Regional

THE fascinating history of an East Clare cemetery has been brought to light in a new publication by Jane Halloran Ryan, in association with Clare Roots Society.  A genealogist and history enthusiast, Jane is current researching for a PhD and is one of the team behind the hugely popular annual journal from heritage group Tulla Reaching Out. In recent years, Jane has been following another historical passion and has recently published Clooney Graveyard Inscriptions, containing a wealth of lore dating back to the early 1700s.  This cemetery dates from the early eighteenth century and contains about 150 headstones, with both Catholic and Protestant families from the parishes around Clooney, Tulla and Quin, buried there at one time. The church is believed to date back to the thirtieth century, but it is not known what saint it was dedicated to.  “One of the main reasons that pushed me to record Clooney was the fact that my great-great grandparents are both buried …

ONGOING concerns about the condition of the main road from Ennis through East Clare have been highlighted by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. He told the November meeting of the Killaloe district committee of a bad dip on the R352 close to Henchy’s Cross where larger vehicles are experiencing problems. “The location is just as you’re coming from Clooney towards Henchy’s junction on the regional road,” he said. “There’s a section where the road is narrow with a dip and a jump. I first noticed when I saw a man in front of me with jeep and trailer. There was no speed involved. The trailer jumped a fine height into air. “Maybe the road has gone down a bit. It’s not on any works programme. Can something be done sooner rather than later? This is a busy thoroughfare from Scariff to Ennis, with lots of HGVs and agricultural vehicles using it. There’s a fine jolt off it when you hit it at …

FURTHER housing development could be on the cards for Crusheen, with an application for 42 new homes being considered by planners. Proposals from Woodhaven Developments, which have been submitted in recent weeks, represent the next phase of a master plan for lands close to the village centre, on the Gort side. The site is zoned for mixed use and transport utilities. The current application seeks permission for 34 two-storey homes; four two-storey homes with additional attic space and four single-storey houses. In a detailed design statement, Woodhaven outlines how it plans to begin construction on the homes immediately after the completion of the Cluain Fia estate “and the granting of an acceptable planning permission”. The company estimates that completion of the estate will take 36 months and represent an investment of €10.3 million, and the creation of 42 jobs. Discussions on the provision of social housing have taken place with the Housing Section of the council and Woodhaven’s application states …

ORGANISERS of this year’s Christmas Market in Ennis have stated the event is going ahead. Confirmation comes after the official switch-on of Ennis’ Christmas lights, planned for this Friday in Abbey Street, has been replaced with a virtual switch-on. From December 2 to 5 Abbey Street Carpark will be transformed into a festive Christmas Village with live entertainment, creative crafts and food along with a vintage carousel, Christmas-themed amusements and other festive surprises. An estimated 10,000 people visited over the three-day event in 2019. Organisers say they are hopeful that by extending the event by an extra day this year, it will facilitate an anticipated increase in numbers. The appetite for live events has increased and to comply with government and public health guidelines an extra day is likely to be necessary. Thousands of people had been expected to turn out for the official switch-on of the county capital’s Christmas lights this Friday. However Clare County Council made the “difficult …

A HUNDRED years ago the world came out of the darkness of World War One and Prohibition and celebrated in style in the Golden years of the 1920s. Now, as the entertainment industry and theatre in particular emerges from the confines of Covid, Ennis Players will celebrate the All-Ireland drama finals in the manner of the Roaring 20s. ‘Drama at Ennis’, the 2021 All-Ireland One Act finals will be staged in glór from December 3 to the 5. “The finals have been postponed from 2020 and now it is time to celebrate and embrace a wonderful weekend of amateur drama,” said Bernie Harten of the Ennis Players. “Participating groups and their supporters will be welcomed to glór, where they will play to an appreciative audience, deprived of theatre for too long,” she added. The All-Ireland One Act drama circuit is a 32-county competition with the top 11 groups in the country qualifying for the finals. Many amateur groups never get …

A small boat with two people on board that got into difficulty off the Clare coast on Monday afternoon was towed to safety by the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat. The Aran crew was requested to deal with the incident as the Irish Coast Guard unit based at nearby Doolin has been stood down pending resolution of issues at the station. The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm when the two-person crew of the half-deck boat suffered technical problems in Liscannor Bay. The crew contacted watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub-centre on Valentia Island in Kerry. Staff there mounted a rescue operation. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, was requested to make its way to the area and investigate the problem. The helicopter had been in the air on a training mission at the time and made its way to the scene. In the meantime, the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat was tasked to proceed to …

OVER the past seven years, €1.5 million has been invested in the Killaloe Municipal District, thanks to revenues raised through the Local Property Tax (LPT). The funding, which is distributed through the General Municipal Allocation (GMA) to council members for allocation in the draft budgetary plan, was widely welcomed at the district meeting last week. Members were told that funding, distributed through the GMA, has supported a range of significant infrastructural projects across the Killaloe district since 2014. At the outset of the meeting, members were told the recommendation of the council’s executive was to leave the 2022 GMA at the same level as for 2021. Cathaoirleach of the district, Councillor Joe Cooney proposed the adoption of the GMA at the existing level. “The GMA is vital for the funding of all of the municipal districts of the county,” he said. “A lot has been achieved in the Killaloe area with the GMA over last few years. In rural parts …

THE Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) has issued a report on an incident at Shannon on August 15 of 2019, in which a fire began in the landing gear of a Boeing 767-33A aircraft, writes Owen Ryan. Synopsising what had happened, the AAIU report says, “During the take-off roll on Runway (RWY) 24 at Shannon Airport (EINN), Ireland, the Commander heard an unusual noise and elected to reject the take-off. Following the rejected take-off, the aircraft was taxied to a holding area for brake cooling. “It was subsequently decided to return to the parking stand. During the taxi back to stand, Shannon ATC observed smoke and then a fire in the area of the left main landing gear. “Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) vehicles were deployed and the fire was extinguished. The passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via emergency slides. One passenger sustained a minor injury during the evacuation.” It said that the incident was probably caused by …