Regional

ONE of West Clare’s most popular tourist attractions will see considerable renovation and development as part of a plan focused on sustainability growth, writes Fiona McGarry. The keeper’s cottage at Loop Head Lighthouse, which dates back to the mid-19th century, will be renovated and repaired to high conservation standards. Works will include the repair of the existing roof and sash windows and the making safe of internal electrical works. Custy Construction has been contracted by Clare County Council to carry out the works. Meanwhile, the Council has confirmed that plans will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála for an enhanced visitor attraction within the compound of the lighthouse. The plans include an upgrade to the wastewater treatment system and a visitor management plan for the area to ensure that all development aids the conservation objectives of the Special Area of Conservation in the Loop Head Peninsula. Loop Head Lighthouse is steeped in history and is rich in maritime heritage, with …

WITH a booming staycation summer close to its zenith, Kilkee Waterworld reopened this week. “We opened on Monday morning at 8am with a private lesson and then we had swim classes for the following two hours,” said Tracey Corbett Lynch, who is now managing the facility. She said it had been great to be able to reopen, after a very long closure. “There was a very short window of opening in the summer of 2020. We’re just delighted to be open and to welcome families in, both local and ones spending some time here over the summer.” Like many other premises around Clare, a major effort was required in advance of opening the doors once again. “We had a huge amount of work to do. When I joined in mid-June we first of all had a deep clean, we brought some contractors in to deep clean the whole building. “We had professional companies in to do the windows, we had …

A DIGITAL hub, cafe and 46 residential units are planned as part of a proposed transformation of an historic area of Ennis, which the developers say will offer “an opportunity to bring a new vibrancy to this community”. Eko Integrated Services Ltd have lodged an application for the ‘Buttermarket Development’ at the Drumbiggle Road, Buttermarket Street and Simm’s Lane. The site is in an Architectural Conservation Area of Ennis. The former Buttermarket building, a protected structure dating from 1862 is located on the opposite side of Simm’s Lane, and according to the developer’s the name ‘Buttermarket Development’ has been chosen “in recognition of the area’s heritage and connection to the former Buttermarket”. In more recent times a flats complex was located on the site which has been demolished. The site is currently unused with four vacant terraced cottages to the north on Buttermarket Street, which the developers are seeking to demolish as part of the plans. If given the green …

AN EXCITING collaboration has taken place in East Clare bringing together the natural beauty of the landscape and the rich heritage of the Irish design and craft sector, writes Fiona McGarry. With the support of the Design and Craft Council of Ireland’s #MadeLcoal 2021 campaign, the 12 O’Clock Hills Project has teamed up with a locally-based designer and maker to celebrate their achievements to-date in developing the region as a destination for walkers and hikers. The group has commissioned a limited collection of unique baseball caps hats and beanies produced by skilled artisan Ailish McElroy at her design studio in Bodyke. The aim of this collaboration is to celebrate and support Irish makers and their work, calling on consumers to shop local and consider the breadth of Irish-crafted, high-quality products available here. It also promotes the hiking and walking amenity and celebrates the achievements of the 12 O’Clock Hills Project to-date which has developed three walking and hiking trails for …

FANORE gardener Carl Wright has certainly reaped what he has sowed with his hard work at Caher Bridge Garden seeing him named among Ireland’s Garden Heroes. Carl, who is originally from Devon and moved to Clare in the 1990s, appeared on the new RTÉ One show Ireland’s Garden Heroes last Thursday, wowing the judges with his creative use of space and winning the show. Speaking to The Clare Champion Carl told us he is delighted with the win, adding that he was “quite surprised” when judge Ingrid Swan turned up to give him the good news. “They managed to cover their tracks pretty well. They said they were coming to do a bit of filming that hadn’t gone right last time, so we just assumed that’s what they were doing and then they turned up and surprised us”. He hadn’t seen the show, or the other gardens he was up against, until Thursday night. “I didn’t know what the other …

WORKS on a new footpath and pedestrian crossing for Clooney will begin in a matter of weeks and the local community development group will be informed shortly about the time-frame, writes Fiona McGarry. The matter was raised at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District when Councillor Pat Hayes tabled a motion seeking an update. The Fianna Fáil member noted that Clooney and Quin had been added to the East Clare district in recent years and that Clooney now has an active community group. “The group are proposing to create a sense of a centre for Clooney,” Councillor Hayes said. “They have raised issues around paths and crossings and I would like to thank the Killaloe district team for their efforts to move this up the line and get greater funding opportunities for the works,” he said. “The works will clearly show the commitment of Clare County Council to the community of Clooney. The council should always embrace efforts …

Michael O’Connor on a glorious night for Feakle as they took their first Clare Cup in 33 years THE thunder was in the air and also on the field for the first quarter of this superb Clare Cup game played in Kilmaley. For Feakle, it was the chance to dream of 1988 heroics, knowing a win of some proportions allowing for Cratloe winning against SIxmilebridge might bring the title back to Biddy Earley country. For Kilmaley, a last chance to fine tune and prepare for what many have titled the group of death. The exchanges throughout the game were fierce and uncompromising. Michael O’Malley, who made an unexpected exit soon after, opened the scoring in the first minute with a superb score. It comes as no surprise that Shane McGrath once again took the scoring honours and he had two frees on the board after five minutes as Feakle were operating with Con Smyth as a sweeper and indeed at …

THE Save Our Shannon group rally in Ennis which heard from speakers across the political spectrum and hospitality leaders challenged the Tanaiste to back up his supportive words with action, writes Owen Ryan. Organiser Denis Vaughan “We note the very significant statement of support from the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that we read about in the media from a recent call with Limerick Chamber. “He committed to ‘positive discrimination’ for airports in the regions in the Covid recovery but this has to be backed up with action and quickly.” The four Clare TDs Cathal Crowe, Joe Carey, Michael McNamara and Violet-Anne Wynne, Senator Timmy Dooley, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council PJ Ryan and former President of the Irish Hotels Federation Michael Vaughan all spoke at the rally. Denis Vaughan said it is imperative the public gets behind and supports Shannon by flying from the airport. The survival of Shannon and other regional airports, however, has never been more dependent on government …