News

CLARE County Council has put plans for a large housing development in Lahinch on hold amid concerns about its impact on local infrastructure. The local authority has sought further information from developer Victoria Cross Limited which applied for planning permission to Clare County Council to construct 28 new houses at Station Road, Lahinch. The proposed development would consist of two two-storey dwelling houses, eight dormer dwelling houses and 17 single storey dwelling houses In its request for further information, the local planning authority has requested the company to submit a detailed hydrological assessment of the catchment area by a suitably qualified hydrologist. Having regard to the pattern of surface and ground water drainage on site and within the vicinity of the site, the planning authority isn’t satisfied that the description of the hydrological aspects of the site and surroundings set out in the Natura Impact Statement is accurate. The authority requested a revised NIS with accurate current information regarding the …

SHORTLY after 10am this morning, uniform Gardaí in Ennistymon, assisted by the Garda Dog Unit, Armed Support Unit, the Divisional Drugs Unit, Customs Revenue Officers and Social Welfare Inspectors, executed a number of search warrants in the Ennistymon area. During the course of the operation Gardaí seized €40,000 of suspected cannabis herb and a sum of cash believed to be in the region of €20,000. Gardaí also seized two suspected imitation firearms, slash hooks, knives, hatchets and a baton. Two men, aged in their 20s and 50s, were arrested and are currently detained at Kilrush Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. The suspected drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

National Camogie League Division 1 Group 1 Round 1 Galway v Clare at Athenry, Saturday 2pm (John Dermody, Westmeath) WITHOUT a competitive or even a challenge match in six months, Clare’s league campaign begins with a baptism of fire on Saturday against a Galway side they have found increasingly difficult to keep pace with in recent years. That is all to do with Galway’s elevated development path that has now positioned them in the top two teams in the country along-side current champions Kilkenny. Cathal Murray’s side have contested the last two All-Ireland Finals and famously secured a first ever National League and Championship double in 2019, albeit with the assistance of current Clare coach Conor Dolan. Indeed, Dolan’s addition to Clare’s backroom team is not just insightful when facing Galway but it would have been interesting to see how the season would have panned out had Covid not darkened our doors in 2020. After all, by the time the …

MONEY was stolen from the till of the East Clare Golf Club last week after entry was gained by force. The sum of money was stolen sometime between 7pm on Wednesday, May 5 and 7am the following morning. “If anyone was in the area on the night of Wednesday into Thursday Morning, 7pm to 7am May 5 to 6 and saw anything suspicious or may have information, we are asking them to contact Killaloe Garda Station on 061-620540,” said Clare Victim Liaison Officer Garda Siobhán Madden. Meanwhile in a separate incident in Quin at 3.30am on Sunday morning, May 9 the alarm was activated at the Tailor And Blue Coffee Shop on Main Street. Entry was gained by forcing the front door and the daily float containing cash was stolen. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in the area and saw anything suspicious which may assist gardaí in their enquiries to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065-6848100.

MORE than 10,000 vaccine doses against Covid-19 were administered in two Clare mass vaccination centres over a one-week period, according to official figures. The UL Hospitals’ Group has confirmed a total of 10,171 vaccine doses were administered between the Radisson Blu, Meelick 7,267 and Treacy’s West County, Ennis, 2,904 sites from May 2 to May 9. Up to close of business on Sunday May 9th, Group vaccinators had administered a total of 57,573 Covid-19 vaccine doses across the Mid-West. This regional total is composed of 51,777 Dose One and 5,796 Dose Two vaccinations Doses administered at the three Mid-West Vaccination Centres in the Radisson Blu, West County Ennis and Abbey Court Nenagh to that point in time, account for 69% of the overall regional total, with 39,730 doses having been delivered there. Last week, Week 18 of the programme, was the busiest to date. Between Sunday May 2nd and close of business on Saturday May 8th, 11,406 doses were delivered …

Colm Collins says the Banner panel are ready to make the most of their opportunities THE longest winter in GAA history certainly rivalled anything that Game of Thrones could threaten. However, while spring has been essentially bypassed, it does open up a summer of possibilities albeit that it’s predicated on hitting the ground running, particularly when it comes to football. With the championship being straight knock-out and the imminent National League halved, Clare have only five guaranteed competitive matches in 2021, something which Colm Collins is only too aware of in advance of his eighth season in charge. “The games will be coming at us thick and fast over the next three weekends so we just have to be ready and make the most of the opportunity and I think we will, being honest. “There’s a great energy around the whole camp and that’s to be expected because if you look at it, the majority of them haven’t played a …

WITH the relaxation of Covid restrictions, a number of West and North Clare councillors have requested extra focus on dealing with the large number of visitors expected in the near future. Councillors Cillian Murphy, Joe Garrihy, Shane Talty and Susan Crawford combined on a motion for this week’s Municipal District meeting. The motion stated, “Given the experience of last summer, and the significant influx of visitors expected for this year, that the West Clare MD provide a detailed analysis of the extra human resources required to provide appropriate levels of management, and enforcement of the litter, parking and beach laws, at our coastal amenities, to include projected additional costs and identifying future potential income streams.” In a written reply, Acting Senior Executive Officer John O’Malley stated, “A number of debriefing sessions were held following the experience of summer 2020 at our main visitor attraction locations in West Clare MD and a Business Case developed to ensure that resources, both financial …

WITH a potential boycott of the National Camogie League prevented on Tuesday afternoon with the Camogie Association’s u-turn to align with the other three codes in a split season fixture approach, the path is finally clear for Clare to home in on neighbours Galway on Saturday. As opening National League tests go, Clare couldn’t have envisioned a tougher start as Galway have contested the last two all-Ireland Finals. However, possessing the coach that helped the Tribeswomen to only a third ever All-Ireland crown (2019) in Conor Dolan is certainly a huge boost to the Banner’s cause. And for the Meelick native himself, it promises to be a strange occasion as it’s the first time that he has faced Galway competitively since coming back to Clare in 2020. “It’ll be interesting. Look, I had nothing but good times and memories from the two years I was involved with the girls up there. “It was a great experience and we had a …