Tag Archives: clare county council

MARY Crawford, a member of the national Fianna Fáil 1916 Coiste, has appealed to people in the county to contact the party, if they are interested in having their family members recognised for their roles in that era. “One of the things that Fianna Fáil hopes to do in every county is to get a list of people who were involved in the era 1916 to 1923 or who had relatives involved and who would like to be part of this commemoration. “We are trying to build up a bank of names of people who were involved in the period and to recognise their contribution,” Ms Crawford explained, stressing that the initiative applied to all people, whatever their role. “A medallion will be presented to the families to mark their contribution. Any information we get, I’ll be handing it over to Helen Walsh of Clare County Council. We’ll work with any groups. There are a lot of groups trying to …

SUPPORTERS of the ISPCA retaining control of the Clare County Pound will hold a peaceful protest on Saturday in O’Connell Square, Ennis, at 11am. This follows last Saturday’s event, in which organisers say between 100 and 200 people came out to back their campaign. Protesters marched carrying placards and chanting slogans supporting the ISPCA and dog warden, Frankie Coote. An online petition calling for the pound to remain in the hands of the ISPCA has received 1,500 signatures so far, with further signatures being gathered on paper at the protests. The protests have been organised by the group Protecting Pound Dogs in Ennis County Clare. The county pound has been run by the ISPCA, with Frankie Coote as dog warden, for decades. The running of the pound has now been put out to tender, with protesters fearing that it will be removed from the ISPCA. Clare County Council insist that no decision has been made on the contract. A spokesperson …

Three approved housing bodies have been allocated funding totalling €2,416,000 for the delivery of 31 new housing units in the county, Clare County Council has confirmed. The funding has been jointly approved by Environment Minister Alan Kelly and Minister for State for Housing Paudie Coffey. Focus Ireland Housing Association is being allocated €550,000 for the delivery of 12 units, for young adults (18+ years) at risk of homelessness. €966,000 is being allocated to Clare Haven Services Ltd for the provision of seven units at Kildysart Road in Ennis, which are being allocated to women at risk of homelessness due to alleged domestic violence. Kilkee Housing Association has been allocated €900,000 for the delivery of 12 homes in Doonbeg, to cater for rural housing needs in the wider area. Clare County Council says it expects that newly acquired units will come on stream for people with housing need this year while the newly constructed units will be completed by 2017.

THERE are gaping holes in Irish Water’s knowledge of the Banner County’s geography, Shannon Municipal District councillors have claimed and they’re not short of anecdotes to back up their point of view. According to Councillor Cathal Crowe when he contacted Irish Water’s central line with a query about an issue in Meelick, he was told that a leak had been identified in faraway Kilkee and “that was probably the cause”. According to AA routeplanner, Meelick is 56 miles from Kilkee. That’s 11 miles more than the distance to Mallow, County Cork. At their July meeting, Councillor PJ Ryan said when he contacted Irish Water, he was told they couldn’t find the M18, the motorway that runs through the heart of Clare, on a map. He also said that they had misspelled Cratloe as Cratlow and Setrights Cross had been Fetrights Cross. The claims were made as the members discussed a letter sent by Clodagh Florish of Irish Water, in which …

EAST Clare councillor Joe Cooney is pressing the National Monuments Service to change its guidelines on buffer zones around archaeological finds. Kiluran Cemetery Committee has just been refused permission to extend Kiluran Cemetery in O’Callaghan’s Mills due to a discovery of “significant archaeological features” at the site. The National Monuments Service is willing to allow the extension but only if there is a 75m buffer zone and that would bring the extension out of the committee’s land and into another landowner’s property. Councillor Cooney said it looks to be the end of plans to extend the cemetery but will press for a change in guidelines nationally. This week, Clare County Council refused the application for the extension to the more than 100-year-old cemetery on the grounds that, “it is considered that to permit the proposed development would injure or interfere with the historic remains and setting of the adjoining archaeological monuments”. “It’s very, very disappointing,” said Councillor Cooney. “We’re not …

SUCH is the workload of the significantly reduced number of people working out of the Clare County Council office in Ennistymon, it has been claimed that the three people employed there don’t have time to take a lunch break. Councillor Richard Nagle told the meeting of the West Clare Municipal District in Kilrush that it is virtually impossible for the staff there to provide a complete service to the people of North Clare, despite their best efforts. He predicted a “calamity” if this issue is not addressed. Councillor Nagle forwarded a motion at the meeting requesting that Clare County Council review staffing levels at the Ennistymon Municipal District offices. “I am not suggesting that officers in Ennistymon are not working efficiently. They certainly are. They are being put under intolerable pressure. If I wish to speak to somebody, I won’t ring. I’ll drive in because they are so busy in there that they simply haven’t time to be dealing with …

CLARE County Council are to upgrade or provide toilet and changing facilities at Kilkee, Lahinch and Spanish Point beaches, following criticism of the current “disgraceful” facilities. However, Councillor Ann Norton, who called for a survey of the toilet and changing facilities at council-owned or council-run amenity sites, said she was in Doolin to see the new pier recently and was “aghast” at the state of the facilities on offer to the public there. The Ennis councillor was also concerned over accessibility for impaired mobility users and asked where access to such facilities is deemed inadequate, that a programme be put in place for their upgrade. “Tourism in Clare is a huge part of generating revenue and to be able to bring tourism into Clare, we have to have good facilities. We have a beautiful scenic coastline and have so much to offer people but, I have to say, unfortunately the amenities and the changing facilities really need a lot of …

THE proposal to adopt a variation to the County Development Plan to allow a controversial €120 million distributor road in South East Clare was passed by a majority of 17 to nine this Friday afternoon in a stormy and contentious meeting. Concerned residents from Parteen and Clonlara packed the public gallery where they were joined by Deputy Willie O’Dea and Limerick City Councillor Michael Sheehan to hear the decision on the proposed Limerick Northern Distributor Route. Cathaoirleach James Breen told the packed viewing space that because of the importance of the issue, he had relaxed the numbers limit to allow them all to attend. But he also warned the crowd if there was any comments, cheering, applause of heckling, the gallery would be cleared. Councillor Cathal Crowe said he opposed the proposal before the meeting and said it was an absolute betrayal of the village of Parteen and asked if he could read out the proposal. Councillor Breen refused this and …