North Clare

Ennistymon looks set to make a national first next month when it hosts a literary festival and a book fair concurrently.In addition to the Dylan Thomas Literary Weekend, which will be based at the Falls Hotel on May 18, 19 and 20, Ennistymon will be hosting its first annual book fair.   Organisers believe this will be the first time Ireland, with all its separate literary festivals and book fairs, will see both elements in the same place at the same time. The Western Writers’ Centre and the Falls Hotel have produced a programme of events that will be complemented by the book fair. “There will be something for everyone, from children’s activities as part of the literary weekend to children’s books on sale at the fair. For lovers of books and reading, these two events will offer a variety of interests and activities, which should satisfy all tastes,” said Gerry Harrison of Banner Books, Ennistymon. Following the example of the …

A FESTIVAL celebrating the life and works of poet, short-story writer and playwright Dylan Thomas, along with his ties to North Clare, is the latest addition to the county’s cultural tourism offering. The inaugural festival is expected to draw visitors from across the country when it takes place next month.Dylan Thomas’ wife, Caitlin, was the youngest daughter of Francis MacNamara, who transformed Ennistymon House into the Falls Hotel, the venue for the inaugural Dylan Thomas Literary Weekend from Friday, May 18 to Sunday, May 20. The three-day festival will feature lectures, poetry recitals, a documentary screening and a history tour outlining Ennistymon’s connections to the Welsh literary legend and other poets, including Brian Merriman.Barbara Faulkner, chair of the Clare Tourism Forum, stressed the importance of the county showcasing its culture to attract more tourists. “Cultural tourism is becoming increasingly popular throughout Ireland and Britain. In Clare, we are particularly fortunate to be associated with numerous world-renowned poets, writers, artists and …

NORTH Clare man Joe Cunningham celebrated his 100th birthday recently with a party in his honour at the Aisling Irish Community Centre in New York.Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Pat Breen, who visited the centre, described Mr Cunningham as “one of the most interesting Clare people” he met there.“Joe was celebrating his 100th birthday and I was delighted to be present with his family and friends to pay tribute to Joe, a Clareman who became a legendary band leader in the United States for over 60 years,” Deputy Breen stated.Joe from Doon, Crusheen remains very active and he regularly drives to see his wife Rose, who now suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease and lives in a retirement home.A deeply religious man, who loves his wife and family, Joe is also a man who retains a deep love for Crusheen and Clare and enjoys meeting people from his native county and catching up with the news from …

A North Clare councillor has claimed that “conservation and heritage are being put before health and safety” at Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon. Councillor Bill Slattery from Lahinch submitted a notice of motion at a recent meeting of Ennistymon Electoral Area representatives calling for the steps at the listed buildings to be backfilled on the grounds of public safety. “In light of continuing delays and serious safety concerns at Blake’s Corner, Ennisytmon,” the Fine Gael councillor requested “the senior executive engineer to back fill the steps bringing them to road surface level and remove the two sidewalls at Blake’s and Linnane’s to protect the safety of both motorists and pedestrians.”In a written reply, Senior Executive Engineer, Ennistymon Area Office, Stephen Lahiffe confirmed “it has always been the intention of Clare County Council to provide a roundabout, public footpath and pedestrian crossings at Blake’s Corner. This is the only way to minimise the risk to motorists and pedestrians alike. Until this is …

Lahinch man Ollie O’Flaherty was last week nominated in the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. This is an annual event where surfers world-wide vie for the biggest wave of the year. His wave, caught off Mullaghmore Head, County Sligo in March, has been short-listed in the biggest wave category.Ollie started surfing at age four under the tutelage of his uncle, Lahinch surfer Alan Coyne. In the last few years he has pushed hard to reach the forefront of Irish surfing, with photographs of him appearing regularly in Irish and British surf media.On March 8, Ollie rose before dawn to make the drive from Lahinch to county Sligo. “I kinda knew going up that day it was gonna be big, real big,” he explains. What he did not realise was that he would soon be surfing the biggest waves ever ridden in Irish waters.Once waves reach a certain size it becomes impossible to catch them using the conventional paddle-in method: …

DOOLIN people will be forced to break the law if the Government does not provide money for a new sewerage system in the village, councillors in the area have claimed.Councillors in North Clare made the comments at a local area meeting after a letter from a senior engineer in Clare County Council outlined that a publicly funded sewerage scheme for Doolin is unlikely in the “foreseeable future”. Sean Ward, senior engineer, water services, Clare County Council, was responding to a notice of motion submitted by Councillor Michael Kelly at a recent North Clare Area meeting. “In view of the concentration of private houses and tourist businesses at Doolin, it is vital that a pumping system joined onto the Lisdoonvarna Sewerage Treatment Plant, is put in place by the council,” Councillor Kelly stated.Mr Ward responded saying, “The Government’s 2006-2009 Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP) included a sewerage scheme for Doolin, bundled with a scheme for Ballyvaughan. The scheme envisaged a sewer …

GREEN-minded young people from Ennistymon Vocational School competed with schools from across Connacht at the innovative regional dragon’s den style ‘ECO-Den’ held by ECO-UNESCO at the Claregalway Hotel this month.   The group pitched their project to the panel of expert judges to convince them that their group should attend the final ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 2012 showcase and ceremony in the Mansion House in Dublin on May 8.  The North Clare pupils competed in the Connacht ECO-Den instead of travelling to Cork for the Munster leg. The Ennistymon group inspired the judges, Elaine Nevin, ECO-UNESCO director; Sharon Cameron, environmental awareness officer, Mayo County Council; Sinéad Ní Mhainnin, environmental awareness officer, Galway County Council and Marion Parker, environmental education officer Roscommon County Council; with details of their project The Riverboys, which promoted the local natural amenity of River Inagh by developing a new riverside walkway with new information boards and installation of recycled benches.The Ennistymon Vocational School group outlined to …

A CLARE County Council planner has questioned a submission from a North Clare potter, which refers to an alleged extraction of clay in proximity to Doolin Cave and the planner has advised the matter be “investigated through the enforcement process”.