Tag Archives: Councillor Pat Hayes

CLIMATE change is predicted to increase the risk of flooding in Clare, and measures like dredging of rivers, cannot be seen as quick-fix solutions, members of the county council have been warned. The topic was discussed in detail at the monthly local authority meeting on foot of a motion from Councillor Gabriel Keating. The Fine Gael member asked the council to engage with the relevant statutory authorities to dredge rivers “to prevent ongoing flooding of our lands in the interest of good environmental and farming practice”. A response from the council, pledging to work with those agencies to ensure dredging can be carried out where it is appropriate and subject to a range of environmental considerations, was welcomed by Councillor Keating. A number of members, including Councillors PJ Kelly and Pat Hayes noted that confusion tends to arise between the number of agencies involved in the management of waterways, as to who is responsible when there is a threat of …

HUGE hurt is being caused to families in Tulla because of an ongoing spate of thefts from the graves of their loved ones, according to Councillor Pat Hayes. Seven incidents have been reported to Gardaí in recent months, with the latest taking place between 10am on Thursday, September 16 and 5pm last Friday, September 18. It is understood, locally, that up to 20 thefts or disturbances may have taken place, many of which people have considered to minor to report. “This is a disturbing and sensitive issue,” said Councillor Hayes. “In some cases, the families affected have suffered very sad losses and the last thing you would want is for the graves of their loved ones to be disturbed.” The Fianna Fáil member, who is chairperson of the county council’s Rural Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) which has responsibility for burial grounds, said every possible means of preventing a reoccurrence was being examined. “Burial grounds should be kept safe and …

A NEW walking trail between Tuamgraney and Ogonnelloe has been hailed as a fantastic asset for East Clare. At this week’s meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Joe Cooney sought an update on the amenity path which is to run from Tuamgraney to Bealkelly and which will ultimately provide greater connectivity between Scariff and Killaloe. Councillor Cooney noted there had been extensive cooperation between Tuamgraney Development Association (TDA) the Ogonnelloe Community Group and the local authority and capitalised on the funding from the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. “It’s very positive to see funds being secured and the groups involved are very appreciative.” The Fine Gael member asked the executive if there were any plans to widen the trail and how much of it would be paved with ‘blacktop’ over the coming months. Councillor Tony O’Brien seconded Councillor Cooney’s motion, saying the tail was “a fantastic selling point”. “With all of the spurs that will link to this route,” he …

AN AMBUSH in the village of Feakle in 1920 is to be commemorated with the unveiling of a plaque at the place where it happened. The ambush, which took place on October 7, almost 100 years ago, involved members of the Sixth Battalion of the East Clare Brigade of the IRA. The attack on six members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) led to the burning of a number of homes and business premises in Feakle by way of reprisal. Local historian and Chairperson of the Feakle Commemorative Group Pat Flynn has researched the event in detail, combing military archives and consulting secondary sources, and says the ambush is a significant incident in The War of Independence in Clare. “Tommo Tuohy was the man in charge of the ambush, having been deeply involved in the republican struggle, even as far back as 1916,” said Mr Flynn. “The East Clare Brigade were very strong and determined to make a stand for …

STORM Ellen resulted in thousands of homes and businesses in East Clare being left without power and phone coverage, some for a number of days, as repair crews worked into last weekend to repair damage. The situation, which caused serious inconvenience for local retailers and households over the course of last Thursday and Friday, prompted the Cathaoirleach of the Killlaoe Municipal District to call on the main operators of the fixed-line network to keep their customers better informed in terms of outages and repair times. Eir came in from considerable criticism from Councillor Pat Hayes, who said the company needed to do more to support customers the event of widespread outages. “The power and phone outages caused real difficulties for people from Scariff, Mountshannon and out as far as Whitegate, after Storm Ellen,” he said. “The council and the Fire Service did a huge amount of work. The ESB, in fairness, were very helpful and, as always, responded as quickly …

MEMBERS of the local community are being invited to participate in the development of a Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan for Killaloe-Ballina. Clare County Council and Tipperary County Council have started the preparation of the plan, which will facilitate a coordinated approach to public realm enhancements within Killaloe and Ballina, providing a clear vision for Killaloe and Ballina as linked settlements. The Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan is a non-statutory plan that is being prepared on behalf of both local authorities with a view to supporting the development and enhancement of the twin villages. The plan will deal with a number of topics, including transport and mobility, place making and public realm; street furniture design, tourism, blue-green infrastructure strategy and the development proposals for identified ‘opportunity sites’. Specific measures, designs and schemes will promote the towns’ complementarity, and create an overall focus on their joint strengths and opportunities in terms of functionality, aesthetics and the changing transport profile of …

SAFETY concerns over a junctions on the main arterial route into East Clare have been raised by local representatives who have described it as one of the most dangerous in the county. Henchy’s Cross on the R352, close to Clooney, was described by the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District as a “blackspot” and the site of a number of accidents. Councillor Pat Hayes told the most recent meeting of the area committee that it is time for the authority to take action, now that responsibility for the location has come back into the Killaloe district. “This crossroads is one of the most frequently used junctions onto the R352 and it’s also one of the most dangerous,” the Fianna Fáil member told the meeting. “It has been the scene of several accidents and I have had one myself at this location. It’s a danger for those coming out onto the main road, as well as for those using the R352, …

THE developers of a multimillion euro wind farm planned for a site in East Clare have defended their track record in consulting with the local community. At a presentation to local councillors, Coillte outlined a detailed Community Engagement plan, which includes more than 2,000 house calls to those likely to be affected by the Carrownagowan Wind Farm, proposed for the north west slopes of Slieve Bearnagh, around a mile-and-a-half from the village of Bodyke. The meeting between representatives of the forestry service, who own the 750 hectare site, and propose to build 19 turbines, with a maximum tip height of 169m, took place at the request of Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Pat Hayes who questioned the adequacy of the communication process. Responding to these concerns, a representative of Coillte explained that a process of engagement with the community had started in March of 2018, focusing on those living within 2km of the development site and involving over 2,000 …