Regional

ALL facilities at Shannon Leisure Centre will be free on its reopening day on Saturday, July 3.

THERE are 492 applicants for social housing in the Shannon Area, last week’s meeting of the town council heard.

Councillors in South-East Clare have backed a submission from a residents’ group in Clonlara requesting an independent review of the flood management of the River Shannon to prevent a repeat of the devastation caused in the area last November.

A 27-year old Ogonnelloe resident has been awarded a highly prestigious 18-month Marie Curie Fellowship, which she will take up in the Netherlands in August.

A modern, purpose-built Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) unit in Broadford National School costing €170,000 is only being used by one pupil with special needs, due to a lack of enrolments.

THE building of a new Ennis National School at Ashline on the Kilrush Road was brought a step closer this week as the Department of Education and Science signalled approval for detailed design documents to be drawn up and planning permission sought for the proposed project.

TRANSITION Town Ennis is launching a bike-recycling initiative and a family cycle programme to mark the start of National Bike Week this weekend. The events are supported by Ennis Tidy Towns and Clare County Council Environment Section respectively.Called the Bring a Bike Back initiative, the group is hoping to tap into the large amount of unused and unwanted bikes out there.Colm O’Gairbhith from Transition Town Ennis pointed out that so many homes have bikes lying around unused. “Either children grow out of them, bikes get slightly damaged and never repaired or that fitness resolution of a few years ago, which involved splashing out on a bike, got replaced by another fitness resolution. “We’re asking people to take that bike, which is just taking up space and give it to us and we’ll match it up with someone who needs a bike and can’t afford one,” he said.The initiative is being held beside the Ennis Recycling Centre in the Gort Road …

TWELVE months ago, Kilrush cyclist Paul Edson peddled from Dublin to Paris to mark his recovery from prostate cancer.