Home » Regional (page 19)

Regional

Further footpath works getting underway in Clare town

WORKS on footpaths in Tulla are set to begin this month, with a significant improvement project for the junction of Main Street and Chapel Street likely to get underway in March of 2023. Councillors received the update in response to two motions which raised concerns over the condition of footpaths in the East Clare town. At their final meeting of the year, members of the Killaloe district were told that, in addition to the work funded through the Active Travel scheme, replacement and upgrading work will be carried out in the coming days at Lower O’Reilly Park.  Motions were tabled by Councillor Joe Cooney and by Cathaoirleach, Councillor Alan O’Callaghan at the November meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District. The latter told the meeting that the local Tidy Towns group had contacted all local councillors calling for an update on footpath works in the area.  Councillor Cooney welcomed the work done to-date on the Gort Road to link with the …

Read More »

Council raises flooding concerns over Clare village mast plan

FLOODING concerns have prompted Clare County Council to seek Further Information (FI) from a company looking to build at 30-metre tower mast in the village of Quin.  Vantage Towers are making a second attempt to secure permission for the structure, after plans for a slightly smaller structure on a different site were turned down last year by both the Council and An Bórd Pleanála. The current application for a site at Quingardens is the subject of two objections and seven submissions of support, but County planners have now voiced their own concerns. The Council has given Vantage Towers six months to respond to three issues of concern: flood risk, the potential impact on bat habitats, and the access route to the site. In a letter requesting FI, the Council has noted that the site is located in an area identified in the County Development Plan as ‘Flood Zone A’. “Past flood events in the locality have come within 60m of …

Read More »

Flower beds on Ennis cycling route sow seeds of discontent

“VIGOROUSLY” growing flower beds along an Ennis cycling route are sowing the seeds of discontent among local residents experiencing difficulty accessing and leaving their homes, a meeting of councillors has heard. Planting carried out as part of efforts to improve cycling facilities in the St Flannan’s area has strongly grown during the summer with the Ennis Municipal District acknowledging this can “hinder” sight-lines. A review of the planting of these flower beds is now set to be carried out, the local authority has confirmed. Traffic calming and cycle lane infrastructure was introduced along the route linking St Flannan’s to the Kilrush Road in 2019. Councillor Johnny Flynn urged the Ennis Municipal District at a recent meeting to “carry out alterations to the cycling infrastructure installed along by St Flannans to the Kilrush road in order to improve access in and out of houses particularly those affected by flower beds constructed in that scheme.” Householders living in the area are being …

Read More »

GALLERY: Ennis Educate Together’s celebration of cultures

ENNIS Educate Together National School had a winter fair at the school last Friday, looking at different countries and how they celebrate different aspects of their culture. Speaking about it, Deputy Principal Aoiffe Lynch said, “We’re an Educate Together School, a multi denominational school, so we have lots of different cultures within our school. “The only difference between ourselves and other schools would be that we don’t teach religion, we teach ethical education, which is teaching them about all the different religious traditions.   “With this we selected different countries to represent some of the students in our school, each class got to research a country and celebrate its cultures, religions through art, music, drama, poetry and dance. “We had a full winter fair and all the children got a passport to go into all the different countries. “Parents were invited in, a lot of them had cooked home made traditional dishes from their countries so there was a tasting …

Read More »

Call for changes to ‘ridiculous’ rural speed limits in Clare

“TOTALLY ridiculous” speed limits on rural roads have been strongly condemned by members of the Killaloe district, after a recent road incident recently in Mountshannon. Tabling a motion at the final district meeting of 2022, Councillor Pat Burke said people unfamiliar with rural roads needed to be alerted to the fact that the 80kmph speed limit is not appropriate. The Fine Gael member called for a review of all speed limits on local and minor roads and said the current 80kmph signs should be removed because of the confusion they are causing.  “All of us are familiar with 80kmph signs on local roads and boreens,” he said. “Heading down a boreen at 80km per hour, for the ordinary Joe Soap, that has never made sense at all. In some places on national roads, when you’re leaving to go down a local road, the sign is different and this is an indication to drive slower.” Senior Executive Engineer Derek Troy explained …

Read More »

Clare 250 Christmas Candle Event

OVER the festive season, the entrance to the Clare 250 Cancer Centre in Ballygriffey will be lit up by 150 votive candles, each one a kind prayer for a loved one who is ill or has sadly passed away. The candles will be lit from 6pm to 9pm from December 25 to January 5. The name and home place of those who are to be remembered will be displayed on the plinth in front of the statue of Our Lady each night. One candle will cost €5 (with one name per candle). You may purchase as many as you wish. For further details call 065-6841600 or go to Clare250cancercentre.ie.

Read More »

Fear of major flooding crisis unless rivers are drained

FLOODING concerns have prompted an East Clare councillor to call for a full drainage programme for the Killaloe district, to avoid the risk of a “major crisis”.  Councillor Pat Hayes appealed for a particular focus on the River Graney, its tributaries and the River Rhine, saying drainage and clearing of obstacles was “the only long term resolution”. Addressing the end-of-year meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Hayes said the works being done by the Council were reactive, and not making a difference in the long run. “There is a programme now for rewetting Ireland, but you don’t have to worry too much about that around here,” he remarked. “A lot of work has been done in raising the roads. We are trying now to keep roads open. The idea you can raise road by two or feet isn’t solving the real problem. We have to come back to arterial drainage with all of the agencies involved. In Ayle in …

Read More »

New Shannon campus part of €1bn investment by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board

A NEW multi-million euro College of Further Education campus in Shannon incorporating a national centre of excellence for aviation will form part of a €1bn investment in the region over five years by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. The announcement of the €1bn investment was made at the launch in Shannon Airport of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board’s new five-year strategy. Setting out its vision to enhance the quality of learning and life in the region, Strategy Statement 2022 – 2026 outlines the role the ETB will play over the five years of the plan. This includes fulfilling the personal, social, economic and employability needs of the community it serves. The launch took place at Shannon Airport and was attended by the ETB Senior Management Team, ETB staff and invited guests, including Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins TD, and other public representatives. Speaking at the launch, George O’Callaghan, Chief Executive, highlighted …

Read More »