Tag Archives: Councillor Tony O’Brien

  A former Smith O’Brien’s hurler who died in Milford Hospice following an illness bravely borne with great courage and dignity has been described as an “inspiration” during his Funeral Mass  recently. Thousands of mourners lined the Main Street in Killaloe on Sunday to pay their respects to Liam Walsh, Walsh’s Bar, Killaloe and Ballykildea, Killaloe for what was one the biggest funerals held in the town since the death of former Munster and Ireland rugby legend Anthony Foley. Members of Smith O’Brien’s GAA  and Camogie club shouldered his coffin from Rory Scanlan’s house to the entrance to Reilig Lua graveyard. A guard of honour of club members was formed from the church past his beloved GAA grounds onto the graveyard. Fr James Grace said the community felt deep sadness and grieving following the death of Mr Walsh. Expressing his sympathy to his “broken hearted” family, he assured them of the support of the community during this terrible time. A …

A former first citizen has criticised the government decision to establish Uisce Éireann due to the lack of information for householders in two neighbouring communities in South-East Clare who are subject to a boil notice. Almost 1,000 consumers in O’Brien’s Bridge and Bridgetown are affected by a boil notice, which was issued on August 25. Last Friday, almost 1,800 residents in Killaloe, which is in the same parish as O’Brien’s Bridge for GAA purposes, were hit by a similar notice. Councillor Tony O’Brien (FF) has claimed public representatives and consumers received a better service when Clare County Council was managing the public water supply, before this function was taken over by Irish Water, now Uisce Éireann. In an email to Uisce Éireann on Tuesday, Councillor O’Brien stated he was inundated with queries regarding the boil notices issued to consumers in the O’Brien’s Bridge and Killaloe public water supply. “In the case of the O Brien’s Bridge supply the boil notice …

CLARE Older People’s Council will host a ‘Health and Wellbeing Age Expo’ on Friday, June 30, at Tracey’s West County Hotel, Ennis, from 11am to 4pm.  This free event will showcase the supports and services available in the county that are of interest and use to older people. The Mid-West Community Healthcare – Integrated Care Programme Older Persons, Active Ennis, Alone, Clare Libraries, Local Link and Sláinte an Chláir are just some examples of those who will be present at the event. Guest speakers will discuss the new ‘Healthy Age Friendly Homes’ initiative and ‘Preparing for a Healthy Retirement’. Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in a singing taster session, hear talks on Active Ageing and attend a cookery demonstration. The Irish Heart Foundation will also carry out free health checks during the event. On-site parking is available and the public bus stops just outside Tracey’s West County Hotel. Councillor Tony O’ Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, …

  Tributes have been paid to an “exceptionally talented” Limerick soccer player who died following a jet ski incident south of Killaloe bridge on Wednesday evening. Wassiou Ayawe has been described as a very skilful Limerick FC underage soccer player who was blessed with an infectious smile and happy demeanour. The young man was recovered by the Killaloe Ballina Search and Recovery Dive Unit at 6.45pm and was pronounced dead at the scene following a multi-agency response involving emergency services. Following early enquiries, An Garda Síochána are currently treating this matter as a tragic accident. Councillor Tony O’Brien, who is chairman of the Killaloe Ballina Search and Recovery Unit, said there was a great sense of shock in Killaloe and Ballina when news emerged on Wednesday evening that a young person had lost his life. “His death brought a dark cloud over the area last night. He came out to enjoy the amenities of the river and lost his life …

CLOSER links between the villages of Bridgetown and O’Brien’s Bridge could be on the horizon, after a well-received motion from Councillor Tony O’Brien. The Fianna Fáil member, who is also Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, has proposed the installation of a footpath, incorporating a cycle lane, from the village of Bridgetown to O’Brien’s Bridge and Upper Ardnataggle on the R463. “This necessary piece of infrastructure would enable the community to access their local amenities such as the church, school, public houses and community playing pitch,” a motion before the Killaloe Municipal District outlined. “In the case of the primary school alone, it would cut down on a huge amount of private cars using the area on a daily basis as students cannot walk or cycle to school because of road safety concerns.” The Killaloe man told the end-of-year district meeting that the area in question is “very large and highly populated”. “This is very necessary infrastructure,” he said. “The area …

THE indelible mark left by the late Joss Lowry on sporting and community groups in Killaloe and Ballina has been acknowledged this week. The former Coillte forester from Killestry, Killaloe, died peacefully surrounded by his devoted family in the tender care of the staff of Milford Care Centre towards the end of last month. The 75-year-old’s legacy included decades of voluntary work to a plethora of groups including Clarisford Park Committee, Killaloe Ballina RFC, Killaloe-Ballina Tennis Club, Smith O’Brien’s GAA and Camogie Club as well as fundraising for Milford Hospice in Limerick. Leading the tributes, Clare County Council chairman, Tony O’Brien recalled Joss was a very proactive community activist who immediately immersed himself in community activities when he came to Killaloe in 1980. Councillor O’Brien said Joss quickly joined Killaloe Ballina RFC where he volunteered as a staunch member. “Joss initially started playing rugby and then got involved in the committee at officer level. “He went on to become the …

REPRESSION of protests in China made headlines across the world in the last week, but weren’t even mentioned when the Chinese ambassador met with Clare County Council on Monday. The local authority hosted China’s Ambassador to Ireland, He Xiangdong, to mark Clare’s twinning relationship with Yunnan Province in China. Yunnan Province, which has a population of more than 46 million, is in the far southwest of China and borders Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. In a statement issued through Clare County Council, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Tony O’Brien said he had been honoured to host the ambassador. “A lot of work and time has been invested in nurturing the relationship between Clare and Yunnan Province and it was an honour to welcome the Ambassador to County Clare. “Though separated by thousands of miles, the twinning relationship has already made significant strides towards bridging this gap through a shared spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, exchange of knowledge and more importantly, friendship.” …

KILLALOE councillors were advised not to go on a “solo run” in their plans for the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers around the district.  The matter was discussed on foot of a motion from Councillor Tony O’Brien who said EV chargers are now hugely important in attracting visitors to a region. “We have a very well-developed town enhancement and mobility plan,” he said, “and the aim is to attract many tourists and be a gateway for Clare. Government policies are all about climate change and new ways of doing things and EVs are a hugely important way of doing this.” The Fianna Fáil member welcomed an official response to his motion, outlining that a charger is to be installed in due course. “I’m delighted, he said, “but I would like to see more than one charger. The cost of this infrastructure is in putting it in. We have a number of public carparks which should be suitable. This should …