East Clare

ARCHITECTS who proposed a design for an independent footbridge in Quin village are set to meet with council officials to discuss the feasibilty of the project. Lawrence and Long Architects had previously put forward plans for a contemporary steel bridge. However, it was decided by Clare County Council that this would be “inappropriate”. There is already approval and funding in place to develop a new footpath to faciliate pedestrians along the wall of the existing bridge.

FINSA Forest Products Ltd recorded a loss of €3.4 million for the tax year 2011, according to accounts filed by the company in the last quarter of 2012.

Kilkishen is to benefit from a significant funding boost with the ­announcement this week that €386,193 has been approved for the ­development of a community and cultural centre.

A SENIOR engineer for Clare County Council has stated the authority is “confident” odour problems in Quin will be alleviated as a result of work on the sewerage system at Quin Gardens. However, Sean Ward also stated that the council “cannot guarantee” that the works will solve all the problems in the Quin sewerage system and there is still the intention to carry out a major upgrade if funding becomes available.

THERE was a slight drop in those signing on the Live Register for 2012 at the Tulla Social Welfare Office, with 56 fewer people signing on in December 2012 than in 2011. However, the number of young people signing on remains static.

EAST Clare’s sexiest farmer 2012 is a Bodyke man. Colin Molloy from Dromod scooped the title from nine other eager contestants in the East Clare Sexiest Farmer Competition held in Tulla recently.

  ***The year in review*** There was much to celebrate in East Clare this year with not only two Scariff-based organisations reaching milestone birthdays but also with the visit of President Michael D Higgins to mark these occasions. The Irish Seed Savers’ Association (ISSA) in Scariff celebrated its 21st birthday this year and was delighted to welcome President Higgins and his wife Sabine to open their new seed bank facility – the first gene bank of its kind in the country, in June. Speaking at the time, director of the ISSA and former CEO of Greenpeace Ireland, Claire O’Grady Walsh commented, “What a hopeful thing to do to open a bank in 2012 – a proper bank – a seed bank and what an honour to have a poet and a dreamer as our President”.When officially opening the ISSA’s new seed bank, President Higgins remarked, “Your work is important as it is regrettably rare in this country, with the numbers …

  ***The year in review*** AS this year marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the Lough Graney community came out in force to remember one of their own who was caught up in the disaster. Mary Agatha Glynn, aged 19, was one of the first steerage passengers to survive Titanic and a very special tribute was paid to her in April.  Lough Graney was where the young East Clare woman learned to row a boat and on April 15, 1912, Mary Agatha Glynn had to use this skill to row herself and the passengers on lifeboat 13 to safety.The event attracted upwards of 300 people. In preparation for this occasion, members of the organising committee tracked down Mary Agatha Glynn’s husband’s niece, Peggy who lived near them in Washington over a 10-year period. Peggy, who now lives in Kerry, lived beside Mary and her family for some time and she explained that they had a summer …