Regional

ACTIVE Travel projects are transforming pedestrian and cyclist access in West Clare, a recent meeting of the municipal district has heard. However, some works cannot proceed until aspects of the design of the West Clare Greenway have been ironed out.  In response to a question from Councillor Shane Talty, members were updated on a range of projects across the area. Seeking the update, Councillor Talty said he regularly receives questions about “projects which have been announced but not seen”. “I fully understand that these are in the pipeline and the Active Travel project have massive visibility,” he said. “My only concern is that some of them are contingent on the Greenway, which is still a number of years away.” In a written response to the motion, Senior Executive Officer (SE), John O’Malley provided an update on range of works on paths, crossings and lighting installations.  Mr O’Malley’s response noted that Active Travel is a five-year programme of funding which began …

CLARE County Council has announced that the main street in Ennis will be closed to traffic for a period each day from this Friday to facilitate temporary pedestrianisation. The Council indicated on Twitter that O’Connell Street, Ennis, will be closed to traffic from O’Connell Square to the junction with Station Road, Friday, April 8, from 11:30am to 5pm, Monday-Sunday, seven days per week, to facilitate the introduction of temporary pedestrianisation. This road closure will remain in place until the commencement of the Ennis Public Realm Works, currently anticipated to commence on Monday, May 9, 2022. There will be no through road from Abbey Street to O’Connell Street for the duration of the closure. Diversion will be at O’Connell Square, at the junction of Bank Place and O’Connell Square.

COASTAL protection works in Quilty will progress when signed agreement from the parties is returned to Clare County Council, local councillors have been told.  The matter was raised at the March meeting of the West Clare Municipal District by Councillor PJ Kelly who sought a report on the proposed works at Clohaninchy. “For a parish like Kilmurry Ibrikane who are in the habit of winning, I’m disappointed this has taken so long,” Councillor Kelly said. “It is a longstanding problem.” A written response to the motion came from Gráinne Reddan, Senior Executive Engineer (SEE) with the Project Management Office (PMO). “To progress the Cloughaninchy Flood Relief Scheme, Clare County Council have been negotiating with landowners over the last number of years, which has proved very time-consuming,” the reply said. “Landowner agreements were issued in February 2022 and Clare County Council await the return of signed agreements from all parties. Provided that Clare County Council receive signed agreements, Clare County Council …

A NORTH Clare tillage farmer and agricultural contractor has claimed a government initiative encouraging more tillage production in response to the Ukrainian war is “waste of time” and a “hair brained scheme”. Previously involved in electronics, Shane Nolan left his work in Dublin in the early nineties and took over his father’s farm in Finavara and started renting land for tillage. The secretary of the Western Division of the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors of Ireland (FCI) pointed out a dairy or beef farmer would have to reduce the amount of cattle on their land to try and grow a tillage crop. “It would be like me milking cows. I might know what a cow looks like but I wouldn’t know how to maintain a cow. At least with tillage crops I know what I have to do. It is like asking a doctor to go and wire a house.” He said non-tillage farmers have approached him seeking advice …

ENNIS’ first ever ‘Friendship Seating Area’ will be launched next week by the Ennis Mental Health Association with hopes high that it will become a special place to for people to meet and connect with one another in the town centre. The seating spot at Abbey Street Car Park has been developed in co-operation with the Ennis Municipal District and will be officially launched on Thursday, April 7 by Mayor of Ennis Councillor Ann Norton. On the same day Ennis MHA will mark national ‘Hello, How Are You?’ Day with an information stand in O’Connell Square. As well as providing seating, the area has a specially designed plaque featuring the words of William Butler Yeats, “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.” Maria Molloy, chairperson of the Ennis MHA explained that the Friendship Seating Area, located by the River Fergus has been “designed to provide an attractive and inviting space where people can sit and be …

TAKING part in a national competition has added up to success for one Ennis school student. St Flannan’s College first year student Jack McAuliffe achieved top marks in the recent Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association (IMTA) Junior Maths Quiz. As well as being named a national winner, he also scooped a Prim-Ed Maths Box valued at €225 for the school.  Peter Sexton, maths teacher, commented, “The Maths Department in St Flannan’s are delighted for Jack on winning first prize in the Irish Maths Teachers Association Junior Maths Competition.” The Junior Mathematics Competition, held annually for first year students, was developed and organised by Michael Moynihan  and has been running since 1994. It consists of multiple choice brain teasers answered within a 40 minute period. Since 2021 the competition has been run online and available in both English and as Gaeilge.

SOME of the town’s issues with flooding could be alleviated if the County Council cleaned out the local storm water infrastructure a councillor has claimed. Councillor Gerry Flynn put forward a motion at the Shannon Municipal District’s March meeting asking that the Council clean out all the storm water infrastructure in the town. He claimed a lack of necessary maintenance is causing a lot of flooding issues throughout Shannon and deemed the current Council policy to be “reactionary”. “I believe a more proactive approach is necessary to improve this facility as a lot of necessary gullies and silt channels are restricted and are less effective due to the lack of regular maintenance.” A written response from Senior Executive Engineer Tom Mellett claimed that doing the work suggested is already a priority and that a lot has been done. “Recent weather events have highlighted what is an ongoing concern for this office. “In relation to drainage works the Shannon Municipal District …

EAST Clare Musical Society make a welcome return to the stage, later this month, after the Covid shutdown.  “This Easter we have eggsactly the treat that audiences, starved of musical theatre for two years, require,” said Eoin O’Hagan. “We are delighted to announce we will stage a reprise of the cabaret special, A Night at the Musicals, in Scariff Community College on Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 15-17, with curtain up nightly at 8pm.” This hugely popular show, which sold out in February 2020, just prior to lockdown, will entertain the fans of musical theatre with solo appearances from many of the leads of previous musical performances of the East Clare Musical Society. Led by Musical Director John O’Brien with the accompaniment of Anne Cullen and Steve Lawrence, songbird Vashti Curran will come back to the stage after a very successful year-long residency performing cabaret in Germany.  Also taking to the stage are other highly talented singers, most of who …