Tag Archives: clare county council

Clare County Council has announced a comprehensive plan relating to the future tourism development and visitor management of Holy Island (Inis Cealtra) on Lough Derg. At a ceremony in Mountshannon today, the Local Authority confirmed it has acquired 41 acres on the island which, together with the two acres already in the ownership of the Office of Public Works (OPW), now means that the entire island is in public ownership. The Council also announced its intention to procure professional experts to prepare a Visitor Management and Tourism Development Plan for Holy Island which will provide a framework, in consultation with key stakeholders, for tourism development and visitor management of the Island, whilst also ensuring the cultural heritage and natural assets that contribute to the Island’s uniqueness are maintained and protected. Still used as a burial ground, the ruins and buildings still standing on Holy Island date back as far as the 7th century when the monastic site was established by …

THE ongoing saga over the start of phase two of the asbestos pipe removal in Kilkee took a further twist on Wednesday, when Kilkee resident PJ Linnane told The Clare Champion that Clare County Council had agreed to give residents the contractors method statement relating to how contractors proposed to remove the asbestos pipes. Last week, the council had explained it could not present a copy of the method statement to residents due to commercial concerns. Mr Linnane maintains that phase two is due to start on Monday next, having been postponed from last Monday. “Clare County Council have finally agreed to give us the method statement risk assessment on phase two of the asbestos removal. As it is now the 11th hour and phase two is starting on Monday, June 14, we haven’t yet received the documents,” Mr Linanne said. In a statement last week, Clare County Council said a medical report received by the local authority and made …

WORK due to begin today (Monday) on phase two of the asbestos pipe clean up operation in Kilkee has been postponed until Wednesday at the earliest. Talks are currently ongoing between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clare County Council and the HSE regarding the provision of a “method statement” to local residents. Last week, Kilkee resident PJ Linnane said that unless residents living close to the dump sites were provided with a full method statement by Clare County Council, they would stop contractors from starting phase two of the clean up work on Monday. “I met with some of the locals and a decision was taken that if the council were not to provide us with the documents, the only option open to us was to bar the site on Monday and lock and chain the access to the contractors,” he told The Clare Champion. A  report completed last year concluded that the instances of asbestos pipe dumping at a number of …

A KILRUSH resident has claimed that Clare County Council will be under pressure to “hand pick” possible social housing residents at Béal an Inbhir in Kilrush. Joanne Carrig, who lives on Pound Street in the town, has been on the social housing list in the town for 12 years and is seeking one of the 10 to 13 houses that may become available under social housing in the estate, which is located close to Shanakyle Gravyard. Several ‘For sale’ signs have recently appeared on the estate. “In my opinion, the pressure is on the council to go and hand pick who is going to be put back there,” she said. Ms Carrig maintains that not everybody can afford to buy a house. “Fair play to you if you have bought your house but the way the economy has gone these days, circumstances can change very quickly for people,” she said. Ms Carrig maintains that everybody would ideally like to be …

WORK on replacing 17km of leaky old water pipes and more than 200 lead service connections in Ennis, which has started in the Market area and Old Barrack Street, is expected to save 1.34m litres of treated water every day, according to the Mayor of Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Johnny Flynn. Councillor Flynn, a civil engineer, said the Ennis water system provides potable water to approximately 30,000 people in Ennis and the neighbouring areas of Barefield, Crusheen, Clarecastle and Doora, and to businesses that employ over 10,000 people. “I am aware that the Ennis water reservoirs currently store slightly less than a day’s supply of water – which is below best practice – and when you combine that with nearly 50% leakage rates of treated water – treatment of the water costs about €1m each year – in the pipe network, there is a serious security of supply issue,” Mayor Flynn said. Poor water pressure in some housing areas and …

MOTORISTS passing through Parteen on Saturday morning were presented with the unusual sight of a human chain link protest against the proposed €100 million Limerick Northern Distributor Road. Parteen residents joined hands in the middle of the road to remind people of the scale of the route corridor that is being planned, so they chose to fill the proposed corridor with people, where it bisects the village of Parteen. There is an important vote coming before Clare County Council in June, which will, if passed, amend the county development plan to include the preferred route corridor for the controversial distributor road. Ed English from the Concerned Northern Distributor Road Residents’ Association has pledged the group will continue working with and lobbying their local councillors in advance of their vote. Mr English warned that residents will continue to voice their concerns about the impact this road is going to have on the locality, as it bisects a village, crosses a major …

Loop Head Lighthouse has been named as part of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, an EU funded tourism initiative. Launched by Tourism Minister, Paschal Donohoe and the Commissioners of Irish Lights, featured are 12 lighthouses in stunning coastal location, which will offer unforgettable experiences and create a deep appreciation of the role of lighthouses, past and present, and in the maritime and seafaring story of the island of Ireland. From Loop Head Lighthouse it is possible to spot whales, dolphins and seals, and the rock ledges and caves of the dramatic cliffs are home to many seabirds. Ger Dollard, director of services at Clare County Council, who oversees the Loop Head lighthouse projects, said “Loop Head’s recognition among these 12 extraordinary sites will benefit all locations, enabling us to better showcase our individual attractions and the maritime heritage of the whole island to wider audiences. We see a lot of opportunities to further grow our international appeal and extend the season through …

A delegation from Clare County Council, led by Cathaoirleach, John Crowe, recently visited Kunming University in the Chinese south western province of Yunnan. The visit coincided with the signing of a County/Province relationship aimed at developing closer industrial, tourism, farming, educational and cultural ties between County Clare and Yunnan. A formal link between the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and the Stone Forest Geopark (Shilin Geopark) in Yunnan was also agreed. The Clare delegation’s itinerary included a visit to Kunming University, which is Yunnan’s primary professional university with more than 17,000 students. The University is also home to an Irish Centre which was developed in 2012 to boost academic and cultural exchanges between Yunnan and Ireland.