West Clare

SAINT-Gobain Performance Plastics Ireland, who employ 70 people in Kilrush, opened its new €3 million fluoropolymer film manufacturing line in the same factory that started almost 32 years ago as Chemfab with just five employees. Ten news jobs are also to be created.

THE nine Kilrush Town councillors are set to meet with three of the four Clare TDs on Monday. However, last week’s meeting of the town council heard Fine Gael TD Pat Breen will be unable to attend on that date. Deputies Carey, McNamara and Dooley have confirmed their attendance to Kilrush Town Clerk John Corry.

CLARE County Council announced on Tuesday it will be proposing Kilrush as a host location for the 2013 National Famine Commemoration, which is due to take place in Munster.The National Famine Commemoration Day, an annual observance in Ireland commemorating the Great Famine, has been organised officially by the Government since 2009. The main commemoration event is held in a different place each year, rotating among the four provinces of Ireland.Events at the main venue usually include lectures, arts events and visits to places connected to the Famine. Local events also take place countrywide, while a minute’s silence is encouraged for schools and workplaces.Clare County Council last month invited local and community organisations, historical societies, local Famine Commemoration Committees, schools and other interested parties to propose a location in Clare to host this event in 2013. Submissions were received from Killaloe/Ballina, Tuamgraney/Scarriff and Kilrush and each was assessed by a specially appointed panel.“While Killaloe/Ballina and Tuamgraney/Scarriff were considered strong contenders by …

AT Tuesday’s September meeting of Kilrush Town Council, Councillor Tom Prendeville asked that the council make provision in their 2013 budget for the upgrading of local road signage, street nameplates and playground signs. Councillor Prendeville said it is difficult to establish the names of some streets. “A lot of our town signage needs to be refreshed. Some of our street nameplates are illegible. We are a heritage town and our road signs should indicate that. We are twinned with Plouzané and yet we fail to highlight that on the approach roads to the town. We should also have a sign pointing to the children’s playground in Cappa,” the Fianna Fáil town councillor commented. “We should have signs directing motorists to the ‘free parking’ facility at Place de Plouzané. Good effective signage will bring visitors into the town. We have many natural amenities such as Kilrush Wood, the Vandeleur Walled Garden, Inis Cathaigh and the Marina. We have good marketing programmes …

DOGS and the behaviour of their owners came under the spotlight yet again at Monday’s September meeting of Kilkee Town Council. Issues relating to incidents involving dogs were raised at the previous meeting of the town council in July and also last April.

KILKEE Town Council is seeking nominations for a new community award scheme, which is to be named in memory of former town clerk Timmy McInerney. The late town clerk served in the post from 1936 to 1996, which made him the longest-serving town clerk in the history of the State.

  The sound of gentle crackling of flames fills a room that is sprinkled with numerous black and white family photos. The seaside breeze hisses beneath the rafters at the home of Carrigaholt’s oldest resident. As she speaks, Margaret Boland’s eyes glisten with thousands of memories. This is the 103rd birthday she has celebrated and some might forgive her for growing tired of the ritual.   “I’m 103,” Margaret proudly exclaims, with a wink. “You wouldn’t think it, would you?” She has lived through a century, experiencing events that have been confined to history books for most. Yet she has hardly set foot outside of West Clare. Born and reared in the rural seaside village of Carrigaholt, she bid farewell to her siblings at a young age as they set sail for New York. “She stayed behind,” her daughter Margaret Jr explains. “I think she just liked to be home to look after her mother. She died at 84.” A …

LABASHEEDA hosted its 18th Dan Furey weekend of set dancing last weekend. Secretary Liam Woulfe said it was quite a success and said that there had been a lot of effort put in by a large number of people from the community.