News

Gardaí have seized €21,500 of suspected cannabis in Clare. Shortly after 7.30pm on Monday, September 21, gardaí from the Kilrush Drugs Unit, assisted by uniform Gardaí from Kilrush, executed a search warrant at a house in the Kilmurry-McMahon area. During the course of the search Gardaí discovered €16,000 of suspected cannabis plants. As Gardaí continued to search the property they discovered €5,500 of suspected cannabis herb. All of the suspected drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. No arrests have been made but Gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry.

A SHANNON GP has hit out the handling of circumstances around the health minister’s Covid-19 test last Tuesday the day it unveiled the new roadmap for living with the virus. Dr Yvonne Williams said that misunderstanding over who should isolate while a contact of theirs is awaiting a test result, smacked of “chaos and confusion”. “The advice is that while someone is awaiting results of a test, their household should restrict their movements,” she explained. “If someone has a positive test, then their contacts are advised to isolate.” On Tuesday, shortly after addressing a press conference on the Living with Covid-19 plan, Minister Stephen Donnelly felt unwell and contacted his GP to arrange a coronavirus test. Following that news, the cabinet, as well as Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn, were told to restrict their movements as a precaution. The Dáil was then adjourned, at first for a period of one week, before being reconvened later on Tuesday evening. …

A FRONT page report of the Clare Champion described the transport of the coffins containing the six dead policeman through the town of Ennis. It claimed that local businesses were told to close. “Early in the morning police went through the town, requiring the townspeople to close their housing during the passing of the funerals. As a result all places of business in the town were closed, and in the main thoroughfares nearly all the houses had their blinds drawn.” It said that the bodies were carried in three vehicles, while all of the coffins were wrapped in Union Jacks. The dead men were Constable Hodnett of Cork, Constable Hardman of London, Constable Keely of Roscommon, Constable Maguire of Mayo, Constable Harte of Sligo and Sergeant Hynes of Athlone.

A HOUSE which has been derelict for decades in Ennis has been described as a “blight”, while calls have been made for a return to two-way traffic at Upper Cusack Road. Councillor Mark Nestor, speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, branded the current road system as “dangerous” with traffic not stopping at the yield sign. “This is a very, very serious matter”. Responding to the motion, Ian Chaplin, acting senior executive engineer stated, “The installation of the one way system at this location was to facilitate safe passage of pedestrians and cyclists when the Greenway route was installed a number of years ago. The width available did not allow for a two way carriageway and path. To revert to a two way carriageway within the available space would require the removal of the cycle path which would leave an unsafe situation for pedestrians and cyclists. Alternatively if land acquisition was pursued here extra width could be …

50 households have exited homeless services since the introduction of the Homeless Action Team, a meeting of Clare County Council has revealed. Latest figures have highlighted that as of August 21, 2020 there were 62 new homeless presentations in the county, and 339 repeat presentations. Details were outlined following a query by Councillor Donna McGettigan seeking “the true figures” for the homeless situation in Clare by area. She stated that she has been contacted by people are living on couches, asking what is the council’s plan to “end homelessness”. Anne Haugh, director of social development detailed it is not possible to breakdown the homeless list by area. The figures showed 15 homeless families receiving emergency accommodation as at August 21. There were 60 adults and 21 dependants. She outlined that the Homeless Action Team was introduced on February 1, 2019. From that date until December 31, 2019 a total of 26 households, made up of 33 adults and 36 dependants …

A DEEP crisis facing the tourism sector in Clare was acknowledged as a new plan was approved by councillors this week to guide the industry for the next decade. The role of tourism as the county’s largest indigenous employer was highlighted, with hopes expressed by some members that the authority might play a role in securing a national cultural centre for Clare. Outlining the impact of Covid-19 on tourism at the monthly meeting of Clare County Council, Director of Service Leonard Cleary noted that the new plan had had to take account of the pandemic. Head of Tourism Deirdre O’Shea agreed that against that backdrop, the strategy was vital. “The local tourism economy is in deep crisis,” she said. “Having a strategy is more important than ever for the next ten years.” Ms O’Shea outlined the risk to the 12,000 jobs dependent on tourism, as well as to the €266 million generated annually by the sector. “The strategy is still …

FURTHER restoration work has been undertaken in recent days at what is believed to be the oldest church in use in the Diocese of Killaloe. A replica of the historical altar, which was removed from the St Vincent de Paul Barn Church in Oatfield, in the 1960s, has made by local man Donal Ryan. The beautifully crafted piece was this week installed and blessed by Bishop Fintan Monahan. Donal’s daughter is to get married later this month at the church and in advance of the ceremony, he approached the Pastoral Council with a view to installing the altar. “It was a conincidence that we happened to draw down a grant that enabled us to the preparatory work, just at the right time,” said Michael Tynan, Pastoral Council representative and Oatfield church project co-ordinator. “Donal has great skill and we are delighted now to have the altar in place. The restoration of the church has involved an amazing community effort and …

THE first Clare Champion of the month of October 1920 contains fascinating reports of the Rineeen ambush and the actions of the State forces in the aftermath, as they caused devastation in the local area. A lengthy report opens stating that, “A special representative of The Clare Champion visited Ennistymon and Lahinch on Saturday to ascertain as far as possible the nature and extent of the reprisals carried out there, following the tragic and fatal attack on the police on Black Hill, in which six policemen were shot dead.” Describing the recent events as a “painful chapter in history”, it dealt with the ambush first. “All the police in the wagon were shot dead,and the body of one policeman was, it is stated riddled with bullets.” While it said that obtaining all the correct information about the reprisals was not easy, “what is known is quite sufficient to bring home to all concerned the terrible realities of the present situation …