East Clare

Work has finally begun on the €7 million development of a new secondary school in Tulla and the first signs of diggers and a compound being erected has been met with delight locally. The project will see St Joseph’s Secondary School moving to a new greenfield site. Works include the development of a new two-storey 650 pupil school building, comprising 26 specialist classrooms, 10 general classrooms, a PE hall, a general purpose hall, kitchenette and offices, staff areas, a two-class special needs unit, sanitary and ancillary accommodation. Site works that are underway include the demolition of an existing derelict farm compound and further works include the provision of 48 car parking spaces, with accessible parking via a new ‘in-out’ access point from the R462 public road, as well as pedestrian access and pick-up facilities. Construction is expected to take somewhere between 12 to 14 months to complete. Tulla-based TD, Timmy Dooley said, “Having worked tirelessly with others on this project …

A SPOTLIGHT will be shone on Quin on RTÉ One this Sunday (8.30pm), as John and Francis Brennan and the At Your Service team come to Ballyhannon House Riding School and Trekking Centre  to work their magic. In the first episode of a new series of At Your Service, the Brennan brothers, who own and run the five-star Park Hotel in Kenmare, will visit Johnny Hassett’s riding school. The day they were previewing the riding school for the show, Johnny said it was just after the storms had hit and a lot of damage had been caused, so he felt this went in his favour to secure the Brennan’s help. “I twigged that the worse it was, the more they liked it,” he said. He said the reason for wanting to go on the show was to help raise the profile of Ballyhannon House but also there were some serious issues he felt needed to be addressed and he hoped …

Kilkishen Cultural Centre is delighted to launch into 2015 with a performance by Frankie Gavin and De Dannan on Saturday January 3 at 8.30pm. For many years traditional super group De Dannan were the forerunners in the Irish traditional music world but after 33 years, 14 albums and a number of changes in the line up, the group disbanded in 2003.  A new De Dannan was formed by original founding member and world famous fiddle player Frankie Gavin which in his own words “will reflect a De Dannan of the 21st century”. The new De Dannan line up is led by original De Dannan member Frankie Gavin on fiddle, flutes and whistles, Barry Brady on accordion, Colm O’Caoimh on Guitar and Vocals, Paul O’Driscoll on Double bass and vocals and with Michelle Lally on vocals. Frankie Gavin is the most celebrated Irish fiddle player of all time and has performed and recorded with rock legends The Rolling Stones, Jazz Legend …

  The National Roads Authority (NRA) has been asked to attend the January meeting of Clare County Council to address public dissatisfaction over the remedial works carried out on the motorway linking Crusheen and Gort. The call came the NRA was subjected to stinging criticism of the effectiveness of work carried out on the motorway, despite two recent road closures. Councillor Pat Hayes told a recent council meeting motorists were still complaining about a section of the motorway between Gort and Crusheen and weren’t happy with recent works carried out by the NRA. “The work carried out by the NRA didn’t address the issues that people were complaining about – the dips, hollows and aquaplaning in wet weather. The NRA spent between three to four weeks working on this road and nobody seems to know what they were doing. “It was all hush hush. The public need to know what is going on. The NRA should be invited to address …

THE Friends of Clooney/Quin GAA Club prepare are reminding locals of their sponsored climb of Clare’s highest mountain, Moylussa, in Killaloe on December 28. The climb has been organised to raise funds for the Oncology Department of University Hospital, Galway and is being held in solidarity with one of their own who is battling cancer currently, as well as to all the others in the club and parish who have been affected by the disease. The club is reminding those interested in participating that it is a climb that will be no trouble to anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Participants are asked to gather at 12 noon on December 28 and are advised to wear good hiking boots and to bring a walking stick. Following the event there will be a social gathering at The Village Inn in Quin. Further information is available from Haulie Hannon on 086-3456233 or  Pat Ryan on 087-2906766. By Carol Byrne

APART from the obvious name association with one of Britain’s most famous politicians, the Churchill Arms in Kensington has become a landmark pub due to its multi award-winning floral displays. The man responsible is green-fingered landlord, Gerry O’Brien, from Ogonnelloe, who pays great attention to detail in the distinct appearance of his London pub, both inside and out. Gerry’s dedication to running a good house is surpassed only by his passion for flowers. Throughout the year, he has tubs, pots and window-boxes, from the pavement to the roof top, full to overflowing in a blaze of colourful flowers. In summer, when the flowers at the Churchill Arms are at their best, it is a wonderful sight to behold and one which has earned Gerry numerous awards. His most recent is from a London licensing trade magazine, Time Out. In recent weeks, with the winter taking its toll on the displays, Gerry put Plan B into operation. With the flower containers …

The Oireachtas Joint Committee Agriculture, Food and the Marine agreed of Tuesday evening to progress farmers’ concerns around the designation of Special Conservation Area to protect the hen harrier. In addition to Clare and Galway, there are hen harrier protection areas in Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Kerry, Laois, Offaly and Monaghan. As part of the process to deal with farmers’ concerns, the committee intends to call officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The committee was meeting with representatives from Irish Farmers with Designated Land (IFDL), who outlined how changes of designation under EU Directives have served to dramatically devalue the land of about 4,000 farmers. Committee chairman, Deputy Andrew Doyle said, “The meeting with IFDL representatives illuminated the difficulties that many farmers have endured in light of the designation of 169,000 hectares of land to protect the hen harrier. The committee heard that farming and the hen harrier have coexisted for …

A new Brian Boru Millennium Crown, which is being used as part of a nationwide drive to raise thousands of euro for cancer research, was taken to the birthplace of its namesake this week. The crown, which is part of the Jewels for Cures cancer initiative, was transported from the Hunt Museum for a few stops at historical landmarks connected with Brian Boru in East Clare, by the brainchild of the charity drive, Alison McCormick. Ms McCormick had originally intended to auction the crown but then decided to donate it to the Irish people, as a gift to mark the commemorations marking 1,000 years since Brian Boru’s death at the Battle of Clontarf. This project raises funds for the Cancer Clinical Research Trust (CCRT), which was set up by Professor John Crown in 1997. Members of Killaloe Ballina Féile Brian Boru committee and the High King’s direct descendant, Lord Inchiquin, Conor O’Brien were present to mark this historic occasion at …