Tag Archives: clare county council

FOUR houses and business premises could be knocked in the latest attempt to address Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon, one of the county’s worst bottlenecks. One couple, due to move into their first family home this week, has organised a meeting seeking public support in what they predict will be a major battle with Clare County Council and the National Roads Authority. Sheena Clancy, her husband, John and their four-year-old son, Jamie, are “devastated” after finding out they could lose the house they have spent the past seven months renovating and which they plan to move into this Friday. Sheena rented the property at Bridge Street for three years before the couple bought the building at auction last May, to renovate as their family home. Now, the family has discovered that the building is likely to be the subject of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) because it is in the path of a proposed new road. Sheena and John were paying …

The Arts Council today (Wednesday) said it would invest over €210,000 in Clare-based organisations with a proven track record of delivering great arts experiences for people all over the county and beyond. A total of four organisations successfully applied for funding. Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy is a nationally significant event, involving the transmission of all aspects of the traditional arts, with an emphasis on high quality tuition. It also provides multiple opportunities for the public to engage in the traditional arts. Glór Irish Music Centre is an arts resource for Ennis and Clare. It produces work with network partners and hosts multi-disciplinary touring work. It organises a programme of arts engagement with the community. Clare County Council will also receive a grant of €63,000 for its arts service. In addition to this support, the Arts Council will be making significant funding available throughout the year for touring, projects and bursaries for talented artists. The Arts Council, the government agency tasked …

AN Bord Pleanála has been asked to examine if Clare County Council’s approval for the completion of a housing development in Westbury represented a “trade-off of sorts” with NAMA. Councillor Cathal Crowe has submitted a planning appeal to An Bord Pleanála on behalf of former defence minister, Willie O’Dea and 125 residents, who are strongly opposed to the completion of 22 residential units and site works in Westbury. In a recent submission lodged with the appeals board, Councillor Crowe stated the question had to be asked “if the impartiality of Clare County Council in adjudicating this planning file was compromised”. However, Clare County Council has responded by saying that the planning process is totally open, with all reports available for inspection on the planning file. The planning authority said it is “extremely disappointed” with Councillor Crowe’s allegations, describing them as “totally inappropriate” and “unjust”. A spokesperson for the council said it will be making observations on the appeal direct to …

CLARE’S links with China stretch back to the early part of the last century, when several people from the west of the county served with the Shanghai police force and in the judiciary. In a week when Clare County Council voted to accept an invitation from the vice-president of Yunnan Province to visit the region in April or May, with a view to building links between the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and the Stone Forest Geopark (Shilin Geopark), located in the south-west of China, historian Paddy Waldron has told The Clare Champion of the connection between Carrigaholt and Cross to Shanghai, in particular. Pat Keating from Fierd in Cross returned to Ireland from China in 1933 and later donated one thousand pounds for a marble altar in the Catholic church in the village, near his birthplace. He bought Plassey House, known as the White House to University of Limerick students, in 1933. He is thought to have got …

THERE were just nine prosecutions in relation to illegal dumping in Clare last year, county council figures show. At this week’s meeting of the council, members were told over €1.7 million was spent on running the council’s waste enforcement section over the last four years. While there have been “very few large-scale illegal dumps” in Clare in recent years, there have been increasing incidences of people dumping small amounts of waste. As well as the nine prosecutions, there were 75 litter fines in 2014. Various members voiced their disgust at the level of illegal dumping, with calls for new penalties. Councillors Clare Colleran Molloy, Pat McMahon and Michael Hillery put down a joint motion asking for information on illegal dumping, including the number of prosecutions, the financial cost to the council of illegal dumping and information on patterns of dumping, in each of the last four years. In her written reply Anne Haugh, of the council’s environment section, outlined the …

Drivers have been facing treacherous road conditions on their journey this morning (Wednesday) following heavy overnight snowfall. The main roads were gritted through the night by Clare County Council personnel but drivers are being warned they still need to exercise caution. Roads which were badly affected include: Ennis-Kilrush Ennis-Ennistymon The M18 motorway Shannon Town Kilmaley The hill at Kilnamona The Hand Kilcolgan and Ardrahan in Co. Galway While thaw is setting in, back roads are likely to remain slippery for several hours to come. Power cuts have also been reported in Smxilebridge, Tulla, Killaloe and Lahinch. At one point the ESB said nearly 800 customers were affected. Services on the rail-line between Ennis and Athenry have been suspended due to frozen points. Bus Éireann says most services are running with delays, though the Scariff-Clonlara-Limerick service was cancelled. It will be a case of snow to heavy rain and stormy conditions later today. Met Éireann is warning of heavy rain showers this …

Clare County Council has accepted an invitation from the People’s Republic of China to send a delegation to the country later this year. Since the visit of China’s Vice President Xi Jinping’s to Clare in 2012, the local authority has been exploring the potential of establishing a twinning arrangement that fosters the development of closer industrial, tourism, farming, educational and cultural ties between the county and China. Members of Clare County Council today (Monday) voted in favour of accepting an invitation from the Vice President of Yunnan Province to visit the region in April or May 2015 with a view to building links between the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and the Stone Forest Geopark (Shilin Geopark), located in the southwest of China.

Three Clare charities are set to benefit from funds raised by the Mayor’s Charity Banquet next month. All proceeds raised will go towards Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, John Crowe’s chosen charities of Carrigoran Day Care Centre and Clare Cancer Support Services, comprising Sláinte an Chláir and West Clare Mini Marathon Cancer Care Centres. The event will take place on Saturday, February 28 at Treacys West County Hotel in Ennis. “I am honoured to be the first citizen of Clare. From personal experience, I am very aware of the importance of supporting local services that deliver critically important services to people of the county,” he said. “A mayor’s charity event has not been held for a considerable number of years and I am anxious that the 2015 event will make a very significant financial contribution towards supporting the work of the nominated recipients “The three organisations that I have chosen as beneficiaries of this fundraiser each provide tremendous services to …