Regional

AN estimated €6 million has been spent by Government agencies on the provision of tourism-related developments at Lough Derg, it emerged this week.This expenditure represents 40% of the €15m in developments that have been identified for the area by the Lough Derg Working Group.The group, comprising Shannon Development, Failte Ireland and Waterways Ireland, is working in close co-operation with the relevant local authorities on a strategic plan to enhance visitor facilities in the Lakelands and Inland Waterways Region. The proposed developments include improvements to harbours, marina developments and on-shore visitor facilities, such as walking and cycling trails.Some of the projects completed include the recently opened €2m Killaloe Canal Project completed by Waterways Ireland, harbour improvements at Terryglass, Dromineer, Garrykennedy and Ballina and loop walks linked to the Lough Derg Way and East Clare Way, including a new loop walk at Ballycuggeran.Commenting on the infrastructure developments at Lough Derg, Shannon Development tourism product development manager, Flan Quilligan, said the overall strategy …

CATHOLICS in the Killaloe Diocese have great respect and love for hard-working priests in their parishes, despite the pain and anguish caused by child clerical abuse.That’s according to Rev Gerard Jones, who will become the youngest priest in the Killaloe Diocese next Sunday, when Bishop Kieran O’Reilly ordains him at 3pm.He will celebrate his first Mass of Thanksgiving in St Thomas’ Church, Bridgetown, on Monday evening at 7pm.Rev Jones said he was shocked and felt let down by the actions, and inaction in some instances, of senior clerics when dealing with allegations of child clerical sexual abuse.Having served as a deacon in a number of parishes over the last 18 months, the 28-year-old cleric noted, however, that he was never subjected to negative personal comments as a result of the recent reports highlighting the appalling failure to adequately deal with child abuse in some dioceses.“Procedures concerning child abuse were not properly followed in one diocese. However, this is not a …

A child could be injured crossing the road in Whitegate because of the lack of a proper pedestrian crossing, it has been claimed.Councillor Pat Burke asked Clare County Council to provide a solution to make the pedestrian crossing at the entrance to the GAA field at Whitegate much safer.Following recent resurfacing of the regional road, Councillor Burke told a recent Killaloe Electoral Area meeting that some vehicles are now being driven at excessive speeds, while local children thought they had a right to cross at this location.He warned that tourists and visitors are not aware of this crossing. “I am looking for a better solution at this location,” he said.Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes, he said this problem was on the agenda for the last 10 or 12 years and noted this was the only facility where local children could cross.Councillor Hayes agreed a better solution needed to be implemented by the council.Electoral Area chairman, Councillor Joe Cooney, who …

The East Clare-based Centre for ­Environmental Living and Training (CELT) will be participating in a wide variety of events over the coming months, culminating in an appearance at the Electric Picnic in Stradbally next month. Their programme of events begins with a Heritage Day at Scariff Community Garden this Saturday, where CELT will hold a variety of free workshops and demonstrations from 12 noon to 4pm. Among the items to be covered will be crochet, knitting, spinning, natural dyeing and felting techniques. Those in attendance are invited to bring along their own projects and join in. There will also be a herblore walk and talk with Kes Clarke. Also as part of Heritage Week, CELT will be at The Log Cabin, Ballyduff Upper, County Waterford, on Sunday for further workshops and demonstrations in wet felting, leatherwork, bread-baking, basket weaving and sugan chair making. They will also be continue to run courses in plant magic, managing a small-holding with emphasis on …

South Galway could become “the genealogy capital of Ireland”, according to one public representative, and Gort could be at the heart of it. Deputy Mayor of County Galway, Bridie Willers, made the comment to The Clare Champion ahead of an event next week aimed at helping people across the West take the first steps to finding out about their own ancestry. Investigating your Family History, A Practical Approach, is a special conference organised by the Western Family History Association (WFHA) on Wednesday.  The WFHA is a genealogy association based in Galway with members from Galway, Clare, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim. It is effectively a self-help group where members can share their experience and expertise in tracing their families’ history. At its regular meetings, members have access to the latest information presented by expert speakers including how to access family records, census data, emigrant data and the latest developments in genealogy, such as the digitisation of family records, births, marriages …

Presidential candidate Michael D Higgins was in Kinvara at the weekend to open the 33rd Cruinniú na mBád Festival. Hundreds of people took to Parkmore Pier to watch as the turf boats make their traditional journey from Sruthán in Connemara to South Galway. Speaking at the event Mr Higgins said, “With National Heritage Week beginning next weekend, there could be no better way of celebrating our heritage than to turn the face of the Irish people towards the sea, with all its opportunities, and its dangers too.”  Mr Higgins was opening the festival 21 years after he had last opened it as mayor of Galway.  The Cruinniú festival is a unique event on the Irish calendar, which celebrates workboat traditions and features the delivery of turf from Connemara to Kinvara, a trade, which took place at the port up until the 1960s.  Michael D travelled to the opening on board An Tonnai, one of three traditional turf-boats that have been …

A CLARE TD has said new studies looking at instances of young people taking their own lives “point to alarming increases when compared to the levels in the 1990s”.Deputy Joe Carey made the comment pointing to a study by Professor Kevin Malone from UCD, who will address this issue when he speaks at the Merriman Summer School this Friday.The survey showed that from 2003 to 2008, there was a 40% rise in the number of deaths by suicide in the 15 to 17 year age group, when compared to the period 1993 to 1998. The number of girls under 18 years of age taking their own lives has also doubled, while the level of ‘open verdicts’ reported by coroners had also risen hugely since the 1990s, perhaps pointing to an under reporting of the issue, he claimed.“There isn’t a town or village in County Clare or Ireland, which hasn’t in some way been affected by suicide. It is a heartbreaking …

THE North-West Clare Family Resource Centre officially opened the doors of its new premises, An Grianán Resource Centre in Ennistymon, on Wednesday. This building is in addition to the existing NWCFRC childcare centre and will provide community space for meetings, training and other services. The building was opened by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald.“The new premises will be a significant hub for social inclusion, family support and community services in an area severely lacking in such infrastructure,” explained Gary Rush, manager of the NWCFRC.“It is a resource for the whole of North Clare that will host meetings, training activities, labour market activation services, information provision and be a focus for people to meet, network and organise. Countywide, regional and national organisations will now have a purpose-built base from which to provide their services. Already, there are plans for youth services, vocational training, community education, counselling, labour market activation programmes, services to victims of domestic violence and information …