West Clare

THE launch of the 10-day national commemoration of the Great Famine in West Clare will coincide with a special piece of drama at Carrigaholt on May 3.

WITH the National Famine Commemoration (May 3 to 12) approaching, it is almost incomprehensible to note that Kilrush workhouse and its six auxiliaries held more than 5,000 people at one point during the Famine. However, in November 1847, it could only take about 1,100 people and by the middle of that month, Kilrush Workhouse was full.

MORE than 60 submissions have been received as part of the public consultation process on the draft Shannon Estuary Strategic Integrated Framework Plan.

TAKE Me Out West Clare Style will throw in at 8pm on Sunday evening in The Armada Hotel, Spanish Point. More regularly seen keeping the ball out of the Clare senior football team’s net, goalkeeper Joe Hayes will act as master of ceremonies.

CLARE County Council has been criticised for not ensuring that the findings of a West Clare Economic Task Force review, which was held on September 14, 2012, has not yet been made public.

IT will take several years to make any progress in relation to plans to establish Scattery Island as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The idea was first mooted in 2012 and was also discussed at the January meeting of Kilrush Town Council, when the newly established Scattery Island Heritage and Tourism Forum attended that meeting.

A RECORD number of floats made for an excellent St Patrick’s Day parade in the West Clare capital town.

THE 2013 tourist season at Loop Head Lighthouse commences this weekend as the West Clare landmark opens to the public for the first time this year.The 19th century lighthouse will be opened for its third successive season on Saturday and will remain open each weekend, including Easter Weekend and Bank Holidays, up to and including September. Clare County Council says 12 full-time and part-time jobs will be created when the lighthouse reopens.17,423 people (13,441 adults, 3,982 children) visited the lighthouse during the May to September opening period in 2012.  Seventy-one per cent of the total visitor figure was represented by domestic visitors, of which approximately 50% were holidaymakers and 35% were day-trippers, with local visitors accounting for the remainder. Overseas, visitors accounted for 29% of the total figure. It is estimated that the 18-week opening period was worth approximately €650,000 to the local economy.“Clare tourism, particularly the sector in the Loop Head Peninsula, has benefited greatly from this visitor project …