News

Dan Danaher on a remarkable silver replica of Ardnacrusha Power Station links the prime movers in Ireland’s great power project THE story behind one of the most remarkable pieces of silver ever commissioned in the country links two men who played a powerful role in constructing South-East Clare’s “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Moves are afoot for the extraordinary silver model of Ardnacrusha to be moved in the near future from the power station to public display at the Hunt Museum in Limerick. The commissioning of this historical replica ties in two key ESB men, Joe O’Farrell and Dr Thomas MacLaughlin, prominent in the development of the Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme, which had been hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Having joined the Shannon Scheme in September 1927, O’Farrell was just the fourth person employed by the fledgling ESB. He played a key role in the construction of Ardnacrusha Power Station, and later ESB Networks working as senior engineer, …

THE Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District has called for a major media campaign next month to make landowners aware of their responsibilities when it comes to hedge-cutting. At the July meeting of the local authority, Councillor Joe Cooney noted that hedge-cutting, other than essential safety work, is prohibited between the start of March and the end of August, but insisted that more publicity is needed so that works can be carried out promptly from September 1. “There’s a lot of traffic on the roads at the moment,” the Fine Gael member said. “There’ll be schools traffic returning at the end of August and the start of September and we need to make sure that hedge cutting is being done, within the guidelines, to ensure safety.” The Broadford man welcomed a response from Senior Engineer John Leahy which outlined that funding of €95,000 has been allocated to hedge-cutting this year. “This is fantastic to see,” said Councillor Cooney. “Now is …

Eoin Brennan previews the Clare ladies football team’s crucial clash with Fermanagh With their championship lives on the line and no room left for error, can Clare’s true colours finally shine through through this Sunday? That’s the challenge thrown down by manager Evan Talty after a hugely disappointing opening All-Ireland Championship opener against Leitrim left his players embroiled in a winner-takes-all showdown for the final quarter-final spot in Longford town this Sunday. Now it’s up to them to see what are they made of. I told them coming out on Sunday that this was going to be championship football. You can play all the challenges you want but when Leitrim were in their faces and their hunger and desire was far greater than ours, we didn’t react well. “The question is now can we bring the intensity that Leitrim brought against us into Sunday’s match against Fermanagh. We’ve now had a game under our belts so there’s no excuses. It’s …

Clare Local Sports Partnership showcases initiatives to Minster Frank Feighan at Lees Road PROJECTS aimed at ensuring all members of society have an opportunity to take part in physical activity and sport were showcased during a visit of Minister of State Frank Feighan to Ennis last week. The Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy witnessed two of the projects in action which have been led by Clare Sports Partnership while he was at Active Ennis John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Road. John Conroy from Fitness for Fun, led an outdoor exercise class which has become a popular weekly event among older adults. Also, James O’Donohue, disability representative to Clare Sports Partnership, and Liam Casey, a wheelchair user from Ennis also showcased handcycles for those who use wheelchairs. The TD was met by board members and staff of Clare Local Sports Partnership including chairperson to the board, Tim Forde, Councillor Ann Norton, Mayor of …

THE Chief Executive of the local authority has pledged to spend the summer working to secure the national support that will be needed if Shannon Heritage’s Clare attractions are to transfer to the council. At July meeting of the authority, a number of members welcomed the announcement that a process of due diligence involving the council and Shannon Group is underway. Chief Executive Pat Dowling told members that he is putting a council team together with the necessary financial and legal expertise and that he himself will meet staff at the Clare attractions in the month of August. News of the potential transfer was announced at the end of last month. It followed a protracted period of uncertainty and intermittent closure, caused by Covid restrictions, for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Knappogue Castle and Craggaunowen, as well as Shannon Heritage’s other sites. The matter was noted at the local authority meeting by Councillor Joe Garrihy who described the potential transfer …

THE frustration of residents in Corrovorrin who are awaiting the introduction of much sought after traffic calming measures has been highlighted at a meeting of Ennis councillors. Speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Johnny Flynn commented, “The residents of Corrovorrin are getting very frustrated, they are wondering when the work will be done.” He said that locals had hoped to see works progressing over the summer months, when schools are closed, however the works are now not likely to go ahead until the autumn or winter. The councillor raised the issue as he proposed that in addition to the proposals for Corrovorrin, that the council look at providing additional traffic calming measures east and west of the railway bridge. He pointed out that there are 15,000 vehicles a day on the main Tulla Road, suggesting pedestrian crossings should be introduced in locations such as the Lifford Road and New Road junctions. He said there is an …

A DECISION to close mental health supported accommodation in Ennistymon has been confirmed by the HSE, writes Jessica Quinn. The closure of Prague House has been criticised by trade union SIPTU, with union representative Mark Quinn calling for the decision to be reversed. According to the HSE the closure of the facility is due to decreasing demand for the service in recent years and the need for “significant” repair and refurbishment of the building. Most recently there was one resident of Prague House who has now been moved to alternative accommodation in the county. Mr Quinn has insisted that the building should be modernised to allow the service to continue operating in Ennistymon. He also expressed concerns that anybody needing the accommodation service in the future will have to travel outside of North Clare. He said two union members working in the facility were informed last week that their jobs would be moving to another location in Ennis, and there …

COMMUNITIES around North and East Clare have come together to unite a man from Carron with a new puppy after the passing of his wife, Catherine, and the death of his dog in quick succession, writes Conor Clohessy. Paddy Hynes (93) is well-known in the region for his storytelling, having honed his craft at the Teach Ceoil in Corofin and in Ennistymon. Burren Riding Club was instrumental in finding the pet for Paddy, asking their members for any help they could get – and found themselves very fortunate. Margaret Corry, secretary at the club, said: “One of our members, Hazel Frawley, answered the call, saying she had just been to the vet with her own dog because of a phantom pregnancy, but promised to keep a look out. “A few weeks later, she called me and said that the phantom pregnancy was a real pregnancy, and she now had three pups! When I dropped the pup to Paddy at his …