West Clare

THE West Clare Family Resource Centre is to host an information workshop called Are You Minding Yourself? which will focus on mental health for older people and their families.The workshop will be held on Monday, November 7 from 11.30am in the Youth Centre, Fahy’s Road, Kilrush. The main purpose of the workshop is to encourage a positive approach to ageing and being older by promoting a healthy attitude towards mental health and other issues.In these tough economic times people need to look after themselves and their families, so it is vital that the community responds to the stress people are facing today. The workshop will be facilitated by Johanna Treacy, who has expertise in the areas of mental health, personal and community development. She will work with people to look at the various aspects of mental health that older people may have concerns with.A speaker from SHINE, which is a national organisation dedicated to upholding the rights and addressing the …

WEST Clare-based company, Clare Coastal Wind Power Limited will shortly be lodging planning permission for the development of a 45-turbine windfarm at Shragh and Mountrivers in Doonbeg. Following lengthy consultations with An Bord Pleanála, the company has been advised that the proposed development is of strategic importance and that the planning application must be lodged directly to An Bord Pleanála. The planning application will include permission for a 360˚ viewing platform at the top of one of the turbines. This would be the first viewing tower of its type in Ireland and one of only six worldwide at present. It is hoped that this would become a major tourist attraction in West Clare. The company also has plans to develop an interpretative centre in Doonbeg on the generation of wind energy and the history of energy generation in County Clare from peat to hydro to fossil to wind. This facility would be open to tourists and educational groups.     It is …

SINCE the foundation of the Kilrush RNLI station in 1997, the make-up of the crew were mainly all men bar one female, Pauline Dunleavy. In the 14 years, some girls had joined but due to family or job commitments had to leave. In recent weeks, the station’s latest crew member, Hungarian girl, Csilla Trungel completed her week’s intensive training at Poole in Dorset, passing all examinations and returning to Kilrush RNLI as a fully fledged crew member.  Last week with family members, together with members of the public, the all female crew were kitted out and took their place on board the Kilrush Lifeboat. Helm for the evening was Pauline Dunleavy, while the crew consisted of Csilla Trungel, Bríd O’Mahoney and Eve Brennan-Browne.  The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the Irish and UK coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations. The RNLI is independent of CoastGuard and government …

MINISTER for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald visited the West Clare Family Resource Centre in Kilrush last Friday to mark the centre’s 10th anniversary. While in Kilrush, Minister Fitzgerald launched the centre’s new volunteer handbook. Last Friday also marked National Volunteer Day across the country.

CUBAN Ambassador, Teresita Trujillo visited the Loop Head Lighthouse last Saturday. The visit was part of the Ambassador’s visit to West Clare to open the inaugural Che do Bheatha festival in Kilkee to commemorate the visit of Che Guevera there in 1961.

THE Glynn family’s contribution to industrial development in West Clare from 1798 to 1930 was the subject of a talk in Kilrush last weekend.

KILKEE has yet to be associated with Cuban music, salsa dancing, Latin American food or even Cuban cigars. That will change this weekend, however, when the West Clare seaside resort will host a Latin American festival. The town will mark the 50th anniversary of the visit to the town of Che Guevara and his entourage in September 1961, with a three-day celebration of Cuban/Latin American cultures. The Cuban Ambassador to Ireland, Teresita Trujillo has accepted an invitation to open the inaugural festival, which runs from Friday until Sunday. The Ambassador will open the festival at 5pm on Friday at the Strand Hotel.The festival will include performances from Cuban bands, fancy dress, American classic cars, dance and music workshops and demonstrations.Che Guevara and Kilkee might sound like a rather unlikely combination but when one of the world’s most famous revolutionaries stayed in Kilkee in 1961, the iconic image, seen throughout the world on posters and t-shirts, was born. The world-renowned image …

THE possibility of developing a tourist ferry between the Loop Head peninsula and the Kerry coast was raised at this week’s Kilrush Electoral Area meeting.Councillor Pat Keane proposed that Clare County Council, in conjunction with Kerry County Council, examine the possibility of a ferry link between the two peninsulas during the summer months.The meeting heard suggestions that the ferry on the Clare side could operate from Kilbaha, Kilcredaun or Carrigaholt, depending upon the depth of water required at the pier on the Clare side.“It is hoped that the pier in Carrigaholt is going to be extended,” Councillor Gabriel Keating commented.“On the basis that the motion is agreed by the members of the West Clare Electoral Area, this council has no difficulty in engaging with Shannon Development and representatives from Kerry County Council to assess if potential exists for the development of a ferry service between the two peninsulas,” Ger Dollard, director of services, said on behalf of Clare County Council. …