Regional

DEVELOPERS of a landmark site in Crusheen have been granted permission to change the design of several of the homes, after citing the raising price of building materials and labour. In June of last year, Woodhaven Developments was approval for a mixed-use building with shop and office space, as well as a total of 29 houses on a site on the northern side of the village.  In November, the company submitted an application to make amendments to 22 of the proposed housing designs. In the application, Woodhaven outlined a number of reasons for seeking to alter the plans. “Using the revised house design instead of the original approved, will assist the developer in complying with the recent amendments to the Building Regulations which require new dwellings to have an increased energy performance,” the application stated. “The proposed revised designs will lessen the financial pressure currently being felt as a result of price increases in materials and labour and recent times, …

A FIRST year student of Gort Community School has released his debut novel, which was written when he was just 11. Now 13, Joe Fahy from Derrywee West, Derrybrien, has launched a futuristic tale, entitled Glitched, detailing a battle for control of the world. Joe has also been enjoying the media attention surrounding the book. He made an appearance on Today FM’s Dermot and Dave in recent days, along with proud dad, Jimmy.  “[Glitched] is about a 12-year-old boy called Billy who was injected by these nanobots and he meets with some teenagers and he tries to stop a company called AEN from taking over the world,” Joe explained. “All the school kids in Ireland were injected one day by the company. It’s passed off as a vaccine. The chairperson comes into school to see if all the nanobots are working. Billy’s isn’t. It’s glitched.” Joe, also known as JE, told the Today FM duo that he wrote the book …

A major multi-agency emergency operation, also involving an RNLI lifeboat, was put in place in Clare this morning for a cargo aircraft which declared a Mayday over the Atlantic. The Cargolux Boeing 747-400(ER) jet, which was travelling from Miami in the US to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, was about an hour west of Ireland when the crew declared a Mayday reporting a possible fire in a hold. There were three crew on board. Once the crew of flight CV-92F had notified air traffic controllers here of their emergency, a major multi-agency response was mounted at Shannon involving the airport’s own fire and rescue service; local authority fire service, National Ambulance Service and Gardaí. The Irish Coast Guard and RNLI were also alerted. The flight crew advised controllers that they had a fire alarm on the main deck but they were unable to conduct a visual inspection to confirm whether there was actually a fire on board. The flight was cleared …

A CLARE farmer and teacher will appear on TG4 later this month, as part of a six-episode observational documentary titled Contractors, writes Conor Clohessy. The show will air on Thursday, February 24, at 9:30pm, and will explore the working lives and personal narratives of seven agricultural contracting families from diverse locations over the critical period between April and September. Eoin Collins, who teaches Irish at Ennis Community College, is part of Collins Agri, a business his father started in 1994; Eoin specialises in silage, baling, tillage and slurry alongside his father and three brothers. Eoin said: “The camera crews came around first in April and stayed with us until the end of October. They were in no way invasive; they were able to be a fly on the wall, shooting as we went about the day’s business from morning to evening. It’ll be very true-to-life and straightforward.” He admitted that the process was a busy experience, to have the camera …

A PROMOTIONAL video and photographic resource showcasing East Clare will shortly be unveiled, with the aim of highlighting the region’s tourism offering.  The innovative project has been spearheaded by Tourism East Clare (TEC) and saw photographer Ruth Griffin capture the area in its best light. Feakle-based Ruth has travelled the highways and byways to capture images of TEC members and their businesses. She has also documented a vast range of attractions, that surprised even her, as someone who has lived all her life in North-East Clare.  In the coming months, a video containing drone footage and other images shot by Ruth will be launched. The exact contents are still under wraps as Aoife O’Mara, Marketing Executive with TEC, collaborates with Ruth on the final cut. What the TEC committee can reveal is that the piece will feature music from trad girl band Cailíní Lua, as well as some stunning aerial video over Lough Derg.  Christine O’Brien of Ardboula House and …

“RISKY” footpaths around Tulla are to be upgraded, however a funding allocation from the Department of Transport will not cover pavements repairs in one of the area’s oldest housing estates.  The matter is one of ongoing concern in the East Clare town and was back on the agenda at the most recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District. Cathaoirleach Joe Cooney appealed to the authority to replace the main footpath in O’Reilly Park in conjunction with the upgrade works for the centre of the town. The Fine Gael member tabled a motion calling on the Council to take the opportunity to address a long-standing problem for residents.  In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer Niamh Madden said the funding available to the Council only covered the town’s main streets. “ The footpath upgrade works for the town of Tulla are being funded by a grant awarded by the Department of Transport as part of the Active Travel scheme,” her response …

RECREATIONAL facilities in Broadford have received a major boost thanks to the provision of a new sensory playground costing an estimated €105,000, writes Dan Danaher. While the main beneficiaries will be children at Broadford and Kilbane National School, it can also be used by the local community outside school hours. With six children with Autism in a special class, this playground facilitates the sensory processing needs of student in the ASD unit and others who have issues in mainstream classes. Up to €30,000 was raised locally by parents and the local community, apart from a €10,000 donation from EI Electronics Shannon, managing director, Mick Guinee. In the region of 75% of the money came from the school’s own finances. It is located next to the astro turf facility that cost €85,000 two years ago that was funded through a Chlár grant and €30,000 from the board of management. Principal Aonghus O’Brien described the new facilities that at the disposal of …

RESIDENTS of neighbourhoods in Ennis are “living in a nightmare” fearing a return of flood waters, a meeting of councillors heard, as it was confirmed funding has been made available to carry out a feasibility study aimed at finding a solution to the issue. The worries of residents from Victoria Court, the Lahinch Road and lower Cloughleigh were highlighted at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Councillor Pat Daly stated that flooding is a “big issue” for residents in these areas. He pointed out his brother is among those affected saying, “They are living in a nightmare, always worried there could be a flood in their gardens and houses.” At the meeting Councillor Johnny Flynn sought an update on previous requests for a solution to the flooding affecting properties in the area. He recalled flooding in 2012 / 2013 left one businessperson counting the costs after €30,000 in catering equipment was destroyed. “This urgently needs to be addressed,” …