East Clare

IT was 47 years in the planning but finally the Feakle Sewerage Scheme, alongside its sister sewerage scheme in Scariff and Tuamgraney, was officially opened by Mayor of Clare Councillor Pat Hayes at ceremonies held last Friday.Formal planning of the Feakle Sewerage Scheme dates back to 1964, when Clare County Council commissioned the preparation of a preliminary report and as a local and a long-time elected representative for the area, the mayor was relieved that the schemes had borne fruition.Mayor Hayes said he was delighted to be in a position to launch the new and upgraded infrastructure for the uniquely situated villages of Feakle and Scariff. “I’d also like to acknowledge the patience and co-operation of the local communities in supporting the scheme’s advancement. The economic development of the area is directly connected to investment in infrastructure such as this and I am delighted that another step in progressing such development has been achieved to allow for future economic growth,” …

A Dublin man visiting Mountshannon recently was disgusted by the way a scenic area was left at the quay and has said it is a sad state of affairs and doesn’t give much hope for the future.Gerry Duffy took a photograph of the offending site while holidaying in East Clare. As a regular visitor to the county, he says this was not the first time he has come across this issue.“The photograph was taken on the quayside as you look out across the lake and where all the boats pull in. I have seen this problem before and reported it to the local tourism office who then passed it on to Clare County Council who had it cleaned and then contacted me personally to say the area was now clear of rubbish. I have been holidaying in Clare for the past 40 years and I enjoy the area but when I see rubbish like this at such a beautiful place …

The Department of Education and Skills has acknowledged that Scoil na Mainistreach’s school building in Quin is “now deficient in meeting the needs of the current school population” and is likely to become increasingly so in the future.The department noted this in a in a whole school evaluation report carried out in November 2010 and which was recently published. While the school received a positive evaluation it was noted by the inspectorate that the school’s board of management addresses the maintenance and improvement of the school building with diligence. Notwithstanding this, the report noted that “the school building is now deficient in meeting the needs of the current school population. As it is expected that the school population will continue to grow, the current building is likely to be increasingly deficient in meeting the school’s needs into the future”.Responding to the comments made in the department’s evaluation, the school’s board of management said it is continuing, as a priority, to …

East Clare County Councillor Pat Hayes is set to be voted in as the county’s next mayor at the local authority’s AGM on Thursday, bridging a 16-year gap since the region had mayoral representation. Councillor Hayes has been a county councillor since 1999, having stood in 1991 unsuccessfully. He lives in Maghera, Caher and comes from a very musical family. He is the son of Peggy Hayes and the renowned musician PJoe Hayes, now deceased. The part-time farmer, community worker and father of three was nominated by his Fianna Fáil party colleagues two years ago to represent them in the bid for mayor. He is expected to be named as the new mayor, due a standing arrangement within the various groupings of Clare County Council. Asked about the role, Councillor Hayes says he is both apprehensive in the sense that it is a big challenge taking on the role of Mayor of a county but is also deeply honoured to …

An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for the construction of a 30-person nursing home in Tulla despite a recommendation to refuse the development on three separate grounds by the planning inspector in the appeal. Planning was granted to applicants John and Ted Nugent, subject to 14 planning conditions, for the construction of a 26-bedroom nursing home together with eight assisted living complex units, ancillary facilities and associated site development works.The board found that it would not seriously injure the amenities of the area, or of property in the vicinity and would result in an acceptable level of amenity for future occupants and would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience, subject to compliance with 14 cited by the planning board. The planning inspector recommended that planning be refused and noted in her report that further to the above planning assessment of matters pertaining to this appeal, that the location of the nursing home would be contrary to …

St Fineen’s Hall in Quin will open its doors this weekend after a major overhaul and redevelopment, which aims to see the community facility re-established as a vibrant centre in Quin. Since it first opened 70 years ago, St Fineen’s Hall has been at the centre of most aspects of community life, from great dances with some of the biggest bands of the day to plays and bingo. Sadly, as the years went on, these activities ceased and ‘the hall’, as it is simply still known, began to fall into a bad state of repair, despite the efforts of various committees.However, a new committee formed five years ago, chaired by the late Sarah Lennon, set about bringing a programme of both repair and development to revitalise the hall and bring it back to its former glory as a vibrant community centre. Phase one was completed a year later and was aided significantly through the support of the community and the …

Details for acts visiting East Clare for the Scariff Harbour Festival have been announced, with Mundy, Paddy Casey and The Celtic Tenors topping the bill for the ninth annual event, which takes place from July 28 to July 31. Such is the level of excitement about this year’s festival that people will be coming to Scariff by all means possible, including parachute. As part of the line up of events, a skydiving display with world-class skydivers will take place, where the skilled team will jump from 4,000ft in a dizzying display and land with pinhead-precision in Craven’s field.The festival continues to develop and attract ever-growing numbers of people. The festival offers a range of activities highlighting the many attractions of the area and catering to all ages and tastes. A festival is not complete without music and once again the programme will feature a mix of genres from jazz and folk to traditional music.The headlining act for this year’s event …

Tulla resident and horse breeder Gina Sivyer has the magic touch when it comes to horses, as she has a unique ability to help relieve pain and discomfort.  Gina has an unusual but rewarding job as an Equine Touch and Tennington Touch practitioner. These are energy and connective soft tissue disciplines used on horses to addresses injuries the animal might have, in many cases leading to behavioural changes for the better. Equine Touch is a gentle, hands-on soft tissue bodywork technique that encourages tight muscles to relax, stimulates blood circulation, reduces pain and boosts the immune system, helping a horse’s whole body improve its functionality. Gina breeds horses and works with this technique to rehabilitate sport and race horses at Kiltannon Home Farm in Tulla, where she works through horses’ physical and behavioural issues.  “For the last eight years, I have been involved in learning alternative techniques, I started with the Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM), which is a …