North Clare

CLARE County Council is to inspect two “extremely important” North Clare monuments, after a local councillor warned they could disintegrate if they are not repaired.Councillor Richard Nagle recently requested the local authority to arrange an inspection of the O’Brien Vault and Monument at St Bridget’s Well cemetery, Liscannor and subsequently called on it and the Office of Public Works to address the issue as a matter of extreme urgency.“The O’Brien vault is a landmark of historical significance. The O’Briens were the local landlords. They built O’Brien’s Tower as a viewing platform for their visitors. The present visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher was the site of the old stables built to house the horses when visitors went to the tower to admire the view overlooking the Atlantic.“The family vault is a focal point in St Bridget’s Well cemetery and over the years, it has been allowed to fall into disrepair. It, like the monument across the road from it, …

WANTED: fit men or women. Must be willing to commit. Love of outdoors an advantage.The Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard has put a call out searching for volunteers. The branch currently has in the region of 20 members but is now seeking fit men and women, who are willing to commit to one of the busiest coast guard bases in the country.“We took on some new members last year, now we are looking for more. We had 12 applications last year and we took on six, so I’d say we are looking for maybe four this year but we are open to any number of applications,” said Mattie Shannon, station officer of the Doolin unit.While certain skills are desirable, Mattie believes commitment has been the most important trait of successful candidates in the past.“The Irish Coast Guard has only one stipulation and that is that people we take in should be able to swim. That said, the main …

EDUCATION Minister Rúairí Quinn has been requested to remove the cloud of uncertainty hanging over a number of small rural schools in North Clare, following budget cutbacks.Ennistymon Electoral Area chairman, Councillor Michael Kelly has warned that key sporting organisations, such as the GAA, will suffer if Minister Quinn allows the closure of small rural schools by increasing the number of pupils required to maintain teachers.Speaking at a recent Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting, Councillor Kelly requested Minister Quinn not to close small rural schools in areas such as Boston, Tubber and other areas of North Clare where the population has decreased. Following the closure of small shops, post offices and garda stations in rural areas in North Clare, Councillor Kelly said it is vital that all small schools are kept open to ensure the social fabric of a local community remains intact.While it seems Tubber would have the required numbers to stay open in the near future, Councillor Kelly expressed grave …

A blistering attack on the poor condition of some facilities serving Lahinch promenade has been delivered Councillor Bill Slattery.Speaking at a recent Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting, Councillor Slattery claimed the state of some sections of the promenade in Lahinch has “gone back 20 years”.Having tabled a motion about the revenue from parking fees and fines, Councillor Slattery was informed Lahinch car park generated €209,766 in 2009, €157,914 in 2010 and €206,741 in 2011. The corresponding figures for fines were €15,376, €11,460 and €13,411.This is in addition to the €450,000 collected by the council following the sale of the old toilets in Lahinch.The Fine Gael councillor called on the council to conduct an audit on all monies collected at the promenade and Liscannor Road car park and an outline of how these funds have been spent.“Since car-parking fees were introduced at Lahinch promenade in 1993, there was an assurance given to the late Councillor Frank Henchy and the community of Lahinch …

Lahinch is only the second seaside resort along the west coast where car-parking charges are levied adjacent to the local beach, a businessman has claimed.Apart from Bundoran in County Donegal, West Coast Surf Club spokesman Tom Buckley pointed out no other local authority levies parking charges for people who use the adjoining promenade or beach along the western seaboard. No parking charges are levied in Salthill, Galway.Mr Buckley made the claim after Councillor Bill Slattery called on Clare County Council to carry out an audit of the €611,668 in revenue collected from parking fees and fines in Lahinch over a three-year period.Mr Buckley claimed the council had earned huge sums of money from car-parking charges at the local promenade but had spent nothing in the local area. Having written to the council requesting a replacement of the rusting railings on a number of occasions, Mr Buckley said he only got one acknowledgement and no proper reply to his legitimate requests.He …

THE long-running controversy to provide a permanent solution for the most dangerous junction in Ennistymon now looks set to cost in the region €700,000, it emerged this week. The latest revelation that Clare County Council will have to spend an extra €100,000 on a new environmental impact study (EIS) to facilitate proposed improvement works at Blake’s Corner provoked outrage amongst local county councillors this week.Councillors condemned the latest move, following new national planning regulations introduced last September as “bureaucracy gone mad”.Speaking after the Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting, Councillor Bill Slattery warned the final bill could exceed €700,000 when the cost of purchasing the two derelict houses – Blake’s and Linnane’s, estimated at €250,000 and €350,000, was taken into account.This doesn’t include the cost of a report commissioned by the county council, at a cost of between €10,000 and €15,000, recommending that the Blake’s and Linane’s buildings are deconstructed and reconstructed back from the narrow junction and the road widened. Councillor …

THREE different options for the controversial development of Doolin Pier, costing an estimated €5 million, were presented to interested parties at a public consultation meeting on Wednesday last.Clare County Council had obtained planning permission for the construction of the long-awaited new Doolin Pier about 75m to the west of the existing pier under the Part 8 process.However, this was challenged by objectors who successfully argued the proposed development should have been accompanied by an environmental impact statement (EIS).The council is also considering the proposed extension of the existing pier or the possible construction of a new pier to the north of the existing one.Plans for the new pier have proven to be very divisive in the past and prompted a huge number of objections during the statutory planning process from a number of surfing organisations.However, the need for a new pier was also staunchly supported by several local organisations and local residents, who have expressed concern about the delay in …

Reading a good love story is one of the many things that keeps 103-year-old Nora Canavan feeling young at heart. Maeve Binchy and Danielle Steele are her favourite authors.Nora has memories of significant historical events in the North Clare area too and has not forgotten the day that IRA freedom fighters ambushed the Black and Tans during the bloody War of Independence.The Doolin-based centenarian, who has enjoyed exceptional good health, remembers the day 56 IRA men from the Active Service Unit of the Mid-Clare Brigade tried to destroy three lorries of British military and police during the Monreel Ambush.Nora, who was just 12 at the time, was on her way to Furglan National School on December 18, 1920 when she saw the IRA men carrying rifles, shotguns and grenades taking cover from the plentiful supply of heather and moss as well as the stone walls on either side of the road.Wisely, Nora opted not to stay around and watch the …