consultation, the Fianna Fáil member said he was “throwing the ball in ” on the idea of greater collaboration between the two county councils. “These are twin towns who need basic services on a daily basis,” he said. “With the advancement of a new town plan for the area, maybe it would be productive for both local authorities to engage and maybe share services like road sweeper for the two towns, and to cooperate on staffing levels. Instead of Clare County Council services stopping halfway across the bridge, maybe there could be a shared responsibility. I’m throwing the ball in …

A WARNING has been issued that Crusheen could become a “dormitory village” unless proper services are provided. The village has experienced a significant growth in housing development in recent years, but concern were raised at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District that the provision of amenities has failed to keep pace. During a discussion on the controversial issue of the location of a south-bound bus shelter, Councillor Pat Hayes cautioned that the overall development needs to be considered. The Fianna Fáil member said that, otherwise, there is a risk of Crusheen, which is located off the M18 motorway, becoming a commuter village. The matter was raised by Councillor Pat Burke who welcomed the recent construction of a north-bound bus shelter in the village. He noted controversy over the south-bound shelter, originally planned for a site close to the Brodagh View estate, and urged that an alternative site beside the railway bridge now be considered. “Following discussions earlier this …

DERELICTION in the centre of Tulla has put the spotlight on the way the town is developing, with one public representative saying the Council is being accused of destroying it, writes Fiona McGarry. There have been long-standing concerns about urban decay in sections of the centre of Tulla at a time when housing development on the outskirts is increasing. The problem came to a head early this year when the local authority was forced to serve a Dangerous Structures Notice on the owners of an empty building in the heart of the town. A section of the footpath on Main Street was closed, in the interests of public safety, and a traffic management system put in place. After several months of attempted negotiations with the owners, and delays created by the closure of the construction sector during lockdown, the authorities have now moved to offer one final chance before stepping in to undertake the necessary works themselves. The matter was …

THE social nature of Covid-related behaviour was the topic of a fascinating webinar delivered to Shannon Chamber members. “How people (mis)perceive risk, how they respond to symptoms of the disease, the impact of campaign reminders, behavioural impacts of blended working, and wellbeing, were just some of the issues addressed by Professor Pete Lunn. The founder and head of the Behavioural Research Unit (BRU) at the ESRI was addressing a recent Shannon Chamber webinar, supported by Adare Human Resource Management. As a member of the Behavioural Change Subgroup of NPHET and the Department of Health’s Communications and Behavioural Advisory Committee, Professor Lunn’s team have conducted multiple behavioural studies for the Department of Health and the Department of the Taoiseach, designed to support compliance with public health guidance and to improve public communication. Advising organisations to factor in the great variability in how people handle uncertainty, he said it was crucially important to ensure that employees understand and can clearly see the …

TRAFFIC counts are to be carried out on the Ballybeg Road and details forwarded to the gardaí, the local authority have confirmed, amidst concerns about speeding cars described as “absolutely flying” in the area. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy, at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, sought an update on actions being taken by the council to address the “ongoing speeding” on the Ballybeg Road. The motion was seconded by Councillor Pat Murphy, who commented “there is an issue with speed there.” Councillor Pat Daly also voiced his support saying, “ Ballybeg is a very popular walking area for older people. There is no doubt there is speeding, I regularly see cars absolutely flying it on the road.” Eamon O’Dea, Senior Executive Engineer, responding to the motion stated, “The Ennis Municipal District will carry out further traffic counts on the Ballybeg Road and details will be forwarded to An Garda Siochana. The Section 38 traffic calming public consultation process …