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Fire service warns of dry weather dangers

With forecasts suggesting further dry weather over the next week, Clare’s chief fire officer, Adrian Kelly, is reminding landowners and the general public of the dangers posed by illegal burning and forest, bog and gorse fires. Mr Kelly said that illegal burning can spread to private and State-owned forestry plantations and jeprodise the safety of dwellings and families living in rural areas. He added that it places an unnecessary strain and expense on the limited resources of Clare’s fire service. “We would like to remind landowners that it is an offence under the Wildlife Act to burn growing vegetation between March 1 and August 31 in any year, on any land not then cultivated. The sad fact is that if this simple rule was adhered to, many costly and dangerous wildfires would be avoided. “Thankfully, there have not been many reported fire incidents across Clare during the warm weather of recent weeks but the risk remains high while this dry spell …

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Minister to meet Clonahinchy residents

Minister of State at the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform, Simon Harris, has confirmed, in correspondence to Fine Gael TD Joe Carey, that he will meet a deputation of Clohaninchy residents in the coming weeks. Deputy Harris also has special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) who, in correspondence last week, said that a new coastal protection project is not eligible for funding because available money was for “repair” of damaged coastal protection infrastructure. Residents in this area of West Clare have expressed concern that if coastal erosion works are not carried out, further instances of flooding, similar to January and February of this year, may re-occur in 2015. Clare County Council has estimated that remedial works would cost €4.7m. “I understand from correspondence issued to me from the minister that he has requested officials in his department to make contact with the officials in Clare County Council to ascertain the status of any proposals in relation …

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Quilty’s problems ‘not sexy enough’ for help

“Unfortunately, Quilty does not have a cute, sexy and/or sympathy-generating situation.” That’s according to Nancy Creech, co-secretary of the Quilty Action Group, who has written to local TDs, county councillors and the Office of Public Works (OPW), claiming that Quilty is being ignored when it comes to addressing erosion issues in the West Clare village. “The damage in Quilty and Quilty West happened in the second and third storms and missed out on the sensationalism of the media coverage. “I have been watching and listening with interest to the coastal erosion media coverage driven by our neighbours in Clohanincy and I believe that Quilty village is, once again, being overlooked,” Ms Creech’s letter claimed. “Like the residents in Clohanincy, we are attempting to keep safe our property and our village. It has been six months since the winter storms devastated the Quilty coastline and, to date, Clare County Council have done nothing with regards to putting in place a plan …

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Mountshannon’s grown-ups get a playground

LOCALS and visitors to Mountshannon seeking to keep fit were given a welcome boost this week, when new public outdoor sporting equipment was installed in the Aistear Park. Five pieces of equipment, which consist of a double air walker, rower, cross trainer, surf board and single rider, were fixed into position in their new home in the Aistear on Wednesday last, much to the delight of locals and visitors. The amenities formed part of a joint initiative between Mountshannon Community Council, which now runs the Aistear, and the local CE scheme, headed by Tom McNamara. It was made possible after the community council was awarded €3,000 in grant aid, under the Public Area Enhancement Scheme, by Clare County Council. Speaking about the latest addition to the Aistear Park, John Harvey, chairman of Mountshannon Community Council, said, “We have a playground for the children, so we thought a playground for the adults wouldn’t be out of the question. It was just …

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Ennis company highlights Atlantic Way

Following the success of the Gathering initiative in 2013, the emphasis in tourist circles now and for the next number of years will be on driving the 2,500km Wild Atlantic Way, which runs from Kinsale in Cork up the west coast to Malin Head in Donegal. The west coast of Clare sits on the key south-west section of the Wild Atlantic Way and, in an initiative by Ennis-based Spa Transport and Shannon Ferries, this section of the route features on eight of the fleet of trailers operated by Spa Transport, under the theme, Bridging the Wild Atlantic Way. The tourism industry is highly dependent on home visitors and this advertising initiative brings the message, incorporating a map of the south-west, to the main highways and urban areas in Ireland. The Wild Atlantic Way is modelled on a number of high-profile driving routes across the world, including the Garden Route in South Africa and the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. …

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Bunratty diaspora centre meeting stalled

CLARE County Council has passed the first selection stage, following a submission made to Fáilte Ireland, for Bunratty to be the location for the proposed National Diaspora Centre. However, the council is awaiting already postponed information meetings with Fáilte Ireland, which were due to take place at the end of July. It was envisaged in the circulated tender documentation that a meeting would take place between the selected county councils and Fáilte Ireland. Last March, the Government announced that it was seeking expressions of interest from potential partners to develop and operate a National Diaspora Centre. A Fáilte Ireland study had concluded that a diaspora centre could be viable and self-financing. The study found that a National Diaspora Centre has the potential to be a major tourism attraction, with particularly strong appeal for the Irish diaspora. However, the study found that it would also have to be of interest to people living in Ireland, as well as to overseas visitors, …

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Compassionate Communities address palliative care

WHEN it comes down to it, we’re all heading in the same direction; we’re all on the same journey and, sooner or later, we’ll all end up in the same place. As Benjamin Franklin put it, “in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. We’re prepared to talk about taxes: income tax, capital gains tax, DIRT tax, PRSI, the USC, property tax, VAT and the latest tax, water charges – but very few of us want to talk about the other thing. There is one person though who doesn’t mind talking about death. Dr Kathy McLoughlin, project co-ordinator of Compassionate Communities in Milford Care Centre (MCC), is encouraging us to begin talking about death and to ‘Think Ahead’. And she wants communities and neighbours and, indeed, all of us, to help her to do away with the fear and stigma that surrounds our final departure; to develop a healthier attitude to dying and death. …

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Planning refused as ‘Mills graveyard comes under historical scrutiny

PLANNING permission has been refused to extend Kiluran Graveyard in O’Callaghan’s Mills, arising from the discovery of “significant archaeological features” at the site. The Kiluran Graveyard Committee submitted an application to Clare County Council, seeking to extend the existing graveyard, which is presently accessed by a right-of-way from the public road, with all associated site works, in February of this year. This week, Clare County Council refused the application on the basis that “it is considered that to permit the proposed development would injure or interfere with the historic remains and setting of the adjoining archaeological monuments”. On the file, Clare’s architectural conservation officer and archaeologist, Risteard Ua Cróinín, outlined that the existing graveyard is a recorded archaeological monument as an ecclesiastical complex. He highlighted that this complex included the remains of a medieval church, medieval graveyard and bullaun stone. He explained that under the Monuments Acts 1930 to 2004, no development may take place near the monument without the …

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