Tag Archives: clare county council

FROM witnessing first hand the devastating forest fires of Australia to experiencing Ennis’ – and the rest of the country’s – Covid-19 lock-down, local artist David O’Rourke has had an eventful year. Some of the experiences of this year has been documented in David’s latest artistic body of work which will be launched in an exhibition titled ‘Lock-down 2020’ later this month. Due to Covid-19 instead of a gallery setting the Ennis artist’s paintings will be showcased in various venues throughout the town. Eight paintings created this year combining images from Australia and Ireland including the lock-down in Ennis, will be shown in various shops to allow for social distancing. The exhibition, supported by Clare County Council, will also be displayed online, with a companion video piece to be release as part of Culture Night. David tells us that the “only positive thing about Covid is the fact it has afforded me time to dedicate to my work.” He said …

THE heritage sector has experienced “increased pressure” with closures, job losses and falling visitor numbers resulting from Covid-19, according to Clare County Council’s heritage officer. Congella McGuire was speaking as she encouraged Clare heritage projects to avail of a funding opportunity being made available by the government. The Heritage Council is inviting applications from County Clare to its Community Heritage Grant Scheme as part of the Rebuilding Heritage: Covid-19 Stimulus Fund for the heritage sector, announced by the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD. The aims of the grant scheme are to support capital projects that improve access and inclusion at heritage sites and that apply good heritage practice to the management of places, collections, objects and buildings. The scheme also supports the purchase of essential equipment. Congella McGuire, Heritage Officer, Clare County Council, said, “Like other sectors of society, the heritage sector has faced closures and job losses as a result of the Covid-19 …

A GRANDMOTHER of ten, living in South East Clare, says she is living in fear over the condition of her home where serious building defects have been identified. Geraldine Kennedy from Parteen came forward after an article in last week’s Champion, where a woman in the north of the county called on others to join the new Clare Pyrite Action Group. “My hair has fallen out over this and I’ve had panic attacks,” Mrs Kennedy said. “We are incredibly frustrated because we’ve had to pay for all kinds of tests and repair work and, at this stage, no matter what we do, it won’t solve the problem. I would be afraid the house will fall down and the only option would be to have it knocked altogether and rebuilt.” Engineer’s reports have shown the presence of a defective material in the blockwork of Mrs Kennedy’s home. The family has already spent thousands on tests to the building to prove the …

ANGER has been expressed by those living on of one of the last remaining residential streets in the centre of Ennis, over the introduction of two-way traffic to facilitate the new mobility plan. Residents of Summerhill have told The Champion that the introduction of two-way traffic for the third time in recent years is the last straw in terms of noise, inconvenience and danger. Nancy O’Brien who has lived in the town since the 1950s said residents are frustrated and in fear. “We have gone along with everything, up to now, for the good of Ennis,” she said. “We had two-way traffic to facilitate works on Parnell Street and two All-Ireland Fleadhs, now we have just had enough. People are speeding through the area and won’t let residents out into the traffic. They’re coming through at all hours and parking and blocking people in all day.” Her son Brendan has made numerous representations to Clare County Council and said residents …

A NEW ‘proclamation’ for County Clare is being drawn up as a blueprint for this and future generations of Banner residents. Ideas are currently being sought to feed into the plan which covers all aspects of life in the county. The Public Participation Network (PPN) which is an umbrella organisation representing a range of community, voluntary, social inclusion and environmental groups, is preparing the vision document, which will be tailored to each of the county’s four municipal districts. To gather views on what improvements people would like to see in a range of areas, including social and community development, governance, the environment and the economy, the PPN is circulating a survey on its website and other platforms. The survey asks people what kind of county they would like to live in and to outline what their local area needs to make it the best it can be for this and future generations. “We are excited to be undertaking this important …

CLARE has been selected as one of eight counties in the country to receive funding for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) services under the Dormant Accounts Fund. In November 2019, Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development, published the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 providing funding to address disadvantage across the country. This includes the provision of €200k to support LGBTI+ community organisations. County Clare was selected as one of eight organisations nationwide and has been awarded €35,000 from the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding is based on proposals received from organisations around the county who are seeking to complete projects which ensure that existing community infrastructure is inclusive and welcoming to LGBTI+ people. Following a countywide call for expressions of interest, 10 organisations across the county will benefit from the funding, including: Clare Women’s Network, Clare Haven, Clare Youth Service, North West Clare Family Resource Centre, Ennis Musical Society, Fishbowl Youth, Burren Art Gallery, …

GRAVE desecration and damage alongside ongoing flytipping at one of Clare’s most historic sites has prompted the establishment of a new taskforce. The Clare Abbey Taskforce are due meet for the first time next month and calls are being made for the installation of CCTV cameras at the national monument. A meeting of the Ennis Municipal District also heard this week that efforts are being made to have the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works to visit Clare Abbey and hear first hand the concerns of locals. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy urged that the council convene the taskforce and adopt measures including CCTV to tackle flytipping which is “continuously being highlighted by the Clarecastle Tidy Towns” and “the ongoing risk of repeated damage and desecration to the graves located within the abbey”. She called on the council to support Clarecastle Tidy Towns request for a “much more thorough” analysis of flytipping material found in Clareabbey …

FUTURE development of tourism in East Clare will require new strategies to ensure that key historical sites are sustained as drivers of economic activity, according to a local TD. Scariff’s Deputy Michael McNamara has made the case, once again, for an alternative management structure for the Clare sites operated currently by Shannon Heritage. Since the advent of the pandemic, sites like Craggaunowen and Knappogue Castle outside the village of Quin have remained closed, amid a steep fall-off in international visitor numbers. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, which had been set to close in the autumn, secured an eleventh hour reprieve after a government funding injection of €2.6m. The money will enable it and King John’s Castle to stay open until the end of this year. Speaking to Scariff Bay Community Radio, the Independent TD said he had raised the need to support the wider Shannon Group, with Micheál Martin, before and since his election as Taoiseach. Deputy McNamara added that …