South Clare

Residents in one of the largest housing estates in the Mid-West look set to be divided over the payment of the controversial €100 household charge.The Department of Environment has confirmed that residents in Bruachlan and Carraig Midhe in Westbury will be exempt from the charge because they are living in “unfinished” housing estates. Other exclusions include Churchfields in Clonlara and Shantraud Woods in Killaloe.Last night, the Deptartment of the Environment announced a list of housing estates in Clare that will be exempt from the new household charge. These estates have been classified as of a certain ‘unfinished’ condition.Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald, who tabled a motion about the issue at a council meeting on Monday, said residents in one part of the Westbury estate will be exempt while others will be expected to pay even though Clare County Council hasn’t taken the estate in public charge.He argued either the whole Westbury estate should be exempt, or else the council should proceed with …

CLARE County Council has requested the developer of a proposed end-of-life recovery facility at Leitrim, Bridgetown, to clarify his plans.In a recent letter to Cork planning consultants, Barnes Murray De Bhaill, the local planning department has stated the information submitted is insufficient to enable planners to make a complete planning assessment of the proposal.Requesting clarification, the planning department has sought a revised site layout plan to clarify the discharge point for all waters.“It is noted that on December 7, 2011, additional details were submitted with regard to a discharge point for surface water from the site to an existing lagoon within the Roadstone Quarry located about 240 metres to the east of the site.“The continuance of this practice is not considered appropriate and alternative measures are required. It is noted that written consent of the owner or operator has not been submitted. The arrangements for the treatment of surface water from the car storage area require clarification,” the council stated.Plans …

Secondary school pupils from South-East Clare attending a Limerick College will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities inside the new two years, following official sanction for a €7.2 million capital investment project. Education Minister, Ruairí Quinn has given the green light for a dramatic overhaul of accommodation in St Munchin’s College, Limerick, as well as new sports facilities following over a decade of lobbying, which intensified over the last three years.At least half of the 540 students attending come from Ardnacrusha, Parteen, Shannon Banks, Meelick and Westbury.The project is to be carried out on a phased basis, with works due to commence on site early in the new year, following the appointment of a main contractor in January.The construction contract, which is expected to be awarded to a well-known Clare construction company, is scheduled to take place over a two-and-a-half-year period.While some of the ambitious plans submitted by the school weren’t funded by the Department of Education, management are still determined they …

A SHANNON Banks pensioner has written a new book on the trials and tribulations of his childhood, growing up in Limerick City in the poverty-stricken ’40s and ’50s.I Remember Well was officially launched by RTÉ Mid-West correspondent Cathy Halloran in Leamy’s Old School, Hartstonge Street, Limerick recently.Writing about his childhood memories fulfilled a life-long ambition for 75-year-old Kevin Egan.There are some similarities to Angela’s Ashes, the 1996 memoir by the Irish-American author, Frank McCourt. Interestingly, when Kevin got a job with Eason’s in Limerick, he worked for a period with Frank’s brother, Mick, and knew Malachy and Alfie.Kevin’s detailed description of everyday life helps the reader to relive a world of hardship, poverty and ill health in a simpler, more innocent Ireland, where the Catholic Church was at the height of its powers.Instead of modern technology, such as television, mobile phones and computer games, Kevin and his friends enjoyed playing games in the street and the park, as well as …

COUNCILLOR Cathal Crowe has found himself in hot water with a development group in O’Briensbridge amid disputed claims he attempted to “hijack” credit for the long-awaited approval for repairs to the local bridge.

CLARE County Council has paved the way for the development of a state-of-the-art convalescence home on the site of the former Two Mile Inn Hotel in Meelick.

FRUSTRATION is growing among businesses and residents over the delay in finalising a preferred route for the long-awaited Northern Relief Distributor Road, which could cost in the region of €100 million. Planning permission for new developments on the outskirts of Clonlara and Parteen have been put on hold, pending the possibility they could impinge on one of the five options for the new distributor road, which is designed to alleviate traffic congestion in parts of South-East Clare and Limerick City North.Clare County Council expects the emerging preferred route should become known by January, which will kick-start a series of public consultations.Clare County Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald said he is disappointed with the ongoing delay, which he claimed has huge planning implications for residents and businesses seeking approval for new developments. “We have been talking about the need for this Northern Distributor Road for the last 15 years. We thought we would have a line selected by November, now it looks as …

CRIMINALS are travelling through Broadford as a shortcut between Limerick City and Galway, residents supporting the retention of the local garda station have claimed. Communities in the area breathed a collective sigh of relief this week after one of the main local garda stations escaped Government cutbacks. Fears were expressed last week by Councillor Cathal Crowe that Broadford could be included in the threatened rural garda station closures.Justice Minister Alan Shatter has refused to rule out the possibility of closing down Broadford Garda Station and other stations in the county before the Garda Commissioner’s Draft 2012 Policing Plan is finalised.However, it seems Broadford has at the very least gained a reprieve from closure and campaigners are hopeful its status should be secure for the near future after it was excluded from a list of 31 rural stations throughout the country facing closure.This decision was welcomed by Broadford Community Alert chairman, Michael McInerney, who claimed the village is being used as …