Regional

THE 2013 tourist season at Loop Head Lighthouse commences this weekend as the West Clare landmark opens to the public for the first time this year.The 19th century lighthouse will be opened for its third successive season on Saturday and will remain open each weekend, including Easter Weekend and Bank Holidays, up to and including September. Clare County Council says 12 full-time and part-time jobs will be created when the lighthouse reopens.17,423 people (13,441 adults, 3,982 children) visited the lighthouse during the May to September opening period in 2012.  Seventy-one per cent of the total visitor figure was represented by domestic visitors, of which approximately 50% were holidaymakers and 35% were day-trippers, with local visitors accounting for the remainder. Overseas, visitors accounted for 29% of the total figure. It is estimated that the 18-week opening period was worth approximately €650,000 to the local economy.“Clare tourism, particularly the sector in the Loop Head Peninsula, has benefited greatly from this visitor project …

SAMARITANS’ signs are to be placed on the Cliff Walk in Kilkee and at the bridge on route to St George’s Head on the opposite side of the resort. One sign apiece is to be placed in each location. The matter was discussed at the February meeting of Kilkee Town Council, while councillors decided upon the location for the signs at this week’s meeting. “I propose that we put them up at the start and at the end of the Cliff Walk on a low level. I’m still not sure if there’s a necessity for them but I can understand people feeling that there should be signs,” Councillor Paddy Collins commented. “Personally, I think they should be strategically placed on the cliff walk. If people are in a difficulty and are going on for their walk and they see that sign, it may help that person. I think they should be placed there at a low level,” Councillor Claire Haugh …

A 10k walk takes place on Sunday, March 24, at the Flaggy Shore, New Quay. The walk will benefit North Clare -run charity Pemba Support, which works in educational and community development on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania. Pemba, along with its larger neighbour Unguja, makes up Zanzibar.Fr Mathius Ng’oja is currently visiting North Clare. He has worked in Pemba for more than three years and will shortly take up a role in Unguja, an island that has recently witnessed increased religious tensions peaking with the murder of Catholic priest, Evarist Mushi last month.Fr Mathius is originally from Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He recently finished preparatory courses in physics, biology and chemistry with the hope of studying medicine in August.“I am looking forward to it. I don’t know which part I would like to specialise in, I like caring for the sick and that is what I really like and I would like to serve the sick,” he said.Before …

The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award in the Green Awards 2013.Now in its fifth year, the awards scheme celebrates excellence in sustainability and encourages green best practice amongst Ireland’s business and tourism organisations.The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has been shortlisted in the Green Tourism and Leisure category alongside Croke Park, Fota Wildlife Park, Carlton House, Bellinter House and Fitzers Catering.The announcement comes on foot of new figures from the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience that show considerable progress being made in the implementation of green, sustainable actions at the North Clare facility.Director Katherine Webster says that there was a 9.5% reduction in electricity usage at the Centre during 2012 compared to previous year, along with a 24% year-on-year reduction in water usage, and a 12.7% increase in the level of recycled waste.Ms Webster noted that the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience also increased its use of local food suppliers during 2012, …

THE largest class yet at Shannon College of Hotel Management graduated last week.At the graduation ceremony, Philip Smyth, director of the Shannon College of Hotel Management, said the experience of the college shows the Irish third-level sector should consider the world its oyster when it comes to student recruitment.“Over 45% of our students are from outside Ireland, some from as far afield as China and India, which are huge potential markets for international education.  We have a really good international reputation and that helps but we have had to get out, roll up our sleeves and sell ourselves very hard in these markets because that’s what required.“We do have many advantages because of the standard of education we provide, the fact that we are an English-speaking nation, because Ireland is less expensive now to live in than what it was, especially for students and because we are smart in how we target them. “But none of those qualities are exclusive …

SHANNON Town Councillors have said they are disappointed about a lack of consultation from Shannon Development regarding the future of a local one-acre site.The Clare Champion of February 8 carried an ad from Shannon Development in which it said it was “seeking proposals from suitable individuals/consortiums/companies for purchase/lease of land for the development of a community project on a c 1 acre site at Shannon Town Centre”.A closing date for the request of a tender form was given as the following Friday, February 15.At last Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Labour’s Greg Duff put forward a motion asking that the council express its disappointment that greater efforts weren’t made to consult the local community regarding the site.His colleague Tony McMahon said Shannon Development had made a “feeble effort” to engage with community interests. Independent Gerry Flynn said he felt Shannon Development had “shown arrogance in the way they have dealt with this particular site”.He said a body like Clare County Council …

WHEN Ennis songwriter Peter Keane first came up with the idea for a song about the experience of emigrants back in the late-’90s, little did he realise the effect it would have years later. His song, The Gathering, was first penned in 1999, many years before the notion of Ireland’s Gathering festival was born. Now it has been chosen as Clare’s official song for the national event calling the county’s diaspora home.The song was written following Peter’s years playing the vibrant music scene in New  York and Boston  and emerging local band Socks in the Frying Pan have been chosen to perform the song, which is now available on iTunes, with a video on YouTube.The song reflects an emigrant’s absence from his homeland and looking forward to a homecoming in Ireland. Peter’s ambition was always to professionally produce the song and make it available to a wider audience. In mid-2012 he approached the Gathering Clare 2013 Steering Group for support …

This year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade will commence from Aras Contae an Chláir at 11am on Sunday, Ennis Town Council has announced. The centrepiece of the day’s festivities will be the annual parade, the theme of which is ‘Ennis – A Musical Town’. The parade will commence from Clare County Council’s headquarters building rather than Ennis Courthouse this year. It will proceed down New Road before crossing over the Club Bridge and passing through Abbey Street, O’Connell Square, O’Connell Street and Barrack Street. The ­parade will terminate in the Market.Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine, will lead the parade in a horse-drawn carriage, which will be followed by 50 groups representing the many aspects of life in Ennis and County Clare. This year’s parade will also feature the 40-strong St Mary’s Catholic School Marching Band from Phoenix, which is travelling to the county capital as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of Ennis’ twinning relationship with the Arizona state capital.There …