Tag Archives: clare

WHILE Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien came to Clare on Monday for the launch of four new social schemes, there are still plenty of  housing challenges in the county. The new developments were launched in Ennis, Miltown Malbay and Tulla with a total of 153 homes being delivered from a total budget of over €40 million. The Cluain Gréine development in Lifford, Ennis, is the largest of the four new developments, with an approved budget of €18,923,877. This development provides 61 social housing units through the turnkey delivery stream. It was constructed by Manozo Ltd for Focus Capital. Also in Ennis, the Cnoc na Scoile development at Ashline on the Kilrush Road, provides 40 social housing units through a direct build scheme by Clare County Council. This development had an approved budget of €10,534,481. The project was completed in June and the appointed contractor on the project was M. Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd. The Baile na mBan …

THREE Clare events celebrating the county’s heritage have been honoured by the Heritage Council. Ninety events took place in County Clare for National Heritage Week this year, with many outstanding events showcasing the fantastic heritage of County Clare. Three Clare Heritage Week events starred at the National Heritage Awards 2022 which were held recently. Shanakyle Bog Restoration Project, Connecting Communities with Peatland “Walk & Talk on Shanakyle Bog” was awarded the County Clare Heritage Event Award. Shanakyle Bog is located near Parteen. It is approximately 70 acres in extent, of which 30 acres was subject to restoration and rewetting work by Shanakyle Bog Restoration Group in 2021. The bog was managed for domestic turf cutting in the past with peat extraction peaking during the 1940s. Turf cutting has not been practiced in over 40 years on the bog and some sections of the bog regenerated on its own to form active raised bog (ARB) on cutover characterised by Sphagnum lawns …

THE devastation that has been caused by ash dieback has been highlighted by a local councillor who is urging Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the council to replenish affected trees in Ennis and its environs. Councillor Ann Norton raised the issue at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where she outlined that trees have died from the disease along the motorway, Barefield and other areas of the locality. “I ask Ennis Municipal District to write to the TII to replenish the ash trees that have died from the ash dieback along the Motorway  and ask Ennis Municipal District to do the same in Barefield and other area around the Ennis municipal District and appropriately dispose of the dead ones,” she stated. Tommy Scott, Senior Executive Technician, responded, “Ash dieback is a disease that effects the Common Ash tree (Fraxinus Excelsior). It was first identified in Ireland in 2012. “The disease will cause most of the Ash trees in this …

WELL-known Ennis chamber choir, Cantare, are practising hard these days under the very expert baton of choir director, Michael Hennessy with their sights set on competing in the upcoming City of Derry International Choir Festival. The festival is taking place from October 19 to 23 and features a range of singing activities and performances for everyone in a wide variety of venues around Derry and its environs. Cantare will perform against a host of national and international competitors on the afternoon of Saturday, October 22 in the Millennium Forum in the historic walled city. Choirs will travel to Derry from as far afield as Estonia, Sweden and the US, and from closer to home including Dublin and Galway. According to Michael, “It’s great to have the opportunity to compete, to have a Clare choir perform in such a renowned competition. All the members have worked exceptionally hard over the last number of months – I’m confident we can hold our …

THE ability of Clarecastle’s coastal flood barrage, built in the middle of the last century, to protect Ennis and its surroundings needs to be examined “urgently” a local councillor has insisted. Councillor Johnny Flynn has urged the local authority to prepare a report on the barrage in light of the current “climate crisis”, while renewing his call that the critical infrastructure be moved. Senior Engineer Sean Lenihan has acknowledged that the barrage is a “key piece of infrastructure” saying the benefits of Ennis’ flood defence schemes “absolutely depends on a fully functioning and optimally fit for purpose barrage.” The monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard that the council are in the process of commissioning engineers to prepare a brief for the appointment of experts to carry out a structural assessment of the barrage. Speaking at the meeting Councillor Flynn outlined he was “very concerned” about the historic barrage which was designed and build in the mid 20th century …

AN Ennis man’s love for classic cars is the driving force behind a fundraiser for Cahercalla Hospice. Motor enthusiast David Queally has launched a brand new book titled ‘Early Motoring in Clare’ which explores vehicles registered in the county from 1904 until 1940. As well as bringing the county’s motoring history to life, the book is also raising funds for the Ennis community hospice. David explains he had the idea for the book for some time, and he is delighted to see it come to fruition now. “A gentleman approached me many years ago wondering if I could tell him what was the registration of his uncle’s car which he had in the 1930s. I always had an interest in old cars, ever since I was a young child, and over the years I had picked up a lot of information from older people about them. “There are some records of cars in other counties around Ireland, but strangely enough …

THE town of Ennis lost one its legends this week with the passing of local business man Jack Heaslip a day after he celebrated his 96th birthday. Jack, who was originally from Knocktopher, Kilkenny, was well-known throughout Ennis and Clare with Heaslip’s shop a fixture of O’Connell Street since 1960. Speaking at his funeral mass at Ennis Cathedral on Thursday morning, Jack’s friend Bishop Willie Walsh said that while it was a sad occasion, Jack had lived a very full life. “We gather, I think, in both sadness and in gladness. In sadness at the departure of a dear friend, but in gladness too, to have known such a lovely, gentle person, who enriched so many of our lives. Gladness too, I think, at the manner of his departure having just celebrated in song and story his 96th birthday. We thank God for his truly blessed and full life.” Delivering a eulogy, his son Sean said Jack had been a …

SIX schools in Clare are set to join the Creative Schools initiative, the Arts Council have announced. The local schools are among 186 schools and centres across Ireland who applied to be part of the initiative. The Clare schools to take part are: Scoil Naisiunte Eoin Baiste, Ballyvaughan NS; Connolly National School; Ennis Community College; Scariff Community College; Scoil na Mainistreach Quin Dangan and Eidhneach National School in Inagh.  According to the Arts Council the very high level of applications to be part of this two-year process reflects the importance that schools and youth reach centres put on creativity and their ambition to celebrate and put creative thinking at the very heart of what they do.  Participation in the Creative Schools initiative aims to empower children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools/centres and stimulate additional ways of working which reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being.  The initiative is designed to provide opportunities for children and young people to build their …