South Clare

A Cratloe-based metalsmith has been selected as one of six Irish artisans who will represent Ireland at a major event next month.

A CLONLARA resident has cried foul over sewerage blockages in a local authority estate, which have resulted in raw sewage seeping into his shed.Billy Carey, 1 Derryvinna Estate, Clonlara was greeted with a stench from about six inches of water mixed with sewage in his backyard last Saturday. This is the second time this year he has been forced to put up with raw sewage on the property after a similar spillage on New Year’s Day.Clare County Council sent out a sub-contractor to clean out the pipes and carry out preliminary investigation work.Speaking to The Clare Champion, Mr Carey claimed the problem has been ongoing for the last 34 years. He said it has never been fully resolved because he is the only resident who is being adversely affected by the blockages. He believes that because his house is situated at the highest point in the estate, all the foul water and sewage comes back down to his property and …

BOAT lovers and water enthusiasts from across the country will converge on Killaloe on Saturday for The Yachtsman Euromarine Captain’s Run 2011.Now in its second year, the charity treasure hunt on Lough Derg follows the enormous success of last year’s inaugural event, which attracted more than 150 participants.At least 50 boats are expected to join in the treasure hunt along Lough Derg, searching for playing cards hidden in mystery locations on the lake. The captain of the boat that returns with the best poker hand will be crowned Captain of the Lake.Pleasure craft of all shapes and sizes are welcome to take part and all proceeds raised on the day will be donated to TLC 4 Cystic Fibrosis, the Mid-West branch of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.“TLC4CF represents the three counties of Tipperary, Limerick and Clare that have come together to get better facilities for cystic fibrosis suffers at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick,” Linda Drennan, treasurer of TLC4CF, explains.At present, …

Years of speculation about a proposed extension of Limerick City’s boundary into South-East Clare is expected to finally come to an end when the new Environment Minister, Phil Hogan, issues his decision on the controversial findings of an independent report.Minister Hogan told a delegation of Clare County Council members and officials on Friday last that he planned to make a decision on this political hot potato before the Dáil summer recess early in July.Clare Against the Boundary Extension (CABE) and other community groups have vigorously opposed plans to transfer over 3,000 people from Shannon Banks, Westbury and parts of Clonlara in to an expanded Limerick City.This was one of the recommendations of the Limerick Local Government Report, chaired by Denis Brosnan. The report also proposed that Limerick City and County Councils be amalgamated to form one local authority with an estimated saving of €20 million.Last week’s delegation was organised after Killaloe Electoral Area chairman, Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald, tabled a motion …

IT was a day with a difference on Monday for a Broadford hotel sales director and her five-year-old cousin as they helped former Republic of Ireland and Manchester United soccer star, Roy Keane, to launch a charity campaign.Yvonne McNamara, director of sales at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin asked another Broadford native Ashleigh McNamara to help launch the ninth annual Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Shades campaign. This campaign, which focuses on raising funds for the training of guide and assistance dogs for people living with sight loss or autism, runs until Sunday.Ashleigh, who celebrated her fifth birthday on Tuesday, travelled to Dublin with her parents, Leslie and Conor and her two siblings for a holiday break. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Leslie said Ashleigh thoroughly enjoyed the photoshoot.“Ashleigh was thrilled to meet Roy Keane. I could not believe how nice he was to all the children and how interested and knowledgeable he was about the charity and …

Most of the traders in the southern part of Killaloe town have suffered a drop in business since the re-introduction of double yellow lines on Main Street and Royal Parade, according to a Clare Champion investigation.Some of the worst affected businesses are in Royal Parade, opposite the historic Church of Ireland Cathedral where Clare County Council removed up to eight parking spaces for safety reasons and replaced them with two set down areas a few months ago.Sue and Joe James, who sell antiques and other goods in Royal Parade, are extremely concerned about the lack of a public car park in the town.Sue James claims there has been a 40% drop in business since the removal of car parking spaces in the vicinity of their shop. Having been in business in the town for the last 14 years, she said they have never experienced anything like this before, which saddens her greatly as they have done a lot of work …

The provision of accommodation, catering, social and conference type facilities at a holiday village would be of direct benefit to the University of Limerick’s Activity Centre near Killaloe.That’s according to the centre’s director of sport and recreation, Dave Mahedy, who has “wholeheartedly” welcomed planning permission at the Lough Derg Village, which is literally on their doorstep.Clare County Council recently granted Jeremy and Jana Mannion planning permission to construct a temporary marquee with an area of 435m2 for a five-year period subject to nine conditions. The development also includes car parking, modifications to the site entrance and all ancillary site works.In a letter of support lodged with Clare County Council, Mr Mahedy said the activity centre had built up an extensive business in the area of outdoor activities since 1996. All of the centre’s business is non-residential as it doesn’t have any accommodation as part of the facility and there are no plans for same as the main focus will remain …

THE Killaloe Church of Ireland Vestry holds the key to the sale or leasing of land for a badly needed car park in the lakeside town, it emerged this week.