Tag Archives: clare

The Wild Atlantic Way is inspiring, renewing, relaxing and invigorating and this week The Clare Champion, in collaboration with The Connacht Tribune, will publish the third edition of ‘Where West’ magazine, the ultimate guide to planning your staycation holiday along the west coast of Ireland. ‘Where West’ magazine is designed to help readers get the most out of their daytrip or long weekend in both Clare and Galway post Covid-19 lockdown. The magazine is packed with local information, hidden gems and plenty of things to do in both counties. All along the Wild Atlantic Way, the world’s longest defined coastal touring route, the spectacular scenery embellishes the tourism offering from quaint eateries, to pretty seaside villages, sandy bays and cliff top walks. Clare Champion managing director, John Galvin said Clare is renowned for its tourism offering and the development of the Wild Atlantic Way has added another important string to its bow. “In so many ways, counties Clare and Galway …

Three of the 12 new cases of Covid-19 are in Clare.  The number of confirmed cases in Clare now stands at 372. The new cases in Clare are the first confirmed in the county in a fortnight. There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today. There has now been a total of 1,764 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight Saturday July 25, the HPSC has been notified of 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 25,881 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.  The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.

THE son of an Ennis couple is among a team of academics that have won an international Covid-19 data science competition. Oisin Fitzgerald is a research officer and phD scholar at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. He is part of a group team from UNSW’s Centre for Big Data Research in Health (CBDRH) in collaboration with the South Western Sydney Clinic School (SWSCS) which has won CovidR, a global competition assessing the contributions of the R software platform to the Covid-19 pandemic. Oisin’s parents are Michael Fitzgerald from the Turnpike and Grainne Hogan, formerly from O’Connell Street and Ardlea Road in Ennis. Oisin, lecturer Dr Mark Hanly and Senior Research Fellow at South Western Sydney Clinical School Dr Tim Churches were awarded for their open-source COVOID software built to model Covid-19 transmission and intervention strategies. “Widespread social distancing and lock-downs have been remarkably effective in containing the spread of Covid-19, but they are blunt tools that come …

A PLANNED re-development of the centre of Clarecastle will see the creation of a safe environment for the community to come together, with people “accessing as a village rather than using it as a through road on a national route”. Members of the Ennis Municipal District have given their backing to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme works planned for Clarecastle’s Main Street, the link between the village and motorway network. The works involve improvements to existing footways and carraigeways, landscaping, drainage works and signing and roadmarking. According to the council, the objectives of the scheme are, “to provide a safe area for pedestrians and other vulnerable users to walk; to provide a safe route for vehicular traffic to travel through the village; to provide a safe environment for the community to come together.” A report on the proposal was put before the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where it was outlined that three submissions have been received …

O’CONNELL Street is set to be transformed in the coming weeks with plans for the introduction of a ‘parklet’ unveiled by the local authority. A parklet is an extension to the footpath offering seating and amenities. The measure has already proven popular in other parts of the country as part of efforts to support social distancing. CEO of Ennis Chamber Margaret O’Brien, reacting to the initiative, commented, “I’m looking forward to seeing how it will work.” Clare County Council have announced the move on a pilot basis from early August, however if successful the initiative may be rolled out to other parts of the county capital. Ms O’Brien commented, “Clare County Council’s idea for a parklet is something which seems to have worked in other towns and cities around the country. It’s a concept that started in the States and has also been popular in England. The parklet will be introduced on O’Connell Street with street furniture and a deck …

The first round of the Clare senior hurling championship will feature eight games this weekend. Derrick Lynch previews the action. O’Callaghans Mills v Broadford A mouthwatering East Clare derby with the men from Broadford finally at the promised land of senior hurling. That will carry momentum with it, while the Mills are coming off the back of a disappointing 2019. Form goes out the window in these games, but the greater senior experience of the Mills should see them through. Verdict: O’Callaghan’s Mills Clonlara v Newmarket Two sides who will see this game as one that is there to be won, and two sides who will desperately want to hit the ground running. Clonlara are without John Conlon and his loss will be immense. Newmarket may hold the edge in the physicality stakes, but a greater scoring threat for Clonlara might just see them through. Verdict: Clonlara Crusheen v Ballyea This game provided one of the results of the year …

THIS year National Heritage Week in Clare will focus on creating heritage projects. People are invited to develop and submit your heritage ideas and projects for Heritage Week 2020. The new approach is designed to promote the sharing of experience and knowledge. Expressions of interest and project ideas should be submitted to HeritageWeek.ie before August 4, where they can be developed and completed in time for National Heritage Week, August 15 to 23, when they will be showcased online on HeritageWeek.ie Contributors can showcase their project, research, knowledge, experience or learning using virtual media such as online talks or exhibitions, video, podcast, slideshow presentation or blog, media coverage, a dedicated website or moderated social media account, or by means of small, restricted social gatherings, which comply with official public health advice. All projects submitted will be considered for a Heritage Week Award. Mayor of Clare, Mary Howard, said she is delighted to support this year’s alternative version of National Heritage …

The number of new residential address points added to the GeoDirectory database in Clare in the twelve months to June 2020 was 363 according to the latest GeoView Residential Buildings Report released by GeoDirectory and EY-DKM today. A total of 262 residential buildings were under construction in Clare in June 2020. Nationally, the number of new address points fell by 32.9% year-on-year in the twelve months to June 2020, the first indication of the impact that Covid-19 has had on residential housing supply in Ireland. In total, 16,617 new address points were recorded, with over half (50.5%) located in the Greater Dublin Area of Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Dublin continues to be the driving force in terms of residential housing supply, with 30.2% of all new address points found in the capital. This was significantly higher than the total percentage of additions in Munster (21.4%), Connacht (10.7%) and Ulster (4.1%). Leitrim (46), Roscommon (116) and Longford (123) were the …