South Clare

RESIDENTS in Montpelier and O’Briensbridge will be hoping that the allocation of €63,000 for flood relief works in Castleconnell will reduce the risk of a repeat of last year’s flooding when the River Shannon burst its banks.A number of homes in the Montpelier and Castleconnell area had to be evacuated, while very high levels of water were recorded in O’Briensbridge.The combination of flooding and the absence of a public sewerage treatment plant resulted in the introduction of a precautionary boil notice for residents last December.The notice, which affected approximately 500 individuals, was issued after Limerick County Council’s Water Services section detected a deterioration in water quality in the Montpelier Water Supply Scheme, which serves all three villages.O’Briensbridge community group chairman, Mick Murtagh recalled sewage had come up through the pipes of a number of houses in neighbouring Montpelier, which had presented additional difficulties for residents battling to keep floodwaters at bay.He said the River Shannon came within inches of flooding …

Opposition to the controversial proposed boundary extension of Limerick City into Westbury and Shannon Banks has been expressed by a local GAA club member.

At least 50 truck movements an hour are travelling over a one lane bridge linking O’Briensbridge and Montpelier from a nearby quarry, a local community group has claimed.

Ballina mother-of-two is becoming increasingly frustrated with the cost and inconvenience of transporting her daughter to Roscrea five days a week, despite the fact that public transport is available for other local children attending a special school.

A NEW park-and-ride facility accommodating 200 cars near the site of the old Burlington factory has been proposed as a means of improving access to the Clare campus of the University of Limerick.

FIRECRACKERS may have illuminated the sky over the River Shannon in O’Briensbridge on Sunday night but the owner and staff in an award-winning local hostelry were in no mood for celebration before it closed its doors for the last time.

CONCERN has been expressed that resurfacing works will only take place on the Clare side of the bridge at Ballina and Killaloe.

TEENAGERS in Killaloe and Ballina are keeping their fingers crossed that plans for a multi-purpose €100,000 youth centre will not fall victim to Government cutbacks in the forthcoming Budget.An application for funding has been made to the Minister for Community and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamonn Ó Cuív and hopes are high that the needs of young people in the area will be addressed.It is expected that a final decision on the provision of the long-awaited youth café in Luas Villas, Killaloe, opposite Bond Auto, will be made by the Government in late November or December. Clare County Council and local Foroige clubs are supporting the ambitious bid at a time of swinging cutbacks.Facilities in the new building would include space to facilitate youth training and development, community development, counseling, a social area, band practice, recording area and workshops.The need for a proper building for young people who don’t participate in sport or water-based activities has been identified in a number of …