Tag Archives: Clare coast

Clare County Council is urging bathers to exercise extreme caution as a result of the worst Portuguese Man O’War infestation off the Clare coast in a century. Populations of the venomous species have increased along the western seaboard due to warming waters with record sightings of the species reported during recent weeks. Man-of-wars are found, sometimes in groups of 1,000 or more, floating in warm waters throughout the world’s oceans. Their tentacles can extend up to a maximum length of 165 ft (50 m). Clare McGrath, Clare’s Water Safety Development Officer, is advising beach-goers to be vigilant and to avoid any Portuguese Man O’War. “Surfers, kite surfers, swimmers, kayakers, divers and walkers need to keep a vigilant eye open for these creatures which give a very strong sting and to some people can cause anaphylactic shock or seizures,” said Ms. McGrath. “Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin that normally last 2 or …

Met Éireann has issued a Status Red weather warning – its highest level – which could impact on areas of the Clare coast that were badly high by major storms a year ago. As Storm Rachel approaches, the wind warning applies to exposed coastal and mountain areas in  Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Galway, Sligo, Mayo and Donegal. “Wind gusts 130 to 150km/h possible,” the warning states, with “high onshore seas also”. The warning was issued at 2pm today (Wednesday), and is valid until noon tomorrow. Status Red warnings from Met Éireann are relatively rare. Following a meeting of Clare County Council Local Co-ordination Committee on Tuesday, the local authority established an Emergency Call Centre for the public. The emergency number 1890 252 943 has been established for members of the public to report fallen trees, blocked roads and flooding. The number was operational from 8pm on Wednesday evening. Describing what action should be taken in the event of a red warning, the Met Éireann website states, “Recipients take action to protect themselves and/or their properties. “This could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily; by staying indoors; or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the …

THE Chief Executive of Clare County Council has described the European Commission’s decision to award €23 million to a wave energy project off the Clare coast as a positive endorsement of the polices adopted locally to support renewable energy production projects. ESB WestWave is proposing to develop the first wave energy project in Ireland by 2018 off Killard in Doonbeg, generating an initial 5MW of electricity which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of households in nearby Kilrush and Kilkee. Council Chief Executive Tom Coughlan says the harnessing of clean renewable electricity from the plentiful wave energy resource available off Clare’s coast is one of key objectives of the County Clare Renewable Energy Strategy 2014-2020. Earlier this year, Clare County Council became one of the first local authorities in the country to incorporate such a Strategy into their County Development Plan. Among the targets set out in the strategy, Mr. Coughlan noted, is for the local authority to facilitate the …

CLARE TD Michael McNamara has requested the Government to issue a “letter of comfort” to Clare County Council to provide reassurance that funding will be available for necessary repairs following the disastrous storms. The Labour deputy said the scale of destruction on the Clare coast and in the Shannon Estuary was underlined at Monday’s meeting of the local authority when members were told that the total estimate for repairs now stands at €36.8m. “Clare County Council has already spent €720,000 in temporary repairs and the need for further considerable expenditure is urgent. The council has spent this money without receiving any letter from the Government stating that the local authority will be reimbursed. County manager, Tom Coughlan has pointed out that further spending without written authorisation raises the issue of good corporate governance. Clearly the Council is caught between a rock and a hard place. “The scale of what has happened on the Clare coast is truly shocking and there …

POWER cuts lasting several hours affected many parts of the county on Saturday and Sunday, following damage to overhead cables, due to gale force winds. There is a high risk that this kind of weather will persist over the next couple of days. This continuing adverse weather has  heightened fears that coastal areas of Clare and the Shannon Estuary shoreline  badly affected by flooding a couple of weeks ago, could once again be in serious danger of further storm damage. The latest Met Éireann forecast is: Squally showers continuing in most parts of the country tonight, a few of them thundery and some falling as sleet or snow over high ground. Strong to gale force, westerly winds will persist countrywide, with stormy conditions much of the time in northwestern and western counties. Lowest temperatures 0 to 4 degrees Celsius but too windy for frost or ice to develop.