News

Two Clare members of a national lobby group, looking for the introduction of a 20kph speed limit in housing estates, took part in a protest outside the Dáil earlier this week. Rita Malone, whose son Oran was knocked down in Ardnacrusha last September and Paula Flynn, Dalcassian Park, Ennis stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Roseanne Brennan, who is spearheading the Jake’s Legacy campaign after her son, Jake, was killed by a car outside his Kilkenny home. Ms Flynn said she was inspired to support the campaign after hearing Ms Brennan’s story about the death of her child. Five out of every 10 children hit by a car at 50kph, the current speed limit in estates, die, according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA). Ms Malone pointed out that motorists are only allowed to drive at 30kph on one of the main streets in Dublin, while motorists can drive up to 50kph in a housing estate where children are playing. She described standing outside …

INDEPENDENT County Councillor Gerry Flynn said his Dáil ambitions could be thwarted by the State’s method of funding politics, which prioritises established parties over new entrants. He feels he would need at least €20,000 of a war chest at the start of a campaign and while he is very keen to run, he won’t do so unless he feels he has at least a reasonable chance of winning a seat. Mr Flynn also said that Shane Ross, who is attempting to put together an alliance to contest the next general election, has sought to make contact with him but there have been no discussions between them as yet. Councillor Flynn said he is still assessing his level of support but that financial considerations are also a major issue for him, as he considers running for the Dáil. “If I run in the general election, I’m not going to put my name down just to make up the numbers. If I …

Former Ennis Chamber CEO, Rita McInerney has confirmed her intention to seek a place on the Clare Fianna Fáil ticket to contest the next general election. Ms McInerney, who took a one-year sabbatical from her Ennis Chamber post to complete a masters in politics at University of Limerick, is looking forward to seeking the support of cumman members ahead of the Fianna Fáil Dáil Convention in Clare. The Doonbeg shop owner is facing stiff opposition from a number of candidates, after a Clare Champion survey revealed eight out of the 12 local Fianna Fáil county councillors expressed a preference for running three candidates at the next election. It is expected that Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, and the party’s national constituency committee will select Clare as one of the battlegrounds for a female candidate, in an effort to meet the national 30% gender quota requirement. Fianna Fáil Deputy Timmy Dooley said he will be putting his name forward for re-election …

WHEN Aer Lingus announced it was removing Heathrow slots from Shannon in 2007 it was a hugely controversial move, strongly opposed by business and political interests in Clare. At the time there was speculation that the move was being made due to a secret agreement hammered out by the Government, as part of the peace process. There was little explanation from the airline itself, beyond saying that it was a commercial decision, something that many in Clare didn’t accept given the relatively high numbers that were using it. However, when Willie Walsh came before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications last week he indicated that Aer Lingus took the decision because a competitor, presumably Ryanair, was being offered more favourable terms. Mr Walsh referred to the matter, saying it may be the reason for the current concern about connectivity. “I can understand the concern that has been expressed, particularly the concern expressed in Shannon because of what happened with …

EIGHT hunting dogs were shot dead in Broadford on Wednesday, following attacks on sheep on two farms. Clare dog warden, Frankie Coote has told The Clare Champion that the beagles and cross bred dogs were hunting under supervision but broke away and attacked sheep, killing two and injuring several more. “More than likely a deer brought them through the land and once they came on the young lambs,  this is the height of lambing season. Even supervised if they come on a deer, it can bring them anywhere. That’s what we believe happened. There are a lot of deer in O’Callaghan’s Mills and Broadford. The owner was with them when they lost them. This is unusual for hunting dogs to do this but all dogs will do it,” Mr Coote explained. “There was two farms. One farmer was alerted and he went to his farm. Four of them were shot attacking the sheep. Then they went up to check the …

A convicted Ennis drug dealer is to appear before Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today (Thursday) to face an application to activate a five year suspended prison sentence for other offences. A jury of nine men and three women returned a unanimous guilty verdict in the case of Brian Greene, 39, of 2 Corrovorrin Avenue, Ennis who was  charged with having €783 worth of heroin for sale or supply over three years ago. At Ennis Circuit Criminal Court, Greene had denied having heroin for sale or supply at his Ennis address on September 13, 2011. The jury deliberated for a little less than an hour and a half before returning their verdict. After the jury were dismissed, the court was informed that the accused has a five-year suspended sentence in existence in relation to another conviction for having drugs for sale or supply and it was suggested he may be “a flight risk” in light of this. The previous …

A CONNEMARA builder will be sentenced in July for an assault on Clare traditional Irish musician, Noel Hill in a pub toilet seven years ago, which has left the victim with life-long injuries. Michael Folan, 55, from Teach Mór, Lettermullen, County Galway, had initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Mr Hill, 56, contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, at Tí Padraig Mairtín Beag in Leitir Mór, Connemara on St Stephen’s Day, 2008, when his trial opened before a jury at Galway Circuit Criminal Court last November. He changed his plea to guilty on the second day of the trial, after Mr Hill gave harrowing evidence of the injuries he sustained on the night to a stunned jury. Plastic surgeon, Patrick McCann had told the jury that Mr Hill’s left eye socket had been pushed back into his skull “like an egg in an eggcup” …

Íarnród Éireann (IR) has played down the impact of vandalism on the Limerick to Ennis rail track, after a rail engine was slightly damaged on Monday. IR spokesman Barry Kenny confirmed the 4.30pm Limerick to Ennis train struck a number of building blocks, which had been placed on the line. One passenger, who contacted The Clare Champion, claimed rail users were fortunate to escape what would have been a serious accident if the train was travelling at the same speed of a suburban Limerick to Dublin vehicle when it struck the blocks. He said the driver had to stop the train for about 15 to 20 minutes at a location across from the Moyross housing estate to examine the damage. “I could feel the train wobbling. You could hear the stones cracking underneath the train. If any part of the train had toppled over, it would have fallen into a flooded area,” he said. Criticising the vandalism, he appealed to …