News

SIX months after the government agreed to open a grant scheme to Clare homeowners affected by pyrite, more than one thousand people in this county continue to live in defective homes. As the first cold snap of the winter bites, many face the prospect of sky-rocketing costs for heating, much of which will escape through the severe cracks in their homes.  Despite what was described as a “positive” meeting, this week, between Council officials and members of Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG), there is no clarity on when exactly homeowners in this county will be able to apply for the grant. The current estimate is that the scheme will open in Q1 of next year, but no exact date has been set. Dr Martina Cleary, Linda O’Callaghan and Geraldine Kennedy attended the meeting on Wednesday (December 7). “It was a very positive meeting,” Dr Cleary said, “but the Council doesn’t seem to know much more than the homeowners. The Department …

A FASCINATING historical collection including what is believed to be Michael Collins’ ‘Missing Money Case’ has been unveiled for the first time. The Clare Champion has been shown very rare historical artefacts by a local farmer in an East Clare location that would be regarded as a collector’s dream. The family, who are steeped in IRA connections, provided safe houses for IRA volunteers during the War of Independence, which were used by Michael Collins on at least one occasion to collect money from East Clare IRA Brigade officer in charge, Michael Brennan. During the War of Independence, Collins was Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a government minister of the self-declared Irish Republic. He was then Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State from January 1922 and commander-in-chief of the National Army from July until he was shot and killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth by anti-Treaty forces on August 22, …

OVER the festive season, the entrance to the Clare 250 Cancer Centre in Ballygriffey will be lit up by 150 votive candles, each one a kind prayer for a loved one who is ill or has sadly passed away. The candles will be lit from 6pm to 9pm from December 25 to January 5. The name and home place of those who are to be remembered will be displayed on the plinth in front of the statue of Our Lady each night. One candle will cost €5 (with one name per candle). You may purchase as many as you wish. For further details call 065-6841600 or go to Clare250cancercentre.ie.

AN Bord Pleanála has overruled one of its own inspector and opened the door to a major commercial development in Ennis. The board’s inspector had recommended overturning a Clare County Council decision allowing a new Aldi store at Westpoint on the Kilrush Road; he was overruled, however, and the development has been given the go-ahead. In a report prepared following the appeal of Clare County Council’s decision to give Maom Property Ltd & Lohan Property Ltd planning permission, An Bord Pleanála Planning Inspector Adrian Ormsby warned that the development would be detrimental to Ennis town centre. “It is considered that, notwithstanding the ‘Commercial’ zoning and the ‘COM6’ zoning objective of the site for use as a ‘neighbourhood centre’, the proposed development would contribute to an excessive scale which is beyond what would be reasonably envisaged for a neighbourhood centre in this area and would be of a nature and scale that would create a counter-attraction to existing town centre services …

FLOODING concerns have prompted an East Clare councillor to call for a full drainage programme for the Killaloe district, to avoid the risk of a “major crisis”.  Councillor Pat Hayes appealed for a particular focus on the River Graney, its tributaries and the River Rhine, saying drainage and clearing of obstacles was “the only long term resolution”. Addressing the end-of-year meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Hayes said the works being done by the Council were reactive, and not making a difference in the long run. “There is a programme now for rewetting Ireland, but you don’t have to worry too much about that around here,” he remarked. “A lot of work has been done in raising the roads. We are trying now to keep roads open. The idea you can raise road by two or feet isn’t solving the real problem. We have to come back to arterial drainage with all of the agencies involved. In Ayle in …

A COMPLAINT about the positioning of the Christmas lights on Tulla’s Main Street has led to them being removed by the ESB. The move has caused great disappointment, after the local Tidy Towns group invested time and money installing the lights in the same position they have been in for a decade. Local man Brendan Worsfold, a retired Tidy Towns volunteer, was among those to express dismay at the situation, suggesting that a ‘Grinch’ had put a damper on the festive season. “This is part of an annual display which has been going on for years and added to with new decorations each year,” he said. “It adds to the festive season and brightens up a dull winter. The lights have been going up like this for ten or more years and there has never been a problem.” Mr Worsfold said the ESB has seemed “very apologetic” about the situation, but explained they had to act on the complaint. Tim …

TWO Clare TDs argued in the Dail last week for a change in Ireland’s approach to illegal drugs with one advocating their legalisation. While praising the excellent gardai successes against major criminal gangs, he argued that current legislation is not fit for purpose, and claimed that drugs are now everywhere in a way that wasn’t the case when he was a student. Listing high profile wins against organised criminal gangs such as the Collopys, the McCarthy Dundons, George Mitchell and John Gilligan he asked, “Has all of this led to the war on drugs being won? “Are there no more drugs on our streets? No, there are far more drugs on our streets, and they are in every community in Ireland. They are in every village in Ireland now – Bodyke, Scariff – every town and village in Ireland now has a thriving drugs trade. “I question the waste of Garda resources chasing these people. They are evil and the …

A NEW multi-million euro College of Further Education campus in Shannon incorporating a national centre of excellence for aviation will form part of a €1bn investment in the region over five years by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. The announcement of the €1bn investment was made at the launch in Shannon Airport of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board’s new five-year strategy. Setting out its vision to enhance the quality of learning and life in the region, Strategy Statement 2022 – 2026 outlines the role the ETB will play over the five years of the plan. This includes fulfilling the personal, social, economic and employability needs of the community it serves. The launch took place at Shannon Airport and was attended by the ETB Senior Management Team, ETB staff and invited guests, including Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins TD, and other public representatives. Speaking at the launch, George O’Callaghan, Chief Executive, highlighted …