North Clare

THE North-West Clare Family Resource Centre officially opened the doors of its new premises, An Grianán Resource Centre in Ennistymon, on Wednesday. This building is in addition to the existing NWCFRC childcare centre and will provide community space for meetings, training and other services. The building was opened by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald.“The new premises will be a significant hub for social inclusion, family support and community services in an area severely lacking in such infrastructure,” explained Gary Rush, manager of the NWCFRC.“It is a resource for the whole of North Clare that will host meetings, training activities, labour market activation services, information provision and be a focus for people to meet, network and organise. Countywide, regional and national organisations will now have a purpose-built base from which to provide their services. Already, there are plans for youth services, vocational training, community education, counselling, labour market activation programmes, services to victims of domestic violence and information …

AFTER a three-year sojourn in Ennis, the Merriman Summer School will be held again in Lisdoonvarna from next Wednesday to Sunday, with events taking place in the Pavilion Theatre, the Royal Spa Hotel and other locations.Prof Nóirín Hayes of DIT, an expert in childhood and children’s rights is director of the 2011 Summer School, which is entitled Changing Irish Childhoods. She has invited a distinguished group of speakers to the school, which promises to be engaging, informative and enjoyable. The theme is particularly timely given the recent appointment of a Minister with responsibility for children, Frances Fitzgerald, who will open the school, and in the light of serious concerns about Ireland’s record in protecting and caring for children.  As a new Strategy for Children is being drafted, the summer school offers an opportunity to reflect on our views of children, our values as a society and our obligations to our youngest citizens. The afternoons and evenings are devoted to lectures, …

WORK on a housing estate in Corofin, which one councillor likened to “an obstacle course” is to begin in September, Clare County Council has confirmed.Ruan councillor Joe Arkins recently asked the area engineer to provide a progress report on the schedule of works for the taking in charge of the Loughtagoona estate at Corofin. “It is like an obstacle course, going in there,” Councillor Arkins stated. “The manholes are a disgrace, they are up five or six inches,” he went on. Stephen Lahiffe, senior executive engineer from the council’s Ennistymon area office explained that issues surrounding the taking in charge of the estate had “been going on a number of years”.“A number of banks and bond holders took over the estate and the responsibility for it. They were very unco-operative with Clare County Council,” he explained, adding that it was only in recent months that “things have been cleared up”. Councillor Arkins accused the banks of “dragging us through a …

A North Clare Councillor has called for reports on proposed local authority projects to be carried out in-house after it emerged over €100,000 was spent on a masterplan for the Lahinch prom commissioned four years ago, with only two elements of it implemented to date.Councillor Joe Arkins recently requested that the relevant director of service responsible give an outline on the status of the consultants’ report on the upgrading of the promenade at Lahinch, when it was commissioned, whether or not it had been completed and what the cost of the report would be.“Consultants Malachy Walsh and Partners were appointed in early 2007 as consultants to prepare a masterplan for the promenade area of Lahinch. The fee for the project was €94,800 plus VAT. Since their appointment, they brought forward a number of proposals including car-parking arrangements, traffic management and improvement options for the promenade area, coastal protection measures and proposals for new amenity block and services building and a …

A North Clare woman, reputed to have had 25 husbands, some of whom she is said to have thrown from the highest window at Leamaneh Castle, is the topic for exploration on the latest Clare Farm Heritage Tours walk.The third event in the summer series will be held on Sunday, August 14 at 2pm and will focus on Máire Rua, Wholehearted Heroine or Menacing Madwoman? Clare Farm Heritage Tours is a co-operative of eight North Clare farmers who give guided tours on their farms where more than 100 archaeological sites and monuments have been identified throughout land currently farmed and managed by members of the co-op. The tours are designed to be fun and educational for families, people interested in the Burren landscape and groups of all kinds and can be booked any day of the week.In addition to the daily tours, the co-op is this summer hosting a series of events, which in the month of August is hosted …

A report due earlier this year on the future of the iconic Blake’s Corner has still not been supplied to public representatives in North Clare, it emerged this week.

IN 2007, Romania became part of the European Union 17 years after the fall of Communism. Last month Eugene Garrihy made his 20th trip to the country and after 18 years travelling to some of its most forgotten regions and institutions, the Doolin man found himself in Navodari. “I witnessed young adults with their hands tied behind their backs, wearing head protection, lying in urine-soaked clothing and left to cry and moan in agony and pain in dark rooms. I also witnessed young adults with their hands tied behind their backs and strapped to chairs and lined up along the walls 10 to a room,” he recalled.Eugene first went to Romania in 1992 with Trade Aid. When his daughter Aoibheann was in second year in Dublin’s Mount Sackville School, she mentioned his trips to a teacher and Eugene was invited to speak about his experience in the Eastern European country. This was the beginning of his link with the West …

The 2011 Corofin North Clare Show takes place on Saturday and remains a solid fixture in the show calendar. Once again this year the horse-showing classes are expected to attract huge interest, particularly among equine enthusiasts across the county.The show will include a heat for the Irish Draught Foal Championship, the final of which takes place at Bantry Show, with competitors fighting for a prize fund of €3,000. There is also prize money on offer for the County Clare Agricultural Brood Mare Championship. The Filly Foal Championship, Red Mills Non-Thoroughbred and Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Filly All-Ireland Championship qualifiers will all be contested at this year’s show.In the vegetable section, classes will include the Bridge Town Collection of Vegetables All-Ireland Qualifier and the Bord Bia All-Ireland Quality Potato Championship qualifier, with both finals taking place at the Tullamore Show.There will also be the Domestic Art Championship, which comprises articles in home baking, as well as hand crafts and vegetables.The dog show …