Shannon

Owen Ryan THERE has been interest in developing a crematorium at Shannon for  years and the site where planning permission has been granted for one is now going on sale. Two different parties are said to be interested in purchasing it and putting in place the first crematorium in the West of Ireland. Prior to this week’s Shannon Electoral Area meeting, Councillor Gerry Flynn put forward a motion asking that “the proposed sale of land adjacent to Illaunmanagh Graveyard to private speculators for commercial activity be ceased”. His motion also asked that the “land originally purchased from Shannon Development at a reduced price for the purpose of a burial ground in Shannon be retained for that purpose by the council.” In a written report, Clare County Council’s senior executive officer, Michael McNamara outlined plans for the site, and he indicated that more than one party is interested. “The original promoters of the crematorium are no longer interested in pursuing their …

CLARE  County Council’s Shannon Town Green Infrastructure Plan has won the Environmental and Sustainable Planning award in the Irish Planning Institute’s National Planning Awards at Dublin Castle. The biennial Awards aim to highlight the best examples of planning practice and honour recent projects, plans and programmes, which have made an outstanding contribution to the quality of life in urban and rural Ireland and internationally. The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets won the overall National Planning Award. The Shannon Town Green Infrastructure Plan 2012 developed and illustrated concepts put forward as objectives in the Shannon Local Area Plan 2012-2018 to use enhanced wildlife corridors to form a network of walking and cycling routes throughout the town and linking the town centre to the estuary via a walking and cycling routes and a newly developed town park.

THE eighth nationwide Adult Learners’ Festival will take place from Monday next to Saturday, March 1.  Shannon Adult Learning Centre, part of the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board has a full week planned of activities and workshops in the centre itself and throughout Shannon to suit everybody. It is open to everybody to get involved  and the organisers are encouraging people to avail of this opportunity to learn about how the organisation serves the community.  For further details visit www.aontas.com / www.clarelearningnetw

THERE were 51 sales of residential properties in Shannon last year, according to the Residential Property Price Register. According to figures, full market value was not paid for 20 of these, including a number of units at the affordable housing development in Glaise na Rinne. In total, just shy of €5million (€4,981,035.75) was spent on residential property in the town. The most expensive property was at An Rosan Óir, for which €320,000 was paid. This was 16 times more than the least expensive amount, which was €20,000 paid for a unit at Ryewood House, Ballycasey Court. Thirty-seven of the 63 properties were sold for less than €100,000. Four properties were sold in January, five in February, two in March, three in April, eight in May, four in June, six in July, three in August, none in September, six in October, two in November and eight in December.

ANTI-social behaviour is a serious problem for some residents of Rossbracken, this week’s meeting of Shannon Town Council heard, while there were calls for CCTV to be introduced at the estate. There were also calls for two laneways in the estate to be closed, a proposal two of the members brought before the meeting. Councillors Sean McLoughlin and Gerry Flynn put forward a motion asking that “Shannon Town Council request Clare County Council to begin the process to close the alleyways between 4 and 5 Rossbracken, due to some unsociable activity causing disturbance to local residents.” However, in a written response, Eugene O’Shea, the senior executive engineer for the Shannon area, opposed closing them. “The alleyways between 4 and 5 Rossbracken are public rights of way with underground public services and the area office would not favour closing them. Members of the public have the right to access these alleyways. Instances of anti-social behaviour at these locations should be referred …

HUNDREDS of young people are in the terminal of Shannon Airport today for the Irish Technology Leadership Group’s Young Innovators 2014 event. The teenagers, from secondary schools around the country, including students from St Flannan’s in Ennis, St Patrick’s Comprehensive in Shannon and St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe are sharing their vision for the world in 2064 through an innovation and technology challenge. They are being asked to outline how they think people may live, work, play, travel, learn and shop in 50 years time. Chair of Shannon Rose Hynes Rose Hynes was there and she said it’s very interesting to think about what the future may bring, given how quickly technology can change. “If you just think 20 years back, people weren’t even using faxes, they were using telex. It’s quite amazing. I was in GPA when emails became a big thing, it’s not that long ago.” Luke Lawlor, a Leaving Cert student at St Flannan’s was among …

THE new Anti Austerity Alliance is to field two candidates,  Seónaidh Ní Shíomóin and David Houlihan, for the Shannon area in the May local elections. Seónaidh, who first got involved in campaigning during the anti Household Tax movement in 2012, said, “Right across the country ordinary people, sick and tired of austerity, are coming together to build a real alternative for the upcoming elections. From Dublin to Donegal, Limerick to Laois, the Anti Austerity Alliance is organising to get fighters for ordinary people elected. So far the AAA is standing in six wards in the Mid West, including right here in Shannon.” David Houlihan, who is a trade union activist, said, “The Government would have you believe all is well. But almost half a million people are still unemployed, over 300,000 have emigrated, 100,000 mortgages are in arrears, and there has been no recovery in people’s wages. Far from austerity being over, the property tax has now doubled, and next …

FIFTY-five Shannon workers are getting an unexpected financial boost after their employers, Mincon Group PLC decided to reward them with payments of €1,000 per year of service up to the end of 2013. The company came to prominence in 2010 as it was behind the drill piece used to make initial contact with the trapped Chilean miners. It recorded a pre-tax profit of over €13 million in 2012. Commenting on the move, Paddy Purcell, who founded the Mincon Group with his wife, Mary in 1977, said; “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Mincon Group employees that it has grown from its origins in Shannon into the international business it is today, with operations in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Australasia and with its securities quoted on the ESM and AIM.” Mr Purcell and Kevin Barry, Mincon Chief Executive, are providing around €1.2 million from their private funds to fund the award to employees, excluding …