Regional

AN EVENING of Schubert, Schumann and Bach is in store in Mountshannon on Sunday night next as renowned pianist Alexander Ardakov makes a welcome return to Clare. The virtuoso pianist, who has strong connections to East Clare, had been due to give a major recital in Glór, Ennis at the end of March, 2020, but the pandemic put paid to that. This month, he returns to the Banner County with a performance at St Caimin’s Church at 5pm on November 7. Mr Ardakov, who lives in London, hails for the Volga region of Russia and as well as being an acclaimed musician is a Professor of Piano at a leading conservatoire. He played to a capacity audience in Mountshannon in 2019 and excitement is building ahead of his return to the town.  Roxanne Leonard who is a member of the Mountshannon Arts Festival committee had known Mr Ardakov when she lived, for a time, in London. She had been working with …

PRESSURE is growing on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to conduct an independent investigation into the reasons that resulted in the suspension of Doolin Coast Guard amid claims of “severe bullying and harassment” in the service, writes Dan Danaher. Doolin Coast Guard can no longer provide marine cover and medical assistance to casualties that get into difficulty in inaccessible locations from South Galway to Doonbeg after it was controversially stood down. Minister Ryan has been warned by Senator Martin Conway that “lives are being put at risk” over the “unacceptable decision” to stand down the unit, despite the expertise and experience of 12 remaining members. There has already been an emergency callout in the area, on Wednesday night, when the rescue helicopter 115 was tasked to a search in the north Clare area. That search resumed Thursday with the Kilkee unit tasked to assist. https://twitter.com/markcarney123/status/1456048709742080004?s=20 It emerged this week that six volunteers at Doolin have resigned including the unit’s Officer in …

SAINT FACHTNA’S holy well in Kilfenora is at the centre of a new biodiversity trail created to promote and showcase the area’s rich natural heritage. The trail, which was officially launched last week, has become a busy focal point for young and old, and is credited with bringing local people together to celebrate their history and heritage. Thanks to a successful funding application on the part of the Development Group, the Tidy Towns committee has been able to lead on the creation of the trail. “Kilfenora Tidy Towns group is very much a team effort and everyone contributes,” explained Donegal native Dena McGrath, who has made the North Clare village her home over the last two years. “The main umbrella group who has allowed us to access the funding is the Kilfenora Development Group, who themselves are newly established. “Niamh Wiley our North Clare Rural Development Officer has been a huge support to us in accessing funding and submitting our …

ZOOM kept the Shannon Toastmasters club running for 18 months, but its last few meetings have been in person once again, writes Owen Ryan. Of course the meetings now are quite different to the spring of 2020. “It’s a big change, we’re doing the same things, but we have to be conscious of social distancing so our chairs are more spread out and there’s mask wearing,” says President Maura Meaney. “You have to think of all that, but we have the same format of meetings.” The club meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month and Maura says the members adapted very quickly to the pandemic. “We went online straight away once the first lockdown came in. It was a big change for everybody, and it kept the club going and alive, but people were more than happy to go back to in person meetings. “There’s a better buzz about it, a better connection between people. Even just …

BUS Éireann has ruled out providing an additional morning and evening transport service for pupils attending Parteen National School from the Westbury housing estate. Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Cathal Crowe recalled when he was teaching in Parteen National School there was a small road, which had very little traffic during the day, but would have 300 cars travelling on it at 8.50am. During a debate on transport issues, Deputy Crowe pointed out people can nip from one side of a town or city in Ireland very quickly during July and August when the schools are closed. “That tells us that most of the traffic congestion every day, more than 50%, is down to school runs. That is at peak times. I was a school teacher for 16 years. There was a small road in Parteen that would have no cars on it all day but at 8.50 a.m. we would have 300 cars going up it. That is crazy. …

Members of one of the country’s most experienced Irish Coast Guard units are no longer allowed to respond to emergencies. This follows a decision on Monday by the Irish Coast Guard to take the Doolin unit in Co Clare ‘off the board.’ The move was precipitated by news earlier in the day that six volunteers at Doolin had resigned including the unit’s Officer in Charge (OiC). The Irish Coast Guard has now confirmed that the unit has been stood down but said that the team on Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands, which is managed by Doolin Coast Guard, will remain operational. Monday’s resignations left the unit with just 11 members however the Irish Coast Guard decided to stand the service down. This means that members are not allowed to respond to any land or water-based incident. One member said: “The unit has been taken off the board. Simply, it means the we’re stood down and the coordination centre at …

Ennis training centre for paramedic BSc would be mutually beneficial, says Crowe THE possibility of an Ennis-based training centre for University of Limerick’s course in paramedic studies has been floated. A government minister has proposed the University of Limerick and the Clare Civil Defence should enter negotiations on the proposed establishment of a training centre for paramedics. Deputy Cathal Crowe recently asked the Minister for Education and Skills, Simon Harris if he would support proposals to develop a training centre for students of the University of Limerick’s bachelor of science in paramedic studies course at the new Civil Defence building in Ennis. Minister Harris said the best way forward would be for the Civil Defence and the University and any other relevant stakeholders to speak directly to see if there are mutually agreeable proposals that can be advanced. Deputy Crowe stated there is room to develop a paramedic training facility in Ennis. “There is a fabulous facility, which the Minister’s …

PLANS to reopen a pedestrian entrance to St Flannan’s College, not used since the 1970s, have been given the green light. Clare County Council have granted planning permission for the proposal which also paves the way for the construction of a controlled crossing point on the Clare Road. The move is part of efforts by the school to reduce car dependency and increase walking and cycling among students and staff. The board of management at the secondary school applied to Clare County Council for planning permission to re-open the entrance on the boundary wall to the Clare Road, as well as erecting a barrier and gate. The access was previously used as a pedestrian access point in the 1970s and was the school’s main access location in the 1940s and 50s. The school, with a student population of 1,181 with 100 staff, currently has one vehicular access on College View Road and two existing pedestrian access points. According to documents …