Tag Archives: clare

“NOT only are we frightened for our exams, but we are frightened for our lives, and the lives of those around us.” Those are the words of Ennis Leaving Certificate student Jake O’Loughlin who is pleading with the Taoiseach Mícheál Martin and the Minister for Education Norma Foley to listen to students’ worries about how Covid-19 will affect this year’s state examinations. The Gaelcholáiste an Chláir student believes that the government have up until now “been extremely hesitant to listen to the pleas of my fellow students” and he is calling for clarity on plans for the Leaving Cert this year. He says there is “intense worry” among students. He expresses appreciation to the Taoiseach and Minister for Education for “finally addressing the physical health of me, my fellow students and our families, by not forcing us to return to school on January 11”. However, he insists that the government needs to address the mental health of students immediately. “The …

GARDAÍ in Clare are reminding people that help is available to those who need assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are also reminding drivers on their way to or from a Covid test not to roll down their windows if stopped at a checkpoint. “Just show the Garda your appointment on your phone through the closed window of your car,” explained Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. She outlined that the Community Policing Sections of the Clare Garda Division in partnership with Clare County Council and multiple other agencies “are available to assist those who might require assistance during these challenging times of the Covid pandemic. We are asking people to abide by Government guidelines ad regulations in an effort to keep themselves and others safe. “Where assistance is required you make contact with the Clare Community Response group on Freephone 1800 203 600 which is in operation from 8 am to 8pm seven days a week.”

WITH the third wave of the pandemic having crushed economic activity, there is a general malaise and many businesses having closed, there is a sense of malaise and pessimism in many quarters right now. However, with a vaccine being distributed there are hopes that normal life will resume later this year and at Tuesday’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District, Clare County Council’s Director of Economic Development Liam Conneally said there is genuine cause for optimism about what may happen in the latter months of 2021. “In November and December and so far in January the number of planning applications lodged have been up on the last number of years and that is a good barometer of economic activity,” he said. Mr Conneally said that there is reason to “look forward to quarter three and quarter four with a degree of optimism,” and added that “the construction industry normally leads out on this”. Mr Conneally said that there are large projects …

ENNIS Chamber’s Clare Gift Card initiative attracted sales of more than €125,000 in the run up to Christmas, it has been confirmed. The business representative group has described the success of the card launched in November as proof positive of the outstanding support from the people of Clare as they got behind local businesses for Christmas 2020. “Ennis Chamber has a track history in the vouchers market, having previously sold Ennis Gold Gift Vouchers, but we realised during the first lockdown that we had to move away from a paper-based voucher scheme this year to offer a gift card solution that could be purchased locally but also online. As with many of our fellow chambers around Ireland we opted to outsource the delivery of Clare Gift Card to One4all who could ensure sales of the card through local post offices as well as online,” said Margaret O’Brien, CEO, Ennis Chamber. “We used local press, radio and social media to push …

THE people of Clare are being urged to keep up their efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19 at this “critical time.” Clare County Council and An Garda Síochána have joined forces to emphasise the importance of following the guidelines to save people’s lives. With case numbers persistently high and the health service coming under significant pressure, Chief Executive of the Council Pat Dowling and Chief Superintendent of Clare Garda Division Sean Colleran have called on everyone in the county to make another extra effort to drive down the levels of infection in our communities.  The risk of transmitting or getting Covid-19 is currently very high. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has described the situation in hospitals as stark, with people of all ages being admitted to hospital and being taken into intensive care units.  Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council, said, “This is a critical time. The situation is urgent. The Chief Medical Officer has warned …

A QUANTITY of drugs that were on their way to Clare were seized by Revenue officers at the Dublin Mail Centre on Thursday. Officers, with the help of detector dogs, seized over 1.5kg of illegal drugs, including herbal cannabis and cannabis infused ‘jelly sweets’ with an estimated value of over €32,000. The drugs were discovered in parcels that originated in the United States and the UK and were declared as items such as ‘clothing’, ‘candle set’, ‘tea’, ‘backpack’ and ‘incense burner’. The parcels were destined for delivery to various addresses Dublin, Offaly, Kilkenny, Clare and Kildare. Investigations are ongoing. These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.

A CLARE community have rallied together to raise funds for a former county councillor whose family home went up in flames last Christmas. The Clarecastle home of former Fianna Fáil representative Bernard ‘Bomber’ Hanrahan was destroyed on the night of December 27. Fortunately Bernard managed to escape the blaze when he was alerted to the danger by his dog Daisy. However the fire destroyed the house in Barntick which has been in the Hanrahan family for generations. Now in an effort to help rebuild the family home a fundraising appeal has been launched. The United for The Bomber and Daisy campaign is aiming to raise €30,000, with close to €5,000 of that target raised just one day after the GoFundMe page went live. Organiser of the campaign Seamus Sullivan stated, “While insurance will go some way towards replacing the physical infrastructure, a lifetime of memories and mementos have been lost in the flames. Bernard Hanrahan is known far and wide …

A TEENAGE girl who has gone missing is believed to be in the Ennis area. 16 year old Teagan Ward has been missing since last week and was last seen in the Ballymena area of County Antrim. She is described as being approximately 5’2″, of slim to average build with light waist length brown hair with blonde highlights. Police in Northern Ireland and her family are said to be growing increasingly concerned for her welfare. She was last seen at approximately 2.15pm on Friday, January 15 in Ballymena wearing a dark grey Gym King tracksuit consisting of a crop jumper and jogging bottoms. PSNI Sergeant Michelle Adams has appealed to Teagan or anyone who knows of her whereabouts to contact police at Ballymena on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 871 15/01/21.