Tag Archives: Councillor Pat Hayes

FROM Camden Town to Carnegie Hall and from the Fleadhanna ‘down in Ennis’ to the Body and Soul stage at Electric Picnic, the Tulla Céilí Band has captivated audiences of all kinds for the last three-quarters of a century. Over the course of its illustrious history, the band has brought the tunes of East Clare to prominence in Ireland’s musical repertoire. It has also fostered some of the country’s finest traditional players, including West Clare legends like Willie Clancy and JC Talty. At one point, it even counted a TD as a member, in the person of the long-serving Fianna Fáil representative, Feakle’s Dr Bill Loughnane. The story of the Tulla Céilí Band is closely woven into the history of modern Ireland. It was formed in March 1946, in the lean times after ‘The Emergency’, when the bicycle was the dominant mode of transport and social life didn’t stretch far beyond parish boundaries. Chris Keane, in his book on the …

A WARNING has been issued that Crusheen could become a “dormitory village” unless proper services are provided. The village has experienced a significant growth in housing development in recent years, but concern were raised at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District that the provision of amenities has failed to keep pace. During a discussion on the controversial issue of the location of a south-bound bus shelter, Councillor Pat Hayes cautioned that the overall development needs to be considered. The Fianna Fáil member said that, otherwise, there is a risk of Crusheen, which is located off the M18 motorway, becoming a commuter village. The matter was raised by Councillor Pat Burke who welcomed the recent construction of a north-bound bus shelter in the village. He noted controversy over the south-bound shelter, originally planned for a site close to the Brodagh View estate, and urged that an alternative site beside the railway bridge now be considered. “Following discussions earlier this …

DERELICTION in the centre of Tulla has put the spotlight on the way the town is developing, with one public representative saying the Council is being accused of destroying it, writes Fiona McGarry. There have been long-standing concerns about urban decay in sections of the centre of Tulla at a time when housing development on the outskirts is increasing. The problem came to a head early this year when the local authority was forced to serve a Dangerous Structures Notice on the owners of an empty building in the heart of the town. A section of the footpath on Main Street was closed, in the interests of public safety, and a traffic management system put in place. After several months of attempted negotiations with the owners, and delays created by the closure of the construction sector during lockdown, the authorities have now moved to offer one final chance before stepping in to undertake the necessary works themselves. The matter was …

WORKS on a new footpath and pedestrian crossing for Clooney will begin in a matter of weeks and the local community development group will be informed shortly about the time-frame, writes Fiona McGarry. The matter was raised at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District when Councillor Pat Hayes tabled a motion seeking an update. The Fianna Fáil member noted that Clooney and Quin had been added to the East Clare district in recent years and that Clooney now has an active community group. “The group are proposing to create a sense of a centre for Clooney,” Councillor Hayes said. “They have raised issues around paths and crossings and I would like to thank the Killaloe district team for their efforts to move this up the line and get greater funding opportunities for the works,” he said. “The works will clearly show the commitment of Clare County Council to the community of Clooney. The council should always embrace efforts …

PROGRESSING East Clare projects, including Inis Cealtra and the Killaloe bridge and bypass, have been identified by the incoming cathaoirleach of the district as key priorities for the coming year. On Thursday last, Councillor Joe Cooney took over the role of Killaloe Municipal District chair from Councillor Pat Hayes, with both men welcoming the return of in-person meetings after long months of lockdown and remote communication. The Fine Gael member was proposed for the role by party colleague Councillor Pat Burke and seconded by Fianna Fáil’s Councillor Tony O’Brien. This is Councillor Cooney’s second term as chair, having previously held the role in 2013. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “I’ll be there to work with other councillors to achieve as much as we can. There are some major projects in the district, including the Killaloe bridge and bypass and Inis Cealtra. A lot achieved and we will work to achieve more. These projects will take time and …

Wardens set to monitor Killaloe amenities with more dogs out and about in summer DOG fouling in East Clare is generating a huge number of complaints, according to the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District. Councillor Pat Hayes tabled a motion on the matter at the recent district meeting when he called for urgent action. “This is something that’s cropped up a lot because of the numbers of people out with dogs in recent times,” he said. “It’s a challenge we need to deal with because the amount of complaints is huge. There’s nothing as upsetting for those using buggies and wheelchairs. It leaves a very bad impression of a wonderful day at one of our public amenities.” The Fianna Fáil member said that while the issue is a county-wide one, there are areas that are particularly badly hit in the Killaloe district. “Some people are recklessly letting their dogs off, for example at Two-Mile Gate and in public parks,” …

AN AMBITIOUS plan to create the Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience has been given the green light, following a Part 8 planning application by Clare County Council. The signing-off on plans to redevelop The Old Rectory in Mountshannon was described at the May meeting of the authority as “a major step forward for tourism in East Clare”. Councillor Pat Burke said he was delighted to proposed the adoption of the Part 8 plan after a successful public consultation period. “There are exciting times ahead now for the area,” he said. “We recently had RTÉ’s Nationwide and Channel 5 putting a spotlight on Inis Cealtra and had a workshops with consultants appointed to the Holy Island project. “My compliments to all involved from the Tourism section of the council for the ongoing work and for advancing the Holy Island plans. This is another major step forward for tourism in East Clare and we’re getting there slowly but surely.” The motion was seconded …

KILLALOE councillors are to receive a briefing on progress with the proposed greenway from Limerick to Scariff/Tuamgraney, after the cathaoirleach of the district described local people as “perplexed” about the matter. Councillor Pat Hayes sought details on the current status of the project, which he said has potential to link East Clare into key tourism trails across a wide geographical area. Updating district members, Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Morgan Lahiffe said the parties involved were hoping to appoint consultants to look at potential routes for the 41km trail. “Clare County Council is working together with Limerick City and County Council, the ESB and Waterways Ireland,” he explained. “Waterways Ireland are the lead agency on this and the hope is that consultants would shortly be working on route selection options. The steering group will include this local authority and we hope that the consultants will be reporting back by the end of 2021. I have asked Waterways Ireland for the latest …