East Clare

Landowners with road frontage in East Clare are being advised to consider carrying out hedge cutting works ahead of the restriction period for such works, which kicks off next month.

It was lights, camera, action in the twin parish of Flagmount Killanena in 2009 when young and old were involved in capturing on film the history, folklore and tales of a bygone era.This weekend however, all will be revealed, as the public learn all there is to know about the area at the premier screening of Inside Out: A Film About our Parish, in Glór, Ennis this Saturday. Lough Graney Youth Club were thrilled to be awarded an AIB Better Ireland Award last year and were even more ecstatic to learn that their idea of creating a documentary about their community could become a reality. Having set the wheels in motion and with the help and guidance of project co-ordinator Kathleen McNamara, artist in residence, Hilary Dully, and her husband Joe Comerford, the members of the youth club learned all there was to know about operating a camera, sound, lighting and interview techniques. It was a daunting task and a …

Scariff Community College transition-year pupils, along with Fishbowl Youth Club, Scariff, are part of a core group working on the first Irish Youth Democracy Project.The project, which is run by Léargas, the National Agency for the EU Youth in Action Programme in Ireland, aims to inspire active European citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the European Union’s future.This project is the first of its kind in Ireland and follows the EU Youth policy directive encouraging involvement by young people with the democratic process and interaction with decision makers.Nine pupils from Scariff Community College and two pupils from Scariff Youth Reach are participating and together, they will take on the challenge of the research-based project. The pupils will explore the strong and weak points of each system and aim to come up with action points for improvement. The process includes workshops, discussion groups and PR, which will be documented on film. The project has …

EAST Clare Community Support is to remain in place after the community development programme were threatened with closure arising from Government budgetary cuts. The East Clare group appealed the decision to the CDP Appeals Board last month and disputed the three reasons cited by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as grounds to shut the facility down. The department had deemed 30 of the 180 community development programme organisations nationwise as no longer viable and East Clare Community Support was one of 14 organisations to successfully appeal and remain in operation. However, while the organisation was successful, it now means that it will amalgamate with the other CDPs in Clare – the Clare Women’s Network, Ennis CDP and will now come under the remit of the Clare Local Development Company. East Clare Community Support (ECCS), which employs one full-time and two part-time CDP staff, services from Killanena to Kilkishen and from Tulla to Whitegate and was established in …

WHITEGATE resident and yogic nun, Didi O’Driscoll has been collecting toys, clothes and other items from the East Clare community to raise funds for Haiti and this week, she will take the proceeds from her jumble sale to Port au Prince as she joins the relief effort.Didi, an American national who settled in Whitegate five years ago, has been involved with AMURTEL, an international NGO, for roughly 20 years. She has worked in India, Brazil and Somalia with the homeless and destitute and she will now return to that work in Haiti. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Didi explained that Amurtel had two schools operating in Port-au-Prince. One of those, thankfully still intact, is where the group is offering emergency medical care to those affected by the recent earthquake.  “I’m a trained EMT (emergency medical technician) and I expect that when I go over, I will be working with the most vulnerable, women, children and older people. I know we …

SEVEN-year-old Cian Wall from Quin made all the right moves last weekend as he went on to scoop the U-8 Munster title at the Munster Junior Chess Championships in Limerick.Cian, who plays at the Doora Chess Club, has been playing the intricate game of chess since he was five years of age, when he became intrigued by a chess set given to him by his aunt. The seven-year-old, who goes to Scoil na Mainistreach in Quin, was keen dto learn and joined the Doora Chess Club soon after. Having competed at U-7 level in the Munster and All-Ireland Chess Championships 2009, he was one move away from securing the Munster title that year but went on to compete and be placed joint fourth at the national event. This year, Cian along with his family, friends and two coaches was on a high as he claimed the 2010 Munster title. Cian will now compete at the national championships, which this year …

PLANS have been lodged by Clare County Board to amend planning permission that was granted last year for training pitches in Tulla. The board is now seeking planning so that the facility can provide for competitive matches catering for up to 1,500 members of the public.The initial planning application, which was granted in January 2009, allowed for the development of five grassed pitches, a synthetic all-weather pitch, a grassed training area, grassed hill sprint area, synthetic running track, retractable netting system behind each goal, car parking for 171 spaces and six flood lighting masts to pitches one to four at Caherlogan, Tulla. Clare County Board has now applied to amend this planning application so that the facility could allow for competitive matches to be played there. The amendment being sought proposes the broadening of the facility from the sole purpose of a training facility to the allowance of competitive matches for visiting members of the public up to a capacity …

Businesses and residents in Tulla are looking to form a committee aimed at addressing water shortage issues in the village in light of the ongoing problems with the local supply.