West Clare

CHILDREN and teenagers in Kilrush, this week and last, are following in a long tradition of coming to Cappa for swimming lessons. During the last week in July and first week of August, everyone in Kilrush is aware of the lessons. Shoppers and shopkeepers meet and greet locals and returned sons and daughters who are “to-ing and fro-ing” with the new crop of swimmers to Cappa pier and beach, just one mile outside Kilrush. On the pier, the atmosphere is electric, where under the tutelage of organising committee member, Margaret Talty and Clare Water Safety, generations of families return annually to improve their swimming and water safety skills. Margaret Talty has been participating in and helping to run these lessons for over 40 years. Margaret, or Mags as she is known to everyone, has carved out a reputation for excellence in swimming and water safety training. She qualified as a safety instructor at 17 and went on to progress through …

Government funding for storm damage repairs in Clare has been allocated and is ready for use, according to Simon Harris, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works. He has outlined the position regarding Government funding for storm damage repairs for Clare County Council and in particular recent reports about Clohaninchy. This immediately follows a meeting between department officials and their council counterparts on this Thursday. The minister said said the discussions would progress matters and lead to a meeting with local residents in September. Minister Harris said, “I note with concern that recent reports suggest that funding to carry out repairs following the devastating storms in early 2014 has not been allocated and that my Office has not been in contact with the local authorities concerned to outline the assistance available to them. “The position is clear:following the storms the Government allocated a total of up to €16.8m for storm damage repairs to Clare County Council …

“Unfortunately, Quilty does not have a cute, sexy and/or sympathy-generating situation.” That’s according to Nancy Creech, co-secretary of the Quilty Action Group, who has written to local TDs, county councillors and the Office of Public Works (OPW), claiming that Quilty is being ignored when it comes to addressing erosion issues in the West Clare village. “The damage in Quilty and Quilty West happened in the second and third storms and missed out on the sensationalism of the media coverage. “I have been watching and listening with interest to the coastal erosion media coverage driven by our neighbours in Clohanincy and I believe that Quilty village is, once again, being overlooked,” Ms Creech’s letter claimed. “Like the residents in Clohanincy, we are attempting to keep safe our property and our village. It has been six months since the winter storms devastated the Quilty coastline and, to date, Clare County Council have done nothing with regards to putting in place a plan …

Water consumption restrictions on the Kildysart Public Water Supply scheme will remain in place until at least Tuesday next. On Tuesday last, approximately 1500 customers were advised, as a precautionary measure, that water on the scheme was not suitable for drinking due to the discolouration of the water caused by increased manganese levels. A Clare County Council spokesperson said, “At this stage the water quality has improved because of the ongoing modifications to the water treatment process. The general quality of the water is not yet at a satisfactory level and following consultation with the HSE it is advised that the water is not suitable for drinking until further notice.” The spokesperson continue,”In the interest of public health, it is recommended that all users on the Kildysart Public Water Supply and the Coolmeen Group Water Supply should not use tap water until further notice except for the flushing of toilets, flushing of internal house plumbing systems, dishwashing, personal hygiene, and laundry as high …

THE small Church of Ireland community in Spanish Point has recently completed a €22,000 renovation job on their Christ Church spire. While they received a €10,000 grant to complete the project, church committee spokesperson, Judith Ironside says that without the support of the broader community, the project would not have been possible. “We’d like to emphasise that the local community has been our mainstay. Everybody has been so supportive. The half a dozen or so of us couldn’t possibly contemplate doing anything without that support. We really do value that community spirit,” Judith told The Clare Champion. “We had to make a decision about what to do about the spire so we were faced with trying to get a lot of money. Earlier in the year, I saw there was a grant going for heritage buildings. We were lucky enough to get a grant, which made it possible for us to contemplate finding the other 50% to match the grant,” …

The HSE, in conjunction with Irish Water and Clare County Council, have advised that  the Kildysart public water supply is not suitable for drinking until further notice. Approximately 1,500 customers of the Kildysart public water supply and the Coolmeen group water supply are affected by the water notice. The precautionary measure has been  introduced due to water discolouration caused by increased manganese levels in the public water supply. Water will be provided via tankers at Kildysart Secondary School and outside the Hilltop Bar in Coolmeen from 10am to 12 noon on this Wednesday. Water tankers will also  be located at the school from 10am to 11am and 6pm to 7pm on Thursday and Friday, and at the Hilltop Bar in Coolmeen from 12 noon to 1pm and 8pm to 9pm on Thursday and Friday. People are advised to boil water obtained from tankers before consumption. A spokesperson for Clare County Council said, “In the interest of public health, it is recommended that all users on the Kildysart public water supply and …

MANUEL DI Lucia insists the 320 million year old Pollock Holes in Kilkee, along with Duggerna Reef, are akin to the eighth wonder of the world. The reef is tidal and can only be accessed at low tides or two hours before low tide, which gives in the region of five hours access between tides. Located at the West End of the West Clare resort town, the Pollock Holes have been examined in detail by geology professor Andy Pulham, who conducts regular field trips to Kilkee and the Loop Head Peninsula. He brings geologists from across the globe to the area, where they examine the wonders of the coastline. “The reason the reef is called the Pollock Holes is because they are inhabited by small pollock for around six months of the year. They have been known as this name for as far back as 70 years.  I was the first person to swim in the Pollock Holes with a …

Kilkee resident PJ Linnane, who lives close to a site where Clare County Council dumped asbestos, has told The Clare Champion that the local authority is considering screening people who may have come into contact with asbestos dump sites. “I was informed at my last meeting with Clare County Council that they are now considering screening members of the public affected by the dumping of the asbestos, as well as staff involved in picking it up,” Mr Linnane said this week. It has also emerged that the council has yet to decide if an independent report on the asbestos dumping in West Clare will be made public. Mr Linnane claimed the report is complete but Clare County Council has flatly denied this. He claimed the independent investigation into the dumping at 10 sites in West Clare, carried out by retired South Tipperary county manager Ned O’Connor and retired Cork County engineer Ned Flynn, has been completed. “I have been advised …