News

Visitors to Loop Head Lighthouse increased by 7.5% during the West Clare landmark’s six-month opening period up to Sunday, October 5. Figures released by Clare County Council, which manages the facility in conjunction with the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL), reveal that a record 20,368 people visited the historic lighthouse. Just over 60% of visitors were Irish visitors, with North America, the United Kingdom and Germany each accounting for 8% of the overall figure. Italian and French visitors represented just over 5% of the total figure. Gerard Dollard, director of services, tourism and Community, Clare County Council, said visitor numbers at the lighthouse were buoyed by the development of new services at Shannon Airport, favourable weather conditions during September, and the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way. “Loop Head Lighthouse is now finishing its fourth year of operation as a visitor attraction. During this time, it has become firmly established as one of Clare’s most popular visitor attractions,” he said. Mr …

Gardaí in Ennis are investigating an assault on a woman in which paint was sprayed into her face. The incident occurred on Tuesday September 30 last at approximately 9.25am, while the injured party was out walking at Aughanteeroe on the Gort Road, Ennis with some members of her family. She was approached by two other females and one of them sprayed red paint into her face. They then fled the scene. Gardaí in Ennis are appealing for witnesses to this crime, and anyone with information is asked to contact them. Separately,  in Ennis gardaí are investigating after windows in the glass houses at the Dulick centre on the Gort Road were broken by rocks. The centre, which is used by people with intellectual and physical disabilities, was targeted between 4pm on Friday September 26 and 9.30am on Monday September 29. Gardaí are treating the incident as criminal damage and are appealing for information for assistance. Further to these incidents Ennis …

An Ogonnelloe-based entrepreneur has forged a new connection with a public authority in a bid to secure European Union funding to make the delivery of broadband services through satellites more affordable. Patrick Sullivan of Slí Nua Development, an economic development company, is supporting the proposed Satellite Broadband Voucher Scheme. Slí Nua and the Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly Mid-West Office, formerly Mid West Regional Office, are partners of an EU-cofunded Satellite Broadband for European Regions project, (SABER). This project delivered a new website, broadbandforall.eu, which allows people living anywhere in Europe to click on their own country and find information about the delivery of satellite broadband. Mr Sullivan said businesses located in remote and rural areas of Clare, Limerick and Tipperary are disadvantaged because they are not able to access affordable broadband services; particularly at the higher broadband speeds that are necessary for them to exploit the increasing number of ICT applications and services that are now available on the …

By Seamus Hayes Lissycasey 2-10 Eire Og 0-10 Lissycasey retained the minor A football championship title when they proved too strong for Eire Og at Doonbeg on Saturday afternoon. The win marked the mid Clare club’s third success in the championship, their first coming in 2009 when they accounted for Ennistymon. Eire Og went into this year’s final as favourites and they started as if they would justify that rating. However they failed to turn early dominance into scores and Lissycasey got the upperhand and once the hit the front, midway through the opening half, with a Ciaran Doohan goal, they dictated matters. Ahead 1-5 to 0-5 at half time, the winners stretched their lead to five points early in the second half. Eire Og closed the gap to three but failed to get any closer and when Michael O’Malley struck for the winner’s second goal, five minutes from time, there was no way back for the town side. There …

Devastation has been expressed by the main figure behind the West Clare Mini- Marathon, following news that a palliative care room in Regina House, Kilrush, has been closed by the HSE. Regina House nursing home has been operational for 42 years on the Cooraclare Road. Two palliative care rooms were opened in February 2004 and have benefited from in excess of €180,000 in funding from mini-marathon proceeds. The event is held every January, always finishing in Kilkee. In total, the mini-marathon has raised €1.8m towards the provision of cancer care in West Clare, since the first run was held in 1998. Committee chairman Willie McGrath told The Clare Champion that he learned of the palliative care room closure when he enquired, on behalf of a cancer patient, if it was available. “I made contact with Regina House director of nursing, Anne McNamara, a couple of weeks ago, to see if we could get a particular person in there. I was …

EAST Clare Heritage Centre at St Cronan’s Church, Tuamgraney, has closed but the Church of Ireland has vowed to keep the building as a place of worship. St Cronan’s has the distinction of being the oldest church in continuous use in Ireland and is linked to Brian Boru and his family. East Clare Heritage chairperson, Ruth Minogue, confirmed its 21-year licence to operate its heritage centre out of St Cronan’s Church has expired and that they left the building last weekend. “The Church of Ireland wanted to take over the church again to use it more as a church but they would be quite open for it to be used for talks and tours,” Ms Minogue said. The licence expired in October 2013, with an agreement to extend it to October 2014 to facilitate both parties. In August, East Clare Heritage advised the Church of Ireland they would be leaving the premises. In this correspondence, they said, “We wish to …

IN an effort to raise awareness of the escalating threat of homeless in the region, the Mid West Simon Community held a sleep out at Kilrush GAA Club last Friday night. Thirty five people took part by sleeping in a box, which formerly held a fridge or a washing machine, while some opted to sleep in an army-style tent. Each participant has until the end of October to raise €250 for the Mid West Simon Community. While organisers were grateful to everyone who raised money, Geraldine Lambert, chairperson of Board of Directors of Mid West Simon Community, stressed that increasing awareness of the spectre of homelessness is equally important. “Just as important is raising the awareness. It could be a neighbour, a friend or a work colleague. Somebody that you wouldn’t expect to be going throught a trauma. It’s good to be able to say to them ‘why don’t you give Mid West Simon a ring and see if you …

THE dramatic increase in the number of house repossession applications in Clare, from seven to 120 over the last 12 months, has been described as “startling”. The Court Service has confirmed 11 orders for house possession were granted last month, compared to none in September 2013. It has emerged that at least one of these 11 orders was granted by consent, while over 33 of the current civil bills for possession are first-time applications, as cases can be adjourned a number of times before they are brought for a full hearing. MABS money advisor, Liam O’Connell, who is a qualified solicitor, stated the decision to close a legal loophole last year, following a 2009 High Court case involving Start Mortgages versus Gunne, made it much easier for lenders to repossess properties. In addition, he explained there is an increasing trend where banks are now deeming mortgages to be unsustainable. The president of the Clare Law Association, Mairéad Doyle, said banks …