Tag Archives: clare

GARDAÍ in Clare are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the occupants of a car suspected of being used in two burglaries in different parts of the county. A dark blue Audi A3 hatchback was spotted at the scene of the incidents in Clarecastle and Sixmilebridge. On Friday, January 8 at approximately 8.10pm a car reversed into the driveway of a house in the Hillview Estate, Clarecastle. Two males ran to the rear of the house and broke into the house through the patio door. They were disturbed by the teenage son in the house and left empty handed. This car then went in the direction of Sixmilebridge and at 8.20pm four males wearing gloves and balaclavas smashed in the front door of a house in the Woodview Heights estate. All the rooms were ransacked and a safe containing a substantial amount of money and an Apple IPhone 12 was stolen. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks is urging anybody …

THE completion of 30 residential units under social housing developments in County Clare alongside 163 additional units currently under construction will provide “badly needed homes for the people of Clare.” That’s according to Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Mary Howard who welcomed the developments adding, “It is essential that Clare County Council continues to build homes as part of our plans to address our social housing requirements, and to continue to do this in a planned and strategic way.” The completed units are located in Quilty, Kilmihil, Sixmilebridge and Roslevan. Construction on a new development of 18 units at An Cladach, Quilty West, Quilty, commenced on April 25, 2019, and was handed over to Clare County Council on December 18, 2020. This development was constructed by Martins Construction Ltd and comprises a mix of two, three and four-bedroom single and two-storey semi-detached houses. These residential units were constructed to a high standard and achieved Building Energy Ratings (BERs) of …

THERE were “continuous requisitions” for coffins at the old County Clare Nursery in Kilrush, according to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation Final Report, which was published on Tuesday. The County Clare Nursery, which was on the site of the Kilrush Workhouse on the Cooraclare Road, was open from 1922 to 1932 and it appears a very large number of children both were born and died there. According to the Commission’s report, “The death rate in Co Clare institutions is very high when compared with the numbers in the baptismal record. As the nursery was the only institution for ‘illegitimate’ children in Co Clare it is probable that at least the majority died there.” Between 1923 and 1932 there are records of 168 so-called ‘illegitimate’ infants dying in institutions in Clare, with 27 passing away in one single year, 1926. This figure does not include slightly older children who died in the institutions during the same years. A …

VOLUNTEERS with the Irish Red Cross in Clare completed more than 8,000 hours helping the people of Clare last year, with the organisation vowing to continue supporting those in need into 2021 despite Covid-19, However, in order to achieve this the Irish Red Cross will need the people of Clare to help them, with the organisation making a renewed appeal for support in their ongoing fundraising efforts. An online fundraising campaign has been launched aiming to raise €20,000 for the Red Cross in Clare, with just over €2,200 pledged so far. James Lafferty, Irish Red Cross Clare Area Treasurer and Community Support Officer paid tribute to the organisation’s volunteers and loyal supporters as he urged members of the public and local businesses to get behind the Red Cross. “Despite Covid-19  which hit all of us in March 2020 and which is getting a whole lot worse at this time at the start of 2021 we plan to continue supporting the …

THE growing popularity of Ballybeg Woods during Covid-19 restrictions has seen motorists park on footpaths, blocking access to those using wheelchairs or pushing buggies, a meeting of the local authority has heard. Mayor of Ennis Councillor Paul Murphy urged the council to install signage at the natural amenity and carry out other improvements in a bid to tackle the problem. Speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Murphy stated that during Covid-19 times the general public are maximising all of our public spaces and amenities. The councillor requested that creeping ivy and overgrowth in the public car park be tidied up in the short term “in order to maximise the space available for parking”. In addition to this he said that advisory signage should be installed at the Ballybeg Road entrance, requesting patrons to use the carpark to alleviate the problem of cars being parked on footpaths in this area. Repair of damage to a picnic bench …

IT can take as little as three minutes for thieves to steal a catalytic converter gardaí in Clare have warned. Gardaí are urging motorists are to take steps to secure the devices following a spate of converter thefts recently. The equipment is coveted by thieves due to their high scrap metal value. Gardaí in Clare are investigating a number of catalytic converter thefts over the Christmas holidays, many of which occurred in the early hours. On Wednesday, December 23 at 1am a man was woken by noise outside his house in Aughanteeroe. He saw two males who left in a red car and he later found that the catalytic convertor had been stolen. On Thursday, December 31 at 1.35am a man was also awoken to noise outside his house on St Joseph’s Road, Ballyvaughan. He saw three or four males outside who they left in the direction of Lisdoonvarna and again the catalytic convertor had been removed from his car. …

By Ronan Judge THE chairman of one of Clare’s biggest GAA clubs has called on the association to do more to stand up for employees who are the subject of online attacks. Chairman of Sixmilebridge GAA, Paddy Meehan, told The Clare Champion that some of the abuse directed at Clare County Board secretary Pat Fitzgerald, is “unbelievable.” Allegations of online abuse against Pat Fitzgerald are the subject of a garda investigation. Meehan says, “Pat Fitzgerald is a paid employee of the GAA and I don’t believe they have stood up for him and I don’t think they have backed him 100%. Maybe if employers start backing people… because you see it nowhere else. There was a case in Kerry there where a former soccer player was being abused and it went to court. It has to stop, this online abuse, people hiding behind computers. That’s where we’re coming from. I have often went to the Clare County Board, had issues …

A CLARE teenage boy was blackmailed for money after he sent explicit images of himself to another person through social media. Gardaí in Clare are now urging parents to become better aware of their children’s online activity in light of the recent incident. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks has described the matter as “very upsetting and traumatic for the parent and teenager”. A report was made to gardaí by the teenager’s mother over the Christmas period. According to Sergeant Brooks the teenage boy believed he was in contact with a woman through Facebook and he sent the explicit pictures of himself to that person. Shortly after this a demand was made for a substantial amount of money, or else the pictures would be shared. “No money was given over and the link was shared with some of his friends but fortunately the link could not be opened,” she outlined. Sergeant Brooks has encouraged parents to speak to their …