Tag Archives: Clarecastle

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 …

CLARECASTLE’S Councillor Paul Murphy said he is “honoured” to don the chain of office after his election as the new Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District. The occasion, usually marked with handshakes and hugs of congratulations, was a very different affair this year with social distancing due to Covid-19. Taking the helm of the Ennis Municipal District meeting this week following his election the councillor admitted “Not being able to shake hands, it’s surreal. Hopefully going forward Covid will die down and we can revert back to what we normally are. I miss the warmth of a handshake or an embrace from a friend.” He paid tribute to his predecessor Councillor Johnny Flynn describing him as a “shining beacon for the town, a real townie”. He outlined that there is a lot of work ongoing within the district, including the development of the mobility plan which has proved valuable in adapting to Covid-19. Councillor Murphy believes that the strives made …

Thirteen months after resident GP Colm Hackett retired from private practice in Newmarket- on- Fergus, the HSE has finally found his successor. Dr Colum Galvin, the Principle Medical Director of Saffron and Blue Medical Centre in Clarecastle and a native of Ballynacally, will provide the GP service from Carrigoran’s Health and Wellness Centre, beginning on Monday, June 22. Dr Colm Hackett retired from practice in May of last year and in the interim the people of Newmarket-on-Fergus have been without a family doctor. Those that needed treatment had to travel to Dr. Yvonne Williams who was based at the Shannon Medical Centre. Locals were beginning to lose faith of a successor being appointed when the possibility of a new GP being in situ fell through last September. However, the long-running saga is now at an end. Local councillor Pat McMahon admitted it has taken a lot of time and work to finally get to this stage and the overriding emotions …

FLIRTED with by many companies employing office workers for years, remote working has suddenly been fully embraced by most companies. Clarecastle-based Paul Ellingstad is involved in the Grow Remote organisation, which promotes the benefits of remote working. The speed at which the concept has caught on since March is something no-one, including Paul, saw coming. “This is total disruption. We launched the Limerick chapter of the Grow Remote group back on February 4. Even a month later, it was like night and day. It came in so quickly. Employers were saying ‘all our workforce is working from home if they can’. It really was a shock to the system.” Grow Remote was established in 2018 and from a humble start, has spread across the country and abroad. “It started as 20 people informally in a WhatsApp group that were interested in trying to get more people aware of the benefits of working remotely, not only individual employees but for employers …

IN 2009 Brian Hogan suffered severe brain damage after an unprovoked attack left him blind and partially paralysed. However, he hasn’t let that stop him. Brian who lives in Acquired Brain Injury’s (ABI) residential service in Clarecastle has gone from needing to use a wheelchair to taking on a mammoth walkathon challenge. Brian has vowed to walk the equivalent of 20 laps of Thomond Park, and just last weekend he surpassed his fundraising target of €10,000 for ABI, with donations still coming in. He will be taking on his final lap in style early next month, walking around the famous Thomond Park rugby pitch. Speaking about the fundraiser, Brian explains, “My fitness levels prior to my assault in 2009 were excellent as I attended the gym four times a week. I swam, ran and cycled. I was a non-smoker and in excellent health. As a result of my Acquired Brain Injury I suffered a right-side hematoma causing left sided weakness. …

THE village of Clarecastle is set for a €200,000 makeover which is hoped will bring an economic boost to the local area. Public consultation has begun for the proposed Town and Village Renewal Scheme which will be mainly centred in the heart of Clarecastle. Among the planned improvements will be the inclusion of street furniture and sculptures, traffic calming and landscaped areas. It is anticipated that these works will have the potential to encourage new businesses to set up in Clarecastle, giving a much-needed shot in the arm to the local economy following Roche’s decision to close its plant there. Local councillor Paul Murphy has described the works as a “positive move” for the village. “These proposed works will enhance the centre of the village and it is hoped that this will make the village more attractive to businesses. There are some vacant units here and these works, which will increase the attractiveness of Clarecastle, will have the potential of …

A LOCAL organisation are endeavouring to bring some positivity into the lives of others in these uncertain times. The Clarecastle Heritage and Wildlife Group have issued a call for uplifting stories of how people are coping with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. They aim to share these stories on their recently launched website with the aim of highlighting the goodness in the world in these uncertain times. It is hoped that these positive messages will bring comfort to others. Eric Shaw of the Clarecastle group explains, “Clarecastle Heritage & Wildlife Group feel that in the midst of this unprecedented public health emergency, there are so many positive responses that deserve to be recorded and shared so as to give the community an uplift. Clarecastle has set up a Covid-19 Support Network involving groups such as St Vincent de Paul, GAA, Men’s Shed, Daycare Centre, Tidy Towns, Clarecastle Community Development Company linked to Clare County Council to provide support to the community. Many of the older …

IT’S all to play for at Clarecastle National School which is set for a boost to its sporting facilities. The school have been granted planning permission for a development which will see the construction of a new hurling wall. The school has also been given the go-ahead for a 2.4 metre high wire mesh fence for its existing soft play area and planned future Astro Turf pitch. The hurling wall will have an overall height of 4 metres and will be 10 metres long, located along the north western boundary of the site which is shared with the adjacent GAA grounds. This will be a dual sided wall, and will also be available for use by patrons of the GAA grounds. In assessing the application, planners with Clare County Council found there would be no adverse impacts on traffic safety and / or free flow of vehicles and pedestrians within the site. No lighting has been proposed for the Astro …