News

CLARE County Council has swooped to delay a decision on providing street lighting on a gravel walkway in Clonlara due to the presence of bats. Plans for the provision of conduct street lighting over the entire length of Clonlara GAA Club’s gravel walkway and associated site works were submitted to the local planning authority recently. These plans are now on hold after the club was asked to hire an ecologist to prepare a detailed site layout plan to ensure it provides minimal disturbance to bat species. In a recent letter to the club, the local planning authority stated the information submitted with this application is insufficient to enable it to make a complete planning assessment of this proposal. In order to proceed with the application, the authority requested further information and revised plans. “Very limited detail has been submitted as regards the proposal to construct street lighting over the entire length of this gravel walkway and all associated site works. …

THE ESB has come under fire from land owners in South Galway following the erection of a sign near the entrance of Derrybrien Windfarm warning about the “risk of peat instability from peat harvesting”. There are about 114 plots of land within the windfarm site boundary that many residents of Derrybrien and Killnadeema have been using through their lifetime for individual use as fuel. The South Galway Flood Relief Committee has claimed the ESB has turned the tables on local communities, meaning that turf-cutting contractors will be the ones liable for peat destabilisation and not the company, by erecting this sign, which has effectively halted peat operations in the region. The ESB has stated it didn’t issue any instruction to turbary rights holders or contractors stopping them from accessing or harvesting at Derrybrien. It also outlined the community liaison for Gort Windfarms Ltd.remains available to discuss the findings on an environmental level with the local community. In October 2003, the …

SILAGE season is underway, despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions. As agricultural traffic increases over the next four weeks, an O’Callaghan’s Mills farming representative has appealed to all road users to take care. Veteran Clare ICMSA spokesperson, Martin McMahon, has asked the users of rural roads to exercise patience and awareness. He noted that the large numbers of people still using rural roads for walking and cycling exercise in the absence of gyms or sports club training might be taken unawares by the large increase in tractor and trailer volumes. Mr McMahon expressed specific concern that the people using headphones while walking or cycling were being misled about the proximity of large machinery. Mr McMahon also asked farmers and contractors engaged in silage work to be extra careful this year in view of the increased numbers of people cycling or walking. He asked them to pull in, where possible, and allow any build-up of traffic to pass. “It is incumbent upon …

CLARE County Council should seek to develop a partnership with cruise ship operators that use the Shannon Estuary, as well as looking at the potential of using Cahercon, Kilrush and Carrigaholt for landing passengers, according to Councillor Ian Lynch. At the May meeting of West Clare Municipal District Councillors he said that such discussions could add to the region’s tourism offering. “In some areas, especially around Kilrush, we’re not at capacity around tourism yet. Maybe there’s potential there to look at it, how we manage it is up to us and I’d just like the conversation to go on.” He said the industry is changing and there is potential there for West Clare. “There is an industry out there, a cruise ship industry that uses the Estuary. There was a documentary on National Geographic recently about the changes in the industry, the large cruise ship is going to be gone and the smaller cruise ship is what the future holds. …

AER Lingus has this afternoon announced it will close its Shannon cabin crew base. A virtual meeting was held at 1pm in which staff were told about the financial impact of the pandemic, and that severe cutbacks are being introduced. In a statement this afternoon, the airline said, “Aer Lingus staff were today advised that the cumulative impact of the crisis over the last 15 months means immediate actions and structural changes are required at the airline. The airline must be more cost-efficient and productive in order to generate the cash required to rebuild its financial health. Disastrous news for Aer Lingus workers in Shannon Airport and the Mid-West region today. The pandemic has done huge damage to the aviation sector. The Irish government's response to Covid has been unique in Europe at least, in making a bad situation worse. pic.twitter.com/oWnsGIELaC — Michael McNamara TD (@MlMcNamaraTD) May 18, 2021 “Immediate actions announced today by the airline include the permanent closure …

RECENT foul discharge from the Doolough Treatment Plant was raised at this week’s West Clare Municipal District meeting, with Fianna Fáil’s PJ Kelly putting forward a number of questions. He sought information on the cause of the discharge, the number of times it happened in the last two years, the impact on river water and the fish population, the impact on animals using the water. He also asked that Irish Water accept responsiblity for damage to humans, animals and fish, what steps they will take to ensure there is no repeat, and information on how they will address the damages. The Lissycasey man said that he believes there has been several instances. “Locals tell me it has happened very frequently. It has severe implications for animals, fish and humans. It’s unbelievable that the colour from it came as far south as the bridge at Cree. It’s not acceptable in this day and age, if it happened a private individual they …

TRADERS in Ennis who have been “split” due to opposing views on pedestrianisation could be drawn together through the reintroduction of a town wide paint scheme for businesses, it has been suggested. Councillor Pat Daly made the proposal at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where he was informed that talks are underway between the Council and the Local Enterprise Office to determine whether or not it is possible. Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Daly stated, “Everyone knows a lot of the traders were split, but I think if we could revive the paint scheme for businesses in the town it might reunite them. It was done before and there was great excitement in the town and it looked great.” Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Paul Murphy, commented that he also received representations from businesses urging that a paint scheme be introduced. He told the meeting that he has spoken with the council executive and has been told contact …

GARDAÍ have seized almost €19,000 worth of suspected cannabis herb following the search of a house overnight. Gardaí attached to the Galway Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search under warrant of a house in the Kiltartan area of Gort, shortly after 10.30pm on Monday May 17. During the course of the search, a quantity of suspected cannabis herb valued at approximately €16,500, and suspected cannabis plants valued at approximately €2,400 were discovered. These items were seized and are being sent for forensic analysis. No arrests have been made. An investigation is ongoing.