Regional

A WOMAN was knocked down and injured in Clarecastle, sparking calls for action to be taken on a “dangerous junction” in the village. A meeting of the Ennis Municipal District last week heard Councillors Paul Murphy and Tom O’Callaghan voice their fears for public safety at the junction where three roads meet. Councillor Murphy proposed that a Road Safety application be prepared and submitted “as soon as possible” seeking funding to improve safety at the junction of Barrack Street, Old Road and Church Drive / Creggaunahilla. “This is a dangerous junction where three roads meet and there is the added complication of a carpark being adjacent to it also, a number of pedestrians have been knocked down and this needs to be given priority urgently,” he said. While Councillor O’Callaghan also asked the council to review the Church Drive road “on safety grounds in Clarecastle due to increased traffic to and from Creggaunnahilla Housing Estate”. Responding to both councillors’ proposals …

THE town of Ennis is set to be put in the frame as part of a collaboration between a local artist and well-known hotel – and inspiration is being sought from the public. Artist Cathal Butler has been commissioned by Treacys West County Hotel Ennis to create a selection of paintings showcasing the very best of Ennis town and its environs. A photographic competition has now been launched urging members of the public to send an image they believe best captures Ennis which will be transformed into works of art. Five photos will be chosen for Cathal to bring to life on canvas, and the original paintings will be displayed in the hotel’s new Clare Art Display in the hotel lobby. As well as having their winning image immortalised in the hotel, they will also receive a night’s stay at any of the Treacy Group Hotels and a print of the painting. The new paintings will join other works by …

BANK of Ireland has announced plans to invest €11.5 million across its nationwide branch network this year, with the Ennistymon branch listed as part of the upgrade plans.   The planned network investments include refurbishments and enhancements to the branch network, upgrading of branch services including ATMs in a number of locations, and ongoing maintenance works.   Additional works as part of the €11.5m investment will also include the installation of new external and internal ATMs in a range of branches, and the improvement of facilities for staff in over a dozen bank branches.  As part of this investment, Bank of Ireland also plans to install energy efficient LED lighting in each of its 169 branches this year, including all five of its Clare branches. This will achieve over 50% in energy savings from a reduction in lighting energy consumption, as the organisation looks to become more energy efficient and reduce its total energy consumption.   Commenting on the planned investment in its Clare branch network, Susan Russell, Director, Retail Ireland said, “Our branch network of 169 locations across Ireland, including the five branches we operate in Clare, is a very important part of how we serve our customers – whether that be for routine cash, cheque and coin transactions or more detailed conversations about loans, mortgages and pensions.  “That’s why we continually invest in this network, and …

TEACHERS and staff at St Flannan’s College have voiced opposition to plans for the development of a €25 million 100-bed community nursing unit on land used as playing grounds by the Ennis secondary school. According to a statement issued by the staff of St Flannan’s the proposal “will have a seriously negative impact” on the student population. “The green field site in St Flannan’s College is the last remaining site of its kind in Ennis. Urban sprawl is taking up much more of our green spaces each year. Once this land is built upon it will be gone forever,” it states. The teachers and staff have detailed reasons for their opposition to the plans including that during the academic year many teams of various sports regularly train on the pitches. “With so many students on the fields at any one time all our field space is utilised, including much of the space that is suggested for development under the proposed …

THE Drehidnagower Bridge in Ennis has been described as “lethal” as fresh calls have been made for a separate footbridge and footpath to be built to protect the safety of pedestrians. Councillor Mary Howard said she felt like a “scratched record” as she “once again” asked for funding to be sourced for the works at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Responding to the motion Conor McDonagh, Executive Engineer, Road Design, said, “Transportation consultants have been appointed under this Active Travel scheme to carry out a transportation assessment, which includes a feasibility and option selection report to examine pedestrian / cyclist permeability over the Drehidnagower bridge. “They are currently undertaking necessary surveys on-site and preparing a suitable Multi Criteria Analysis under which all viable options will be assessed to determine the most appropriate solution. “When the emerging preferred option has been established, it will be necessary to apply to the NTA for further funding and seek approval to progress …

HOUSING Minister Darragh O’Brien has announced draft legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes with fire safety defects constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Government is also set to cover costs already incurred, which is good news for owners of property at Bru na Sionna in Shannon; more than five years ago it emerged that works costing €4 million were required there. Clare TD Cathal Crowe said that it is a very welcome development for the property owners who were shocked to find that their homes hadn’t been built to the required standard.  “Today marks a major step in ensuring that the owners of the apartments in Bru na Sionna receive the remediation that they have long asked for,” said Deputy Crowe. “In a 2017 inspection, an inspection of the development identified serious defects, which caused serious concern among the owners about how the €4 million bill would be footed. “The scheme approved today will help to protect …

THE Manchester Martyrs Monument in Kilrush has been repaired and restored by Clare County Council with grant aid coming from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Historic Structures Fund. The restored monument was officially opened by Councillor Ian Lynch and Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, on Friday last. The Manchester Martyrs’ Monument was erected in 1903, the realisation of a long-standing ambition of the people of Kilrush to erect a fitting monument to commemorate the memory of William O’Meara Allen, Michael Larkin and William O’Brien. The trio had been executed in Salford, Manchester, in 1867 for the successful rescue of a Fenian prisoner. Their execution sparked demonstrations and marches both in Ireland and the UK and fostered a rise in nationalism that culminated in the Easter Rising of 1916. The monument was made possible through raising funds from the local population and the Irish diaspora in America. The monument is composed of a …

PEACE group Shannonwatch held its first protest of 2023 last Sunday. Spokesman John Lannon said that the monthly protests will continue throughout 2023. “The conditions at Shannon are still the same. There are US military planes landing and taking off, in particular the troop carriers are coming through, there are other planes as well. “There has been no response from the authorities or the Government to all the requests we have made over the years for proper inspections, for information about what’s on the planes and where they are going, so the protests will continue.” There were relatively small numbers there last weekend, but he said that is usually the case at the start of the year. “January is always a poor month in terms of turnout. I can’t remember how many we had there, I think there were 10-15. “The protests have been ongoing since January 2008, with the exception of the months during the Covid lockdown when congregations …