Regional

PREPARATIONS have been stepping up a gear for St Senan’s 50th anniversary celebrations, which will take place on March 3 and 4, with past pupils now based in foreign countries expected to return for the festivities.Deputy principal Margaret Murphy said that a number of events have been planned. “This was the first Catholic school to be established in Shannon and it opened up on February 1, 1962 and Carmel Kenny was the first principal. The school started out in the community hall but it moved into the new building in the mid-’60s.”A golden jubilee booklet will be launched on the night of March 3 at Wolfe Tones, which will have pictures of students and teachers, past and present. Ms Murphy said a large crowd is expected at the event. “All the teachers are coming back and there are about 60 or 70 and there are past pupils coming who are based in Europe, America and England.”The event will kick off …

ENNIS is “not anywhere near” the stage of applying for a Purple Flag, the award recognising excellence in the management of safe town centres at night, according to town clerk Leonard Cleary.Speaking at a recent meeting of Ennis Town Council, Mr Cleary said a lot more research has to be done and lessons to be learned from the UK before Ennis applies for the award. He also suggested a possible visit to the UK to see how the Purple Flag award has worked for towns and cities there.At a meeting of the municipal policy committee last month, it was agreed that the Purple Flag pathfinder process would be pursued and that Promote Ennis would be the applicant, with the gardaí and Ennis Town Council supporting the process.At this month’s meeting, Councillor Johnny Flynn emphasised that towns with a vibrant night-time economy have a much wider appeal. He outlined it has been shown “towns and cities in the UK that have …

IRELAND Reaching Out, the South-East Galway-based diaspora project, recently scooped the top prize at a national awards ceremony.Ireland XO was named best community project in the country at the prestigious LAMA (Local Authority Members Association) Awards in Dublin.LAMA represents elected councillors nationwide. This is the sixth year of the awards, which commend individuals, initiatives, private companies and people for their outstanding contributions and projects of benefit to the community.Cited for its originality, popularity among parishes and volunteers and its potential to scale across the country, the award was presented by Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan and award host Miriam O’Callaghan.Before a packed audience of county and city managers and local authority officials from across the country, the award was received on behalf of the project by parish liaison officer, John Joe Conwell and the Mayor of County Galway, Michael Mogie Maher.Speaking after the award, John Joe Conwell stated, “The simplicity of the Ireland Reaching Out project is powerful. Rather …

NORTH Clare man Tommy Fahy will travel to Dublin next week to watch himself on the big screen as part of the 10th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. Tommy will appear in the documentary Silence, which is showing next Thursday at the Lighthouse Cinema, Smithfield, Dublin and is already sold out.The energetic 78-year-old was filmed last April as part of the documentary that follows Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, a sound recordist, who is returning to Ireland for the first time in 15 years. The reason for his return is a job offer: to record landscapes free from manmade sound. His quest takes him to remote terrain, away from towns and villages. Throughout his journey, he is drawn into a series of encounters and conversations, which gradually divert his attention towards a more intangible silence, bound up with the sounds of the life he left behind.Tommy spent some time showing Eoghan how to catch lobsters and talks to him about growing …

Following a €1.6m refurbishment, The Sweeney Memorial Public Library in Kilkee will re-open on Monday at 6pm. The official opening will be performed by Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, Jimmy Deenihan. The library building dates to the 1950s and was designed to provide multipurpose functions including library, theatre, cinema and dance-hall.The existing building is approximately 415m2 (4,465 square feet) and the revised layout will provide approximately 682m2 (7,340 square feet), of which 492m2 will be at ground floor and 190m2 at first-floor level. The theatre and foyer/gallery facilities have been designed to accommodate approximately 130 people.In 2010, Clare County Council awarded a €1m contract to L&M Keating Ltd, Kilmihil, to carry out a refurbishment and extension to the library in Kilkee.Additional work brought the work to €1.6m. The proposed scheme comprises additional library space, theatre and exhibition space, and multifunction spaces. At the July 2010 meeting of Kilrush Electoral Area county councillors, director of services, Nora Kaye, acknowledged …

PERSISTENCE has eventually paid off for the developer of a proposed end-of-life recovery facility at Leitrim, Bridgetown.Plans for the retention of a commercial development about 5km north-west of Bridgetown were refused by Clare County Council, following an objection signed by 39 residents in November 2010.However, the local planning department has now given John Joe Fitzpatrick, c/o Barnes Murray De Bhail, The Old Forge, Inishannon, Cork, the green light for a second revised planning application for a similar development.Mr Fitzpatrick had sought planning approval to retain the commercial/industrial use of land as an end-of-life vehicle recovery facility, a commercial/industrial building, the retention of a concrete hardstanding and associated screen walling, two portocabins, on-site parking, one weighbridge and all other ancillary works, which he claimed had been in place for over 30 years.This development has now been given the go-ahead, subject to nine conditions, including a provision for the payment of €2,861 to the council in respect of public infrastructure and facilities …

At the February meeting of Kilkee Town Council, members expressed concern that that the public toilet, which made a loss of more than €30,000 in 2011, may not be open for St Patrick’s Day or for Easter Weekend. In reply to Councillor Karen Reilly’s motion that Clare County Council outline their summer plans for staffing levels in Kilkee and the opening times of the public toilets, town engineer Derek Troy said outdoor staffing numbers will be reduced by 12% in west Clare this year. The town engineer also said the toilets would open from 8.30am to 4.30pm daily. However, he later added that if there was a demand for the toilets to be opened beyond 4.30pm, the toilets’ opening hours would be extended. On a related note, Councillor Paddy Collins expressed his disbelief that the public toilets may be closed for upcoming bank holidays, including March 17. “I think it’s amazing that we don’t have public toilets for the Easter …

THE promotion of cultural events and festivals in the town will not only benefit tourism but could also lead to more manufacturing companies setting up in Ennis, according to the new president of Ennis Chamber, Brian O’Neill. Brian, who runs the award-winning Rowan Tree Café and Hostel, recently took over the chain of office from former president John Dillane. “I have a different perspective to John having come from the tourism sector but I am conscious of all aspects of business, including manufacturing. I think that by promoting Ennis and making it a better place to live, with different cultural events on during the year, makes it a more attractive place for manufacturing companies to come to Ennis, as they would think it’s a better place for their staff to live,” he said.Looking forward to his term, Brian explained, “The presidency is for one year, which doesn’t give you a whole lot of time to do a lot but I …