Regional

AT Friday’s West Clare Municipal District meeting Councillors Ian Lynch and Cillian Murphy requested that the Council set up a Designated Activity Company to deliver the Maritime Training Centre in Kilrush. However it emerged at the meeting that such a company is already in place, having been established in 2018 as part of an application for funding, and an allocation of resources has been assigned for a business manager. The project has been awarded almost €3.5m in Rural Regeneration Development funding, with €700,000 match funding from the county council. Speaking afterwards Councillor Murphy said that it’s time the company became active and the over €5 million allocated in funding be used. “There is a necessity now for this to be taken off the shelf and activated. It is sitting there as a shell company but now it needs to be activated and directors taken on board. “There was an Enterprise Ireland grant of €1.7 million and somewhere in the order …

FRIENDS, family and fans of the late Dennis Cahill, will gather on Saturday night in Feakle to honour the renowned musician. A long-time musical collaborator with fiddle player Martin Hayes, the two men have played at some of the world’s most prestigious venues and toured extensively. Together, they breathed fresh life into a diverse traditional music repertoire and founded the acclaimed five piece, The Gloaming. For more than two decades, Dennis joined Martin as he returned home to his native Maghera and the Chicago native became part of the Hayes family and a valued member of East Clare’s musical community.  “Saturday evening in Pepper’s will be a moment for people to come together and to remember Dennis,” Martin said. “It will be informal, in the same way that Dennis was. Music brought him to Feakle and the festival. East Clare made a big impression on him and the event will give people here the chance to talk and chat and …

A NORTH Clare secondary school has achieved a huge 81% qualification rate ahead of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSE) 2023.  Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna entered a total of 11 projects into next year’s prestigious competition and nine of them have qualified. The average qualification rate is around one-third, putting Mary Immaculate students and teachers in a league of their own. “We’ve been told that there were 1,700 entries this year,” said retired Science Teacher, John Sims, who has stayed on board to support BTYSE projects and the school’s proud history with the competition. “We’ve also seen that 550 of those entries have qualified. That represents a qualification rate, on average, of just over 30%, so we’re well in excess of that. It’s to the huge credit of the students and teachers at Mary Immaculate, as well as the parents and the entire school team.” Four individual projects from Mary Immaculate have qualified, as well as …

DEVELOPERS behind plans for a major new housing estate in Tuamgraney have moved to allay concerns raised by the Council and the local community.  Michael Pearl, who submitted plans in April for 52 homes on a site on the Dock Road, has provided the local authority with a 210-page document in response to a Further Information (FI) request. The response, which includes detailed environmental and ecological reports, is now on public display, with a further submissions period open until November 29.  After plans for six four-bedroom detached houses; 22 three-bedroom, semi-detached houses; 14 two-bedroom semi-detached houses; and ten two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows were submitted in spring, six objections were made. On consideration of these submissions, as well as details of the application, planners asked, in June, for FI on several aspects of the development.  Planners raised concerns over the width and general condition of the L41341 which serves the site, as well as the existing footpath network and sight-lines at the …

A CHALLENGE to a bid to erect a 30 metre telecoms mast in Quin has come from a local heritage watchdog, who have lodged a strong objection to the development, on the grounds of its archaeological and visual impact.  Quin Heritage Group have made a submission on plans by Vantage Towers to develop the lattice tower mast at Quingardens, a location believed to contain a number of important archaeological sites. The group have told the Planning Authority that they are “acutely aware” of archaeological remains in the area. A map, included with the objection, highlights a number of of significant sites, which, according to Quin Heritage Group, represent “evidence of ringforts and fulacht fiadh”. “It is also important to point out a cilín (Children’s grave site) exists close to the proposed mast site that in no way should be compromised,” the objection stated. “We therefore deem it an unsuitable site to erect such a mast.” The objection, which is one …

SCARIFF GAA Hall will be the venue for a dramatic ‘court’ case on Saturday night, November 19. The newly refurbished and extended hall will host Gerard Howard performing Brian Merriman’s The Midnight Court in an exciting one-man show, directed by Paul Brennan.  Written around 1780, Brian Merriman’s comic poem is set on the shores of Lough Graney. A classic of early modern Irish poetry, its themes include sex, gender roles and the manifestation of a God.  In The Midnight Court, the bachelor poet Merriman is put on trial for the crime of never getting married. The women of Ireland have him up before a court in Feakle, presided over by the Goddess Aoibheal, who demands him to account for this outrageous oversight. Gerard Howard, a Clare native will switch roles from Merriman to maiden, from old codger to goddess, from harridan to 18-foot tall bailiff, exposing the shortcomings of the men of Ireland. Not even the clergy escape Merriman’s scabrous …

BEER, craft brewing, sustainability and food pairings are among the topics of a new podcast series from the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI), supported by Bord Bia. Clare features strongly in the new limited edition podcast series, which is entitled ‘Craft Community, the Local Irish Beer Podcast’. Peter Curtin and Birgitta Hedin Curtin, of The Roadside Tavern, Burren Brewery and The Burren Smokehouse are ideally placed to provide expert insights and tips on food pairings and beer styles. They share their culinary and brewing secrets in Episode Five of the series, alongside the proprietors of The Dungarvan Brewery and The Whitefield Brewery. Hosted by beer sommelier and award-winning drinks writer, Susan Boyle, the podcast series aims to raise awareness of the Irish craft brewing sector and to encourage people in Ireland to find out more about the craft beers being produced locally.  Over six episodes, host Susan will be joined by some of Ireland’s leading craft breweries on themes including sustainability, branding, craft production, and business development. The weekly episodes will …

PLANS for the delivery of a “much needed” local bus service for Ennis town and its environs are driving forward with confirmation the National Transport Authority have “advanced” their design and are due to undertake a route inspection this month. However, former mayor of Ennis Councillor Johnny Flynn, who has been a long time campaigner for the service has criticised the “snail’s pace” of the project and is calling on the county’s Oireachtas members to attend the next meeting of the Ennis Municipal District and push for the service’s delivery. Details of the progress of providing a local bus were outlined at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where the service’s importance was emphasised by local councillors. Seeking an update on the service, Councillor Paul Murphy insisted that a local bus service is “vital” for the town of Ennis. “I am requesting a progress update on provision of a much needed local bus service for Ennis Town and …