Regional

AN appeal launched locally to support a former Ennis resident helping Ukrainian people fleeing their country has raised more than €3,000 in less than a week. The Ennis-based Ireland Poland Ukraine Refugee Relief (IPURR) was recently set up to help Ukrainians driven from their country by the war and has been collecting donations to support their Polish friends Marcin Piotrowski and Marina Sestasvili-Piotrowska. (See Champion story here) The family lived and worked in Ennis for over a decade before returning to Poland in 2017, and since the Russian invasion they have been providing important help close to the Ukrainian – Polish border. Pat Rutherford of the IPURR committee told us that there has been a “steady stream” of support for the gofundme page  https://gofund.me/d11b390e that has been set up to collect donations. He expressed appreciation for the generous contributions that have been made so far while urging people to give if they can to the worthy cause. Donations made will …

THE lack of a bus stop for patients from West Clare accessing the Outpatients Department in Ennis has been described the Cathaoirleach of the district as “a bit of a miss”. Councillor Cillian Murphy made his remarks at the meeting of the district committee last week when he called for collaboration with the Ennis district and the Roads Section to ensure a stop is installed. He said he had been contacted by someone who needs to use public transport to access the facility, which opened last year at the Westpoint Retail Park on the Kilrush Road. “What we need is a little joined up thinking,” Councillor Murphy said. “It took long enough to get the Outpatients Department opened up there in the first place. Having no bus stop to serve patients from West Clare is a bit of a miss.” Councillor Gabriel Keating supported the motion and added a bus shelter is also necessary. “At the moment, we have an …

IN February 2021, Ennis artist Susan O’Neill embarked on her directorial debut. One year after the global pandemic began, Susan brought twenty-four multidisciplinary artists together over five days to collaborate in a very unique way in the historic Bunratty Castle. ‘The Space between- An Spás Eadrainn’   multidisciplinary art documentary will have it’s broadcast premiere on Friday March 18 on TG4. After a year of a pandemic, our social norms and structures were hastily broken down into the unknown now to be rebuilt again.  ‘The Space Between’ asks questions encompassing where the human connection and human condition sit within our creative process, Susan invited an array of musicians, authors, actors, dancers, tai chi masters, milliners, painters, potters and much more to collaborate with unlikely matches within the great hall of the extraordinary Bunratty castle. The space between journeys with Clare milliner Margret O’Connor forging colourful headpieces while immersed in a sound bath of Tibetan singing bowls conducted by Gráinne McCormick. Visual artist Myra O’Reilly paints to the sounds …

EXTRA resources are to be available in West Clare to welcome visitors over the St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday weekend. At the March meeting of the municipal district, motions were tabled by two North Clare members calling for action following the exceptionally busy seasons in 2020 and 2021.  Councillor Shane Talty said the pandemic had created “crazy staycation pressure” over the last two years and he highlighted the need to be prepared in terms of lifeguard resources. Both he and his fellow Ennistymon area councillor, Joe Killeen, called preparations for the 2022 season to be stepped up. “Thankfully, people chose Clare as their preferred destination,” Councillor Killeen said. “However, it felt like we were putting emergency measures in place right through the summer season. There were several issues highlighted during the season and action had to be taken on a number of pinch points. Thanks to everyone who got the county ready.” Senior Executive Officer (SEO) John O’Malley outlined the …

A HUB for all kinds of community activities is on the cards for Montpelier-O’Briensbridge, with major efforts afoot to raise funds to redevelop the old school building. The building has been at the centre of the community since 1898. It served as a primary school until the 1960s and later as an extension to the parish oratory. However, in recent years, it has fallen into some disrepair. A new committee has recently formed to redevelop the building into a modern facility centre for the Montpelier-O’Briensbridge community.“We hope that the old school will become a centre of community life once more,” said Committee Chairperson, Paul Slattery. “We want to honour the great work that has been done before us and use this space to bring people together again.” It is envisaged that the centre will support social activities for the young and old. Dance and music classes, Men’s Shed, 45-drives, coffee mornings and other activities have already been suggested.  This coming …

A NEW national policy focused on promoting the vibrancy of town centres should be “a top line priority for everyone in the West Clare District”. That’s the view of the district Cathaoirleach, Councillor Cillian Murphy, who has asked that town teams be supported to represent their areas and drawn down government funding and support. The Town Centre First Policy was unveiled last month by the Department of Housing and outlines a number of actions to promote urban centres through the appointment of Town Regeneration Officers, investment, and training for town teams. Councillor Murphy noted that the name of the policy was “quite misleading”. “This applies to all of our towns and villages,” he said. “The policy will prove to be the single most important document for the sustainability and viability of rural towns.” He said that given that the policy refers to the role of town teams, there might be an opportunity for an early roll out of this element …

CONCERN has been voiced by several West Clare councillors about the lost opportunity to change the charging structure for parking in seaside towns, as a way of resourcing local facilities. Progress with the updating of parking bye-laws, which could see changes to the current charging policy, was outlined at a district meeting last week. Several members voiced frustration that the status quo will remain in place this summer, while the area’s Director of Services said charges will ultimately have to be considered for facilities which have previously been free. The matter was raised by Councillor Shane Talty who tabled a motion asking about extra staff resources for 2022. He also asked for an update on the county-wide review of parking systems. The Ennistymon man welcomed the fact that facilities will be available for the upcoming four-day Bank Holiday weekend. However, he expressed concern that there will be no change to parking bye-laws this year. “There is money escaping that should …

“THERE’S something for everyone” in the approved schedule for works for this year in West Clare. That was the view of Councillor Gabriel Keating who proposed the approval of the multi-million euro plan at the district committee meeting last week.  An increase in almost all funding streams will see a total of more than €48 million being invested in roads infrastructure across Clare this year. Major projects earmarked for funds in West Clare include Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon. Funding of €970,000 allocated to Clare will be funnelled mainly towards The West Clare Greenway. There have also been increases in the funds available to West Clare for road improvement and maintenance this year. A total of 13 bridges in the district will be refurbished and five safety improvement schemes will be progressed. Under the heading of climate mitigation, eight schemes will be advanced in West Clare, mainly in the Kilrush Local Electoral Area (LEA).  Outlining the schedule for 2022, Senior Engineer …