South Clare

THOUSANDS of residents in South-East Clare would benefit from a radical new plan unveiled by the Labour Party to develop Limerick City into a commuter rail hub for the Mid-West region, according to a local county councillor.

AN Ardnacrusha-based Garda, who displayed great courage by taking a sawn-off rifle from an armed gunman in Westbury following a shooting incident, has hung up his boots after policing communities in South-East Clare for the last 26 years.

CONSTRUCTION workers have moved onto the site of a former country hotel near Killaloe bridge, to start work on a new regional respite centre for Alzheimer patients in the Mid-West.Contracts have been signed to convert the former Waterman’s Lodge Hotel, Ballina, Killaloe into a state-of-the-art short term 10-bed centre. It is expected that renovation work will take about nine months and the branch hopes to open the new facility by the middle of 2010.The Limerick branch of the Alzheimer Society announced their plans over three years ago to convert the hotel into a specialist Alzheimer respite centre but lack of government funding delayed the start of building work.The society will provide a three-night and four-day short term respite service to 10 clients weekly, without any daycare facilities, following a commitment from the HSE of €517,000 in annual service funding.Although the HSE also agreed to provide €517,000 in capital funding, this only represents one third of the €1.5 million required to …

THE delay in Clare County Council taking over private housing schemes in South-East Clare has been criticised by local county councillors.The lack of a definite timescale for taking the Westbury estate in charge was highlighted by Councillor Cathal Crowe at a local authority meeting on Monday.Requesting a debate on the process, Councillor Crowe said that there were up to 1,000 houses in the Westbury Housing Scheme, which are still not under the charge of the council. He added that there were other estates in a similar position, claiming an estate in Ardnacrusha is still not taken over 20 years on, with residents waiting for private housing schemes to be taken in charge in Parteen, Cratloe and Clonlara village.“It is up to the council’s planning enforcement section to ensure that every developer is complying to the planning conditions attached to a grant of permission before the statue of limitations runs out after 12 years.“There are numerous cases of residents being left …

PLANS have been unveiled for the construction of a primary healthcare centre in Killaloe, which will employ over 50 people, if the development secures planning approval.

PLANS for the refurbishment of a local-authority dwelling on the shores of Lough Derg have been delayed once again following concerns by local residents.

A South Galway artist is currently the subject of a short documentary being broadcast across Canada. Nicola Corless spoke to Helen Tilston, who splits her time between Florida and Toronto, and has been labelled an accidental environmental painter.  

St Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla has been transformed into the school of horrors for this Hallowe’en weekend, which will see ghoulish displays and activities taking place on Friday and Saturday evening.