News

AIB has approved €292 million in business credit to Limerick and the Mid-West region in the year to September 2014, the bank’s chief executive, David Duffy announced on this Monday. AIB’s Mid-West operation covers counties Limerick, Clare and Galway. At the launch of the refurbished branch and new self-service lobby on O’Connell Street, Limerick, the chief executive confirmed that loan drawdowns by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Mid-West region were up 24% in the first nine months of 2014 compared with the same period last year. He also said that AIB had invested significantly in its flagship branch at 106, O’Connell Street in the heart of Limerick City. “The figures show we have already approved €292 million for businesses in Limerick and the Mid-West in the year to September, while we have opened 1,163 New Business Start Up accounts so far this year. It is very heartening to see these business start-up accounts opening at the rate of …

FORMER Clare county manager, Alec Fleming has taken over as interim CEO with Ennis Chamber of Commerce, while Rita McInerney takes a year’s career break. Paddy Darmody, president of Ennis Chamber, welcomed the new interim CEO and said he is looking forward to working with Alec, in what promises to be a very busy year for the Chamber. “Ennis is recovering from a very deep recession and I am confident that Alec’s experience and expertise will be of great benefit to the Chamber and the town in the challenging year ahead” said Paddy. “I’m delighted to step in as interim CEO, while Rita is away,” Mr Fleming said. A public servant for 30 years, he retired from the top Clare public service job in 2009 and has been working in private industry as a consultant. A Tipperary native, Alec received his second-level education in St Flannan’s, before beginning his public service career, and has been living in Ennis since 2002, …

CLARE County Council has signalled the green light for the construction of a new railway museum building in Moyasta. Jackie Whelan has been given the go-ahead by the planning authority to construct a new museum building, incorporating a café and toilets, a reed-bed waste disposal system connected to a water tank, a railway crossing and pedestrian crossing of the N67, bus pull-in, car park and pathway, footbridge, laying of rail tracks and other associated site works, subject to 30 planning conditions. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Mr Whelan said he was delighted that the council had granted his development planning permission. The West Clare businessman wondered if the West Clare Railway would become the first private company to carry out traffic-calming measures on a public road in Moyasta. Although one of the planning conditions seeks a planning contribution of €60,000 towards the provision of traffic-calming measures along the N67, if they can’t be implemented by the applicant, Mr Whelan confirmed …

A comprehensive report on the proposed marketing of the Loop Head and Kilkee Heritage Trail on the Wild Atlantic Way, has identified 18 heritage sites in the peninsula area. The report on the pilot project, a collaboration between Clare County Council Heritage Officer, Congella Maguire, the Heritage Council, Fáilte Ireland and Loop Head Tourism, will be launched later this month. The project was community-based with the aim to develop a local heritage trail along this 60km section of the 2,500km Wild Atlantic Way. A total of 18 heritage trail sites were deemed to be worthy of inclusion in the final list, which includes the four Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Points. One of the key recommendations in the report is that consideration be given to locating information on Carrigaholt Castle in the village which is within sight and walking distance of the historic building. “Due to the prominence of Carrigaholt Castle in the local landscape it is recommended that dialogue be …

CLARE County Council has voted in favour of a motion calling for the suspension of water charges “until an honest debate on the role and future of Irish Water is held in Dáil Éireann”. They also supported a further motion on water charges that would see their introduction suspended “until a proper fair and equitable system” is put in place and Irish Water’s capacity to deliver water services to homes and businesses is reviewed. The council also backed a call for Government to reverse the imposition of water charges and instead use any resources available to repair leaking pipework and return the management of water and wastewater services to local authorities. They did, however, reject a motion from the Fine Gael group recognising the legal obligation for water charges arising from EU legislation and the bailout agreement, and calling on Irish Water to attend the full council to explain its structure, functions and charging system. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy moved …

CLARE County Council is to seek legal advice on the status of a behind-closed-doors in-committee meeting, held by West Clare county councillors, at which €50,000 of public money was allocated to two disability projects in Kilrush and Kildysart. Both projects were granted €25,000 and details of the meeting and the decision made at it only emerged publicly at a West Clare Municipal District meeting this week.Since then, Clare County Council has said they are not in a position to release the minutes of the in-committee meeting until they receive “legal clarification on the status of the minutes”. At Tuesday’s meeting, Councillor Richard Nagle, who was unable to attend the contentious meeting on October 20, described the holding of the meeting as “reprehensible and regrettable”. He queried why the meeting was held in private with the media absent. “Why was that meeting held in-committee? It was an issue deciding on the allocation of public money,” he stated. Municipal area chairman, Councillor …

Government plans to create thousands of jobs in a potentially lucrative business at Shannon Airport hang in the balance, after the European Commission vetoed a special tax incentive scheme designed to attract major international investors. The Government has been forced to start new negotiations with EU authorities to try to come up with an amended tax break plan, which was a flagship project that was earmarked to generate thousands of jobs, by facilitating the construction of aircraft maintenance hangars and ancillary facilities in Shannon. The decision has been described as a “disappointing set-back” and a “serious blow” by Fianna Fáil Deputy Timmy Dooley, who hopes efforts will continue to ensure the revised plan will be successful. However, Fine Gael Deputy Pat Breen believes this move does not jeopardise Shannon Airport’s efforts to develop an international aviation centre and will, in fact, “probably put Shannon in a stronger position”. Deputy Dooley expressed concern the revised tax incentive package would be much …

INTERNATIONALLY renowned wildlife cameraman and TV personality, Gordon Buchanan will give an illustrated talk at Glór on Wednesday next. Perhaps best known for his BBC One series The Bear Family and Me and The Polar Bear Family and Me, he is also a regular contributor to BBC’s Springwatch and Autumnwatch series. In recent years, he has made a name for himself as a filmmaker specialising in big cats. Filming lions and hyenas at night in the Serengeti in 1999 led to him making two films for the BBC’s Natural World series. His Glór appearance will be an evening of exciting personal recollections, inviting the audience into his world of weird and wonderful wildlife, including the footage of his encounter with a hungry polar bear. This terrifying segment of the series has been viewed millions of times on YouTube and will be recounted on the night. Speaking about that incident, he says, “We wanted to have a way of getting close …