West Clare

LAST April, Trea Heapes was appointed to the role of animator by Loop Head Tourism, which primarily incorporates members from Kilkee, Carrigaholt and Killballyowen. The objective of the year-long role, which is funded by Leader, is to bring life to the sustainable tourism product in West Clare.  

THE Indian Ambassador to Ireland, Debasish Chakravarti, unveiled a plaque to Kilkee-born scientist, Sir Edwin J Butler, at Kilkee library on Tuesday. Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes also attended the ceremony.Edwin Butler was born in 1874 in Kilkee, where his father was resident magistrate. He graduated in medicine from Queen’s College Cork, now University College Cork, where a building is named in his honour, in 1898.After graduation, Edwin won an 1851 exhibition travelling scholarship and studied mycology (fungi) in Paris, Freiburg, Antibes and Kew. In 1901, he was appointed cryptogamic botanist to the Government of India.He trained mycologists and technicians in India, set up a herbarium and culture collection, inspired workers and advanced knowledge and research. In 1905, he was appointed imperial mycologist at the new Agricultural Research Station in Pusa and in 1920 was appointed agricultural adviser to the Government of India. He is known in India as ‘The Father of Indian Plant Pathology and Mycology’.Edwin investigated the diseases …

DEFENCE Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Seán McCann will open the 13th annual Doonbeg Jazz Festival at 9pm on Friday in the Igoe Inn.Lieutenant General McCann joined the Defence Forces as an Army Cadet in 1970. A cavalry officer, he was previously Deputy Chief of Staff (Ops), Director of Operations and Director of Cavalry, as well as instructing in the Military College and the United Nations Training School. He is a graduate of University College Galway (UCG) and of the United States Command and General Staff College (Fort Leavenworth).On October 6, 2011, Lieutenant General McCann was formally inducted into the International Hall of Fame (IHOF) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.The jazz festival will run throughout the upcoming bank holiday weekend. This year the festival will feature 10 bands from Germany, the UK and Ireland in a 29-performance programme.Among the groups travelling to Doonbeg will be Jazzonahz from Trier, Germany; Jazz Main from Edinburgh; The Bourbon Swing Band from Northern Ireland, …

ON Sunday, June 3, Kilmurry McMahon will stage the parish’s first marquee in approximately 30 years. The first marquee was staged in 1963 and it realised a profit of £874, 15 shillings and nine pence. The expenditure was £581, six shillings and three and a half pence.

MONDAY’S Kilrush Electoral Area meeting heard that the West Clare Economic Task Force, established in July 2010, is to review its initial targets and come up with fresh objectives. However, a schedule has yet to be devised with regard to establishing new task force aims.

THE extent of the collapse in construction has been illustrated by Kilrush Town Council figures showing that the amount of development contributions received in 2011 was over 98% down on the 2007 figure.

Just over €5,000 is available for grass cutting in Kilkee 2012, which will allow for 10 cuts over the summer season.

A MEMORIAL service to mark the 25th anniversary of the deaths of Ian Benson and JJ Harrington, as well as remembering the two other deceased members of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service, was held on Tuesday night.Prayers were also said for all those who have been lost off the coast of County Clare.The service has been in operation for 31 years and Manuel DiLuica is a founder member currently holding the positions of PRO and chairman. He said the service was to honour the memory of Ian Benson and JJ Harrington, as well as Michael O’Gorman and Seamus Byrne, who lost his life while trying to save another.“On April 14, 2002 a diver got into difficulties at the base of the cliffs at the West End in Kilkee. They had got separated from their group and tried to get ashore and they got into difficulties, in front of Seamus’ house. He went to assist but there were up to two …