News

A WELL known figure around Ennis, Paddy Haren died last week, with his funeral taking place on Monday. Paddy was a very well travelled individual, who was originally from Cappalea, Kilmaley, and who had lived in Ennis for a number of years, having travelled the world as a younger man. At the time of his death Paddy was 76 years of age and had endured some poor health, before becoming ill last week. Speaking on Tuesday his niece Bridget Haren said that Paddy had travelled to a very wide away of places, and had been a carpenter for some 50 years. “He worked all over the world. He worked in the Co-op store in Kilmaley when he was around 11. Then he moved into Fawl’s Bar in town and was bartending in there. He would have emigrated to England at the age of 16. After his apprenticeship he was a foreman all over Britain. Then he went to work n …

MORE than €13,000 has been raised for Crumlin Children’s Hospital (CHI) by a Feakle family whose youngest member had open-heart surgery at the facility almost a year ago. Freya Hayes, who will celebrate her first birthday next month, was diagnosed with a serious heart defect shortly after birth. Thanks to the team at CHI, Freya has now fully recovered and her family and the local community have been able to make a substantial donation so that other children might be as fortunate. Freya’s mum, Avril Collentine told The Champion the family had had “a roller coaster year” in 2020, with the pandemic complicating an already challenging situation. Just as mum and baby were ready to go home to dad Henry and Freya’s older brother, Harry, an ultra-sound scan detected an issue. The images were sent to CHI, where specialists spotted a hole in Freya’s heart. After the team at Crumlin recommended open-heart surgery, the family returned home to allow Freya …

CLARE County Council has ordered the decommission and removal of a controversial wind turbine, which was erected a few weeks ago near the village of Parteen near the Limerick border, for “non compliance with planing permission”. The council originally granted permission in October 2011, to the named applicant, Seamus Madden, “to erect a single 800kW wind turbine, 73 metres high with a rotor diameter of 53 metres, and with ancillary road access, at Knockballynameth, Parteen” after no objections were lodged. There were no objections when an extension to the permission was granted in 2016, as no works had appeared. However, when the structure did appear last month, locals contacted The Clare Champion and local politicians voicing concerns about its size and proximity to houses in the local area. It’s understood the turbine was to be used to generate electricity at a local blow moulding manufacturing facility. Fianna Fáil TD, Cathal Crowe, who lives within the vicinity of the development, said …

AN OPEN letter has been sent by the family of the late campaigner Laura Brennan appealing to health officials to reinstate the HPV vaccination scheme for teens. As the second anniversary of the Ennis woman’s untimely death from cervical cancer approaches, her family fear that the vaccination campaign, to which Laura dedicated her final years and months, is being thrown off course by pandemic restrictions. Laura’s work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Health Service Executive (HSE), led to uptake rates for the HPV vaccine surpassing 80% nationally and 90% in Clare. Pandemic restrictions and school closures have disrupted the HPV vaccination programme normally available, free-of-charge, to boys and girls in first year at secondary school. The HSE describes the scheme as “paused” because school vaccination teams are currently involved in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. “We are all fully aware of the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on our country and the strain it has put on …

GARDAÍ are appealing to the public for their assistance in locating 16-year-old Larisa Maria Rostas, and her daughter Narcisa Rosta (10 months) who are missing from their home in Ennis. Larisa and Narcisa were last seen on Sunday morning, March 7. Larisa is 5’ 2” in height with dyed red hair and brown eyes. It is not known what Larisa or Narcisa were wearing at the time they went missing. Larisa is known to frequent the Dublin city centre area as well as her hometown of Ennis. Both Gardaí and Larisa’s family are concerned for her wellbeing. Anyone with information in relation to her whereabouts or who can assist Gardaí in locating Larisa and Narcisa are asked to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 684 8100, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

TOURISM operators in East Clare have been urged to get behind the development of a visitor and interpretative centre for Inis Cealtra, by supporting a Part 8 application from Clare County Council. Addressing the AGM of Tourism East Clare last week, Tourism Officer Joan Tarmey said the authority is hopeful of a funding allocation under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) to progress the “landmark tourism project” for the region. “Looking at the long-term objectives for the Inis Cealtra project, one is to conserve it as a really important ecclesiastical site,” Ms Tarmey said. “We also want to expand its attractiveness as a tourism destination. These are the two long-term objectives. It’s massively important for the Killaloe Municipal District and it’s really important in raising the profile of East Clare as an attractive visitor destination. The elected members have really been on board with this. They’ve been really wanting to see this happen for a long time and pushing …

GARDAI are seeking witnesses after an armed robbery in the early hours of Sunday morning from a convenience store. At 3.39 a.m. on Sunday, March 7 a lone male entered Centra on the Gort Road Ennis carrying a large knife. He went behind the counter and ordered the attendant to place the contents of the till into a white bag which he did – he then left on foot running out the Gort Road. The man was wearing a black jacket, navy pants, black beanie hat, black runners and black face mask. The members of staff weren’t injured but this was a very traumatic incident for them. Gardai have asked anyone who was in the area of Centra on the Gort Road in the early hours of Sunday morning between 3.15 a.m. and 4 a.m. and saw a male matching this description or anyone who has dash cam footage to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100.

FAMILY carers in Clare have been completely neglected by the lack of priority in the national vaccination programme, a local councillor has claimed. While patients aged 16 to 69 with serious underlying health conditions have been moved up the national vaccination priority list from category seven to category four, Councillor Ann Norton said general practitioners have not been directed by the HSE to make this change. “It is farcical what the HSE have done putting people into different groups and are then changing their minds. We don’t know whether we are coming or going. “The HSE are completely undermining the work family carers are doing. We are being left to one side because we are looking after a family member and there is no appreciation there whatsoever.” Councillor Norton outlined that her own daughter, Nicole, has severe disabilities including Cerebral Palsy and needs a vaccine against Covid-19, but her general practitioner isn’t in a position to provide a definite timeline …