News

A LARGE-scale housing development has been given the green light for the village of Tuamgraney, despite concerns raised by a number of local residents. Conditional permission for the 52 homes on Dock Road, has been granted by Clare County Council in the face of fears about a “population explosion” which would turn Tuamgraney into a commuter village. The planning application was submitted by Michael Pearl in April of last year. The proposals generated six objections, including one from a group called ‘Reddan’s Quay Residents’. That submission raised objections to the principle of development; over-development; housing design and layout; traffic and pedestrian safety; flooding; and environmental impact. The submission described Tuamgraney as having “a small close knit community of residents” and said large-scale developments had not been built, despite the fact that some have had the benefit of planing permission. The objection contended that the proposed estate “will have a severe impact upon the physical and social fabric of the village”. …

EDUCATION Minister Norma Foley has said that attempts will be made to provide Clare schools with the resources they need to accommodate the large amount of refugees who have arrived in the county since the start of 2022. Concerns have been voiced by Ms Foley’s party colleague Cathal Crowe about a shortage of school places in Shannon, and the Minister said in Ennis last Friday, that attempts must be made to match accommodation with where schools have extra capacity. “I want to acknowledge in the first instance the incredible work that has been done by schools throughout the country, notably here in Clare. “It’s nothing short of remarkable, what has been achieved by school communities. We’ve been very lucky in one respect that we’ve had capacity to provide places for almost 14,000 students. Notwithstanding that, we still have more students coming, we have capacity for around 50,000 places at primary level and around 20,000 places at post primary. “The challenge …

SEVERAL roads on the Wild Atlantic Way are “not fit for purpose” due to the increasing number of coach tours and vehicles using these routes, a local councillor has claimed. In light of the success of the Wild Atlantic Way and in particular the ever-increasing popularity of the route along the West Coast of Clare, improvement funding has been sought. Councillor Joe Garrihy has called on The West Clare MD to write to Fáilte Ireland, and the ministers for Tourism and Transport to seek appropriate ring-fenced and increased allocation of funding to upgrade, maintain and bring to appropriate standard the road surface, markings, lay-bys and roadside boundaries along this route. “The international marketing and resulting increased traffic along with ever increasing numbers of large coach tours on this route is bringing a usage and scale of wear and tear at a level, which requires ring-fenced funding over and above the standard roads allocation to ensure a quality product and experience …

Searches of a river in Co Clare for two men missing since last week, have been stood down after one body was recovered from a river in Ennis yesterday afternoon while another was found on a beach in southwest Clare on Saturday. A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances following the discovery of a body of a man in his 80s, in the River Fergus, Ennis, at approximately 1pm. His body has been removed to University Hospital Limerick where a post-mortem will take place at a later date, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation.” The body of the man recovered from the beach is now believed to be that of a man in his 60s reported missing from his home in Ennis on January 21, while the remains discovered yesterday afternoon are thought to be those of a man seen in the River Fergus on Tuesday evening. Gardaí and the Irish Coast …

CLARE TD Cathal Crowe has made an official complaint to the Ceann Comhairle, alleging the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth failed to provide him with information about the provision of a new emergency accommodation facility in Shannon. He appeared on RTE current affairs show Drive Time last week and said that only while on the show he found out that the Department had provided a reporter with information that Deputy Crowe himself had sought, but been refused. “I was flabbergasted because there was information on the airwaves that I wasn’t aware of, and when I tried to get information via the most official route of all, a Parliamentary Question, I was told it was commercially sensitive and they couldn’t tell me.” He said he has been left completely in the dark about the details of plans to place refugees in the Shannon Free Zone. “It’s been a week since I lodged it to the office of the …

BORN in the early weeks of the Irish Free State, Clare’s latest centenarian puts her longevity down to her strong faith and love for traditional Irish music. Last Monday, January 23, dozens of members of Sarah Ryan’s family came together in Quilty to celebrate her 100th birthday. Her son John Joe also has his birthday on January 23, and he turned 77, having been the first of 13 children that Sarah gave birth to. He said there was a fantastic family celebration this week. “It was huge. The family are well spread and it’s large, there were 70 or 80 relatives, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great children, a massive crowd. “We were very lucky with the day we got as well, it would have been awkward if it was a bad day. On her 90th birthday we went to the Armada but at her age now she wouldn’t be leaving home.” Sarah is still in good health and living …

A CIRCUIT court judge has quashed the no insurance conviction imposed last year on the partner of former Sinn Finn TD, Violet Anne Wynne, John Mountaine (40). At Kilrush Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford quashed the no insurance conviction along with the consequent two year driving ban on Mr Mountaine formerly of Pella Rd, Kilrush. The no insurance conviction was quashed at Kilrush Circuit Court on Tuesday after a successful appeal by solicitor, Patrick Moylan on behalf of Mr Mountaine. Last June, in the district court, Judge Mary Larkin imposed the driving ban and the no insurance conviction arising from a Gardai prosecution concerning Mr Mountaine driving a 192 registered black Ford Grand C-Max at Decomede, Lissycasey, Co Clare on February 8 2021. However, with the no insurance conviction now quashed, Mr Moylan said on Wednesday that “Mr Mountaine is fully vindicated” while Deputy Violet Anne Wynne (Ind) claimed that her partner suffered “character assassination” arising from the national reporting …

THE national Coast Guard has been called upon by an independent senator to explain why it sacked ten people who remained in the Doolin Coast Guard Unit. Speaking at a meeting organised by the Irish Coast Guard Volunteer Representative Association (ICGVRA) in the Bellbridge Hotel on Saturday, Senator Gerard Craughwell said the rationale will either stand or fall based on the Coast Guard’s explanation. He said the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport could investigate why private and confidential information provided by Doolin members during previous meetings with outside consultants was given to independent mediator, Kieran Mulvey. The senator advised members to apply on an individual basis to the Information Commissioner asking how this information was passed on and if there was a breach of GDPR. “If there has been a breach of GDPR, then everything that stems from this breach is no longer valid. The GDPR issue is one that only the Information Commissioner can answer. There are questions that …