East Clare

ALTHOUGH the name of Pat Hayes will appear on the ballot papers that will issue on Monday for the forthcoming Seanad elections, the Clare county councillor will not be canvassing for election. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Councillor Hayes said that at this point in time and for personal reasons, it does not suit him to go forward. “I was honoured to get the nomination but circumstances this time didn’t allow me to canvass. I am very interested in being a candidate in the future,” he added. Last month, the East Clare councillor sought the nomination to the Seanad’s Agricultural Rural Development panel from the Irish Grain and Feed Association but then had a rethink and decided not to contest the seat. However, as the papers had been lodged, he could not formally withdraw. “I did seek the nomination and I did get a nomination and then I did seek to withdraw it. The system doesn’t allow you to withdraw …

AN East Clare man has described the granting of a five-year licence to Coillte to spray cypermethrin as “extremely disappointing” and “hugely disrespectful”. In February, Coillte held a meeting with a number of concerned residents from the Derryoran-Ballyhinch area, who delivered a petition to the Coillte office in Scariff, clarifying their stance against the spraying of the cypermethrin insecticide in the forests surrounding their homes. Mountshannon resident, Brian Ragbourn initiated the Derryoran-Ballyhinch petition, which was signed and supported by nine other locals, who are concerned by the spraying of the insecticide, which was banned in France, Germany, Sweden and Italy 10 years ago. Cypermethrin is sprayed on forestry by Coillte to prevent and control the harmful pine weevil pest decimating non-native spruce and pine trees. Mr Ragbourn said his research had yielded dozens of reports “detailing independent scientific research that revealed harmful biological effects of cypermethrin on frogs, fish, lizards, chickens, rats and earthworms”. He said the locality provides a …

Care County Council could end up with “roads up in the clouds”, if it continues to raise roads affected by flooding, instead of looking at drainage alternatives, a local councillor has claimed. Flood remedial works on the outskirts of Newmarket-on-Fergus have created problems in other areas in the locality, according to Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. Councillor O’Callaghan told  a recent Killaloe Municipal District meeting that in the region of €300,000 was spent on raising a road in Ballycar to facilitate access for a number of houses, which the householders really appreciated. However, he pointed out that this road was still blocked with water 100 yards further on, which resulted in another portion being raised on two successive occasions. “While works needed to be done on these roads, the bigger picture here is drainage. Or are we going to end up with roads up in the clouds? “Eighty percent of the water could be alleviated, if drains and culverts were being opened. …

Scariff Community College 7-14 Claregalway Community College 0-0 Scariff Community College proved much too strong for Claregalway Community College in the All-Ireland junior C camogie championship semi-final played at Whitegate this Saturday afternoon. [doptg id=”101″] In very difficult weather conditions, the East Clare side dominated from the outset and had two goals registered inside the opening two minutes. Centre forward Ciara Doyle was in sparkling form for the winners and finished the game with a tally of 4-9, 2-4 coming in the opening half. It was 3-7 to 0-0 at the interval, the winner’s third goal coming from full forward Aoife O’Brien. In fairness to the Connacht champions, it must be pointed out that they had a quarter final tie just forty eight hours earlier and this, clearly, had taken its toll. Three points in as many minutes at the start of the second half from Ciara Doyle killed off any slim hopes of a fight back by the Galway …

The musical genius of Clare fiddler Martin Hayes has been acknowledged in his selection as the first recipient of a prestigious new award at the University of Limerick. UL has announced a new three-year arts patronage award through the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. The Irish World Academy Artist, will facilitate the creative process of selected artists across a three-year period through a budget of €60,000. Martin Hayes, the first recipient, has been internationally acclaimed for bringing his local East Clare traditional fiddle style to a global audience through his many performances and recording. The Irish World Academy Artist at the University of Limerick will undertake a series of creative projects across the three-year span. Students of the academy will have access to open workshops in the building on the banks of the river Shannon on the University Campus. Professor Don Barry, president of UL, said, “It is fitting that an artist of the stature of Martin Hayes should …

GOVERNMENT and development agencies have been urged to assist East Clare workers who will be laid off when a local company winds down its operation. The worst fears about the future of L3 Communications ESSCO Collins Limited, Enagh, Kilkishen, were realised last week when employees were informed the plant will close by June, with the loss of an estimated 30 full-time and part-time jobs. Speculation about the future of the plant, which manufactures radar systems and equipment, intensified in the run up to Christmas and workers were hit with the devastating news about its closure on Thursday last. It is understood that chief executives from the head office in the United States will visit the plant next Monday to continue negotiations with employees. Describing the closure as a “huge blow”, Councillor Alan O’Callaghan has called on State agencies involved in job creation, especially Enterprise Ireland, to assist the company to try and sell the business as a going concern, or …

BACK in 1995, Mountshannon woman Ann McNamara decided to leave her job with an insurance company and work with Concern in Bangladesh for a two-year period. More than 20 years later, she is still working with an organisation responding to crisis situations. An assistant country director with GOAL, based in Antakya on the Turkey/Syria border for six months, Ann says spending Christmas away from home and family has become the norm. “Over the 22 years I have been overseas, I have probably spent two or three Christmases back in Ireland,” she says. “This is normal for me. It’s so crazy here you don’t even realise it’s Christmas.” Ann initially worked with Concern for 11 years as a regional HR advisor, before working with Oxfam and then Save the Children UK in South Sudan. She returned to Concern in 2011 to work as an assistant country director in Liberia for two years and then spent one year in Lebanon. “I finished my …

Four houses were completely cut off at the weekend when flood waters rose rapidly at Doorus in O’Callaghan’s Mills. One of the families affected were Martina and Rory Moloney who have 10-year old twins, Caoimhe and Jack. The family, who were forced to evacuate their home, have been promised temporary accomodation in O’Callaghan’s Mills by Clare County Council. Out pictures how the Swift Water Flood Response Team from Clare Civil Defence moving the family and some of their possessions out by boat on Tuesday afternoon. For an extensive interview with Mrs Moloney see page 17 of this week’s Clare Champion. [doptg id=”88″]