News

HIGHLY-anticipated restoration works are set to get underway shortly at the Vandeleur Walled Garden, where a new interpretative museum is among the developments planned. Located in Kilrush, the gardens are among the jewels in the crown of tourism in West Clare and were visited recently by Clare County Council officials and project stakeholders. The socially-distanced site visit was in advance of the enabling works getting underway for the restoration and renovation of the old stable block. The tendering process is complete and Custy Construction Ltd, a Clare-based construction firm, has been appointed to this project. The restoration works are funded by the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, under the Department of Rural and Community Development. Additional match funding has come from the council. The main works, due to begin early this year, will include an interpretative museum and new gardeners’ building, along with the development of a new visitor experience design and approach for the complex. “I very much welcome …

AN ORAL hearing is to be held later this month in relation to the compulsory purchase of lands required for an upgrade to the Kilfenora Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). An Bord Pleanála will facilitate the online hearing on Tuesday, January 19 with a decision on the matter pencilled in for January 21. According to December’s management report from Clare County Council, it is proposed to upgrade the existing Kilfenora WWTP, reuse the existing treated effluent rising main to the current discharge point and construct a new percolation area at this site. Planning permission has been granted to Irish Water, but the appeals board has opted to hold a hearing before it adjudicates on the project. The event is described as an opportunity “to make further submissions and to allow the inspector to seek clarification on any relevant issues arising and objections made”. The board has also stressed that the hearing will look at the nature of the Compulsory Purchase Order …

A CLARE woman has joined the fight against childhood obesity in Ireland and is urging the public to join the Irish Heart Foundation’s ‘Stop Targeting Kids’ drive. A growing trend in obesity levels in children, especially during Covid, has prompted Caitriona Lynch, from Sixmilebridge, to join the campaign. The ICU nurse in University Hospital Galway has a special interest in childhood obesity having just graduated from a Master’s of Science in Obesity from NUIG. “It is clear to me that junk food companies used the opportunity (during Covid) to keep their unhealthy products centre stage in children’s minds,” said Ms Lynch. “We need to break the junk food cycle to improve children’s health. I joined this campaign because I believe a ban on junk food marketing would be a game changer in tackling childhood obesity. “As an active campaigner, I’ve been in touch with the Advertising Standards Authority about irresponsible advertising by brands loved by young people as this marketing is …

A TEAM of young East Clare men are hoping to provide a ray of hope this Christmas for families and individuals affected by the stress of cancer and mental heath issues. Tomás Meade from Quin has joined forces with five friends, all former pupils of St Flannan’s College, to get the Light the Way light photo competition under way in aid of Milford Hospice and Pieta House. The return to Level 5 restrictions put paid to plans to hold a tractor and truck run and the lads are now urging tractor and truck lovers around the county to light up and send them photos of decorated vehicles of all kinds. “This year has been really tough for so many people and very hard for people anyone going through cancer treatment,” said Tomás, an Automotive Engineering student at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). “Mental health is another issue that affects the whole community and a lot of people have been suffering …

A FORMER member of Clare County Council says he is lucky to have escaped with his life, after a fire destroyed his family home in Clarecastle. Bernard Hanrahan, an active member of the community and former Fianna Fáil representative on the local authority, awoke in the early hours of last Sunday morning to find his home in flames. He told The Champion that if it wasn’t for the fact his dog alerted him to the danger, he might not have escaped the blaze. Bernard, who lives alone in the home where he was born and raised, credits his faithful bison frise with saving him. “It was around 5am when I heard Daisy barking,” he said. “She wouldn’t normally be looking to get out until around 7.30am. I knew something was wrong. I got up and then heard a bang. I thought straight away that someone was trying to break in. When I got close to the kitchen, I was hit with …

OVERWHELMING loyalty from Christmas shoppers has given retailers a badly-needed boost, as the sector braces for further restrictions. While non-essential outlets face another period of uncertainty as Covid cases rise, shop owners have thanked people for making a concerted effort to support them in the month of December. Tina Grogan from Bambino in Ennis said it was very apparent that people made a conscious decision to back local retailers. “It has been so touching and the support coming up to Christmas was phenomenal,” she said. “It was really obvious that people were making an effort to shop local and, after the year that’s been in it, it was almost overwhelming to see.” At the County Boutique, Gwen Culligan described the support as “unbelievable”. “We were just blown away by it,” said the former President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce. “We did brilliant business. Our customers came back to us and it was clear they were determined to give their support.” …

CLARE shoppers are being advised to be aware of their rights when shopping online in the January sales. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has issued further guidance to help consumers be aware of their rights before they shop online in the sales in January. “It can be confusing to know exactly what your rights are when you are shopping in the sales. Can you return something if it doesn’t fit, if something turns out to be faulty do you have the same rights, do you have to accept a credit note? Your rights are different depending on if you buy online or in-store and with more of us than ever buying online, it’s important you know what you can expect and what you are entitled to if something goes wrong,” said a spokesperson. Here are  the CCPC’s top consumer rights tips.  Top tips for buying online: ·         Know your rights: If you are buying from a website that is based …

A CLARE woman is flavour of the month after becoming the inspiration behind a new recipe book backed by celebrity chef Darina Allen. The time-perfected desserts created by the residents of Mowlam Healthcare will be remembered forever in the ‘Nursing Home Bake Off’ publication. But the idea to gather a collection of residents’ favourite recipes from across Ireland was inspired by the trailblazing baking skills of a 91-year-old woman in Ennis Nursing Home. Ardent hurling fan and Liverpool FC supporter, Cissie Collins, bakes scones and apple cakes for fellow residents during baking demonstrations hosted by her every Wednesday. It soon became evident that there was a large group of enthusiastic bakers throughout the group – sowing the seed of a book with recipes from bygone days. Cissie is one of the 51 kitchen-savvy pensioners living in Mowlam Healthcare nursing homes across Ireland who contributed recipes ­– some dating back three generations – and features on its front cover. “I haven’t …