West Clare

IRISH Water has warned of disruption to supply due to essential works over two days next week in parts of West Clare. On Monday, February 22 and Wednesday February 24 the water supply will be disrupted due to essential works progressing the water main upgrade between Mullagh and Milltown Malbay. On Monday, February 22 from 9am to 6pm, the entire Old Doolough Water Supply Zone, including Milltown Malbay, Mullagh, Corraclare, Creegh and all surrounding areas will experience disruption. These works will also impact on all group schemes fed from the supply. On Wednesday, February 24,the works will impact supply from 9am to 5pm primarily to Mullagh village; but will also impact on Milltown Malbay, Spanish Point and surrounding areas. These works will also impact on all group schemes fed from the supply. It may take two to three hours for normal water supply to return to all customers but it is important, notes the utility, to continue to follow the HSE …

A NATIVE of West Clare has taken up a prestigious management position at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Professor Alma McCarthy became Head of School at the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics at the start of this year. A native of Labasheeda, Professor McCarthy was selected for her passion and dedication to education, her strong leadership experience, and her numerous distinctions and achievements. “I am honoured to take up the role of Head of School,” she said. “The school has grown substantially in recent years with over 2,700 students and 130 staff. The school’s success is recognised through the achievement of various international accreditations and awards. I look forward to working with my colleagues to build on the successes of our school and developing and leading the strategic plan for the next stage of the school’s development, and engaging with key external stakeholders including alumni, industry and policy makers and ensuring the school’s research and teaching has regional and global …

ANGER and frustration have been expressed by West Clare councillors after Irish Water told them it has no plans to develop sewerage schemes for the villages of Cooraclare or Carrigaholt. At most recent district committee meeting, several members described the negative response from the water utility as “nonsense,” while another said it had left him speechless. Both Councillor Bill Chambers and Councillor Gabriel Keating had made requests for pilot schemes to provide waste water treatment works in their respective areas, noting that such initiatives had been outlined in the Programme for Government. In two identical responses Irish Water said it “has no statutory role where there is currently no infrastructure”. It advised councillors to direct the queries to the local authority or the government. Irate councillors then agreed to request a remote deputation to the relevant minister. “In Cooraclare, we’re waiting for the last 40 years,” said Councillor Chambers. “There’s nearly half a million spent on it already and next …

LAND acquisition issues stand in the way of a long-term solution to flooding at the cemetery at Kildysart, members of the West Clare Municipal District have been told. At the most recent meeting of the district committee, Councillor PJ Kelly tabled a motion calling on the council to draw up a plan to solve the ongoing issue. The council’s official response, however, has cast doubt on the possibility of a solution. A written reply from Steve Lahiffe, Senior Executive Engineer (SEE) at the Project Management Office, outlined how lands required to build an embankment currently stand in the way of a successful outcome. “This is very sad situation,” Councillor Kelly said. “It’s very upsetting for people because the graveyard is prone to flooding. People go there to pay their respects to their relatives and it’s very emotional for people to find that graves are under water. I would like if the council could be more humane and do something to …

A KILRUSH-based councillor is to make efforts to extend street lighting between the Shanakyle Road and St Senan’s Graveyard. Independent member of the West Clare Municipal District, Ian Lynch, tabled a motion calling for the extension and seeking details on options and costs for new lights. “St Senan’s Graveyard Group contacted me to see if they could get the lights extended out about 200 metres,” Councillor Lynch told the January meeting of the district committee. “The isolation that people are experiencing through Covid is prompting many to get some bit of comfort out of visiting the graveyard to see their loved ones. Sometimes people have gotten caught in the evening times, on the short evenings. The group asked me to put in this notice of motion. Pre-empting the response, I was trying to get a feel for the cost of putting up these lights. It’s a motion that’s come up several times throughout the municipal district, especially around schools, and …

AT A time when thousands of us are learning to appreciate the natural world within our 5km travel limit, a Donegal man is offering a fascinating insight into the wealth of plant and animal life around his North Clare home. Cormac McGinley, who is an expert in zoology and marine biology, spent 11 years as a ranger at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre before setting up his own coastal walking tours company. While the pandemic put a bit of a spanner in the works, Cormac admits, he decided to make good use of his time by sharing photos, videos and expert insights on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. “I live in Liscannor, so literally, wherever I walk within the travel limits, there is something spectacular to see,” he said. “I was building up the tours business and working with Leaving Cert students giving Geography field trips, and also training companies based along the Wild Atlantic Way. Then, …

A NUMBER of roads in West Clare are to be considered for inclusion in the schedule of works for this year, following representations to the local district committee. At their most recent meeting, councillors heard an appeal for action on a route described as “the gateway to Doonbeg”. Councillor Gabriel Keating asked that issues with a section of the R484 from Knockalough Crossroads to Kilmihil be addressed as a matter of urgency. “That particular roadway from Knockalough to Doonbeg was on the three-year programme that ends this year,” he said. “It’s in a bad state, there’s no doubt about that. Everybody’s asking me. There’s one really bad bend on the road at Michael Ryan’s and all it needs is something that drivers can see as they approach the bend. Mr Ryan has lost two or three piers and had to replace them himself. This road is the gateway to Doonbeg and to facilities like the golf club and it’s a …

A DANGEROUS stretch of road in West Clare will be upgraded, members of the local municipal district have been told. Following a number of serious accidents and representations by public representatives, a junction known as Cranny Cross, has been identified as in need of safety improvement works. The matter was raised by Councillor PJ Kelly at the most recent meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, when he called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Clare County Council to address the issues at the junction of the N68 and L2138. “This is a high-risk area,” he said, “and there’s an average of one accident a year there. One accident has been fatal and another has left a person invalided for life. There is a solution, a local farmer is prepared to cooperate to get this work done.” Councillor Kelly welcomed the reply from Senior Executive Engineer John Gannon who said TII’s Road safety inspection programme (HD17) had identified that the …