News

OCTOBER 1 has been announced as the first day of the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest. From that date Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) and Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) will cease to exist, and more than 15,000 students and 1,200 staff across the Midlands and Midwest will be teaching, learning and researching at the newly designated TUS: Midlands Midwest. On this day also, Ennis will become a university towns for the first time, given the presence of a campus here, while Athlone, Clonmel and Thurles will also become university towns. The recruitment of a president for Ireland’s first cross-regional university has also begun, with the application process now opened to suitably qualified persons.The inaugural president will be charged with leading transformational change across adjacent regions linked by the River Shannon. Chair of LIT Governing Body Tony Brazil said, “October 1, 2021 will not only be a significant day in the history of Irish education, but the beginning …

AN EAST Clare councillor described himself as “a fraction nervous” over the Green transport minister’s commitment to progressing the Killaloe Bypass. After receiving a detailed update on the multimillion euro project at the May meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Pat Burke expressed the hope that Minister Eamon Ryan would not have “a wobbly”. The Fine Gael member noted the Council hopes to proceed to tender, subject to ministerial approval, around mid-June. The official response described that stage in the project as a “milestone” in a time-frame that could see major works get underway early next year, with a possible completion date of 2025. Commenting on a written update from Seán Lenihan, Senior Engineer at the Council’s Projects Management Office (PMO), Councillor Burke commended the works. “Excellent progress has been made,” he remarked. “I am a fraction nervous about a section of the response which says that ‘all going well’ the minister will give approval for tendering. “I would …

Wardens set to monitor Killaloe amenities with more dogs out and about in summer DOG fouling in East Clare is generating a huge number of complaints, according to the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District. Councillor Pat Hayes tabled a motion on the matter at the recent district meeting when he called for urgent action. “This is something that’s cropped up a lot because of the numbers of people out with dogs in recent times,” he said. “It’s a challenge we need to deal with because the amount of complaints is huge. There’s nothing as upsetting for those using buggies and wheelchairs. It leaves a very bad impression of a wonderful day at one of our public amenities.” The Fianna Fáil member said that while the issue is a county-wide one, there are areas that are particularly badly hit in the Killaloe district. “Some people are recklessly letting their dogs off, for example at Two-Mile Gate and in public parks,” …

Clare Oireachtas members angry over ‘extremely disappointing’ Aer Lingus snub AER Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton opted not to attend a sitting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport & Communications on Wednesday, at which she would have faced questioning from Clare’s Oireachtas members following the airline’s decision to close its Shannon cabin crew base. The airline has received significant financial support from the State while it is in discussions looking for more, and Wednesday’s decision by Ms Embleton not to appear has provoked some irritation. Ms Embleton had been given the option to attend either remotely or in person. Despite being unavailable for the committee meeting, which would have been open to the public and media; she was set to meet with the Taoiseach privately on Wednesday. Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Donal Moriarty would have attended the committee meeting in her place, but that was unacceptable to the members and the meeting was deferred until Ms Embleton is available. According …

WHEN Wexford native, Sr Carmel Kehoe moved to West Clare over three decades ago, it wasn’t so much a new departure, as another stopping-off point along the road less travelled. A member of the Community of the Sisters of St John of God, Carmel has always taken an independent approach to her work. As someone who is passionate about art, writing and all things creative, she also developed the habit of documenting her extraordinary life and has just published a memoir. Much of the book deals with Carmel’s life and times in Clare, where she is well known and much loved for her teaching and community activities. Carmel’s busy life has seen her work in hospital chaplaincy, teaching, and has even involved a short, but successful, stint as a jockey. “That was as part of a fundraiser for people in religious life,” Carmel recalled. “I was asked to get involved and, even though I had never won anything in my …

After clearing away the cobwebs in May, the summer starts here for Clare’s flagship hurlers when completing their National League campaign against Dublin and Kilkenny in the space of seven days. That’s the view of former Clare captain Frank Lohan, who after successfully soldiering together for Clare for over a decade (1995-2006) including two All-Ireland titles in 1995 and ’97, is back in the trenches alongside his older brother Brian as part of the Club Clare fundraising committee. Clare have displayed a full mixed bag so far, with contrasting performances against Antrim and Laois sandwiching a good display with a bad finish against Wexford. However, with the prospect of facing All-Ireland finalists Waterford now only three weeks away in the opening tie of the Munster Championship, gathering momentum over the next two Sundays will be significant according to Lohan junior. “I think they’re building nicely towards the summer now. This league is very much an exploratory competition for the championship …

TOURISM is on the crest of a wave in Ballynacally village following the opening of the Estuary Way Café and two self-catering apartments thanks to the hard work of the local development association. The “Range” as it was known locally is a terrace of four cottages in the heart of Ballynacally village and it has undergone a long journey that last week saw the self-catering cottages welcome their first paying guests. The cottages were originally built by local landlords, the Ball family, for their workers. In their heyday the cottages were occupied by shoemakers, saddlers and butchers and local characters. In more recent times the cottages were occupied by St Francis Credit Union and the HSE, plus local enterprises such as a Montessori school and physical therapy centre. The recession in the late nineties saw the end of these tenancies and the cottages fell into disrepair. The Ballynacally Development Association (BDA) started a four-year journey that culminated in the opening …

A GROUP of Irish artists, filmmakers and others have expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza with a projection onto the Cliffs of Moher. Following the recent 11-day aerial bombardment of Gaza, in which over 240 people were killed, amongst them 68 children, and over 1,900 women, men and children seriously injured, a group of residents of County Clare and beyond began organising a visual message of care. Amongst the group that performed the projection on Tuesday evening, From Ireland With Love, are lighting technicians, event organisers, photographers, artists, filmmakers and humanitarian workers. Some of those involved have spent time in Gaza as documentary filmmakers and as volunteer First Responders on Palestinian ambulances. While watching the recent news from Gaza- footage of the bombing of residential homes and neighbourhoods, clinics and infrastructure- the group decided to organise a symbolic image of solidarity from Ireland. The image was conceptualised as an addition to existent human rights and political advocacy and humanitarian …