Tag Archives: Denis Vaughan

THE Limerick to Ennis railway line is set to reopen this weekend Iarnród Éireann has announced. Confirmation of the planned re-opening has come in a week when chair of North Clare Labour Denis Vaughan said the month-long closure due to flooding at Ballycar would “make Percy French rise up from his grave and write another comic song”. The line has been closed since March 18 however the flood waters have now receded, and final inspections and patrols will take place over the coming days prior to reopening on Saturday afternoon say Iarnród Éireann. The service is due to resume from 4pm this Saturday. Bus transfers will remain in operation between Limerick and Ennis in both directions until Saturday afternoon. On Saturday, the following services will operate: 18:15hrs Limerick to Galway; 19:50hrs Limerick to Galway; 20:30hrs Limerick to Ennis; 17:25hrs Ennis to Limerick; 17:50hrs Galway to Limerick; 18:45hrs Galway to Ennis; 21:10hrs Ennis to Limerick. A full service will operate from …

THE Clare Labour Party will this Friday host a special event in Ennis to remember the life of Clare politician Patrick Hogan. Guest speakers at the seminar, which will be held in the Old Ground Hotel at 7.30pm, will include Labour Party Leader  Ivana Bacik TD, SIPTU General Secretary Joe Cunningham, TSSA Union’s Manuel Cortes  TSSA Union, and historian Francis Devine among others. Clare Labour Party chairman Denis Vaughan described Patrick Hogan as “one of the most influential Irish  political figures in the twentieth century”. Hogan became the first Labour TD elected in Clare, subsequently becoming a senator and eventually the longest serving Ceann Comhairle, most famously presiding over American President John F Kennedy’s address to the Oireachtas in June 1963. He was born on 10 October 1885, the only son of Patrick Hogan, a labourer, and Bridget O’Connor of Culleen, Kilmaley.  In the 1901 Census, he was listed as a House-to-House Postman. By 1911, living in Mitchelstown, Hogan was entered as …

THE chair of Clare Labour is among objectors to plans for the construction of housing in Lahinch, saying the proposal should be refused until the local sewage treatment system is improved. John Talty Construction Ltd has applied to Clare County Council for planning permission to construct a development of eight houses, comprising six detached and two semi-detached homes together with all associated site development works, wastewater pre-treatment and connections to public services at Cill Stuifin, School Road, Attycristora, Lahinch. Objecting to the plans, Denis Vaughan who in January was elected chair of the Labour Party in Clare, argues, “There are reports of people swimming at that place becoming ill because of untreated sewage in the water. “For that reason permission should be refused until the sewage treatment system is improved. I also believe the Lahinch water supply is inadequate and that is another reason to believe the application must be rejected at this time.” He outlines that a recent application …

THE Clare Labour Party has elected Ennistymon native Denis Vaughan as its chairperson, Mr Vaughan, a member of the Labour Party’s International Committee, has vowed to “fight for fairness”. He has argued passionately for Labour’s three main principles ‘Decency, Justice and Equality’ to be reflected in the local agenda saying, “A party that believes in decency, justice, and equality must urgently fight for a home building programme, the abolition of college fees and gender equality.” He went on to explain how critical these issues are for the people of Clare. “Few realise that women in Clare earn 13.9% less than men. Decent work deserves decent pay. How can we accept this? How can we accept a 14% increase in homelessness in the state at a time when the economy is booming? “Just take a walk down O’Connell Street Ennis any evening, you’ll see with your own eyes how urgent the issue is.” He continued, “Let’s put a stop to this …

BUS services in North Clare have been criticised as “sporadic and unpredictable” with calls being made on Bus Éireann and the Minister for Transport to address this “public transport crisis”. Denis Vaughan, chair of North Clare Labour, gave an example of a lady in Ennistymon who was left waiting three hours for a Bus Éireann bus to Ennis. “This is typical of the poor bus services which are very often late or even cancelled,” he said. He added that he has been approached by a number of tourists who have expressed dissatisfaction with the service. Bus Éireann has acknowledged that an increase in road traffic volumes over the summer tourist season has impacted on the speed and punctuality of some services, adding, “We are always working to improve this.” According to the national bus service there have been “minimal issues” with cancelled services on routes in the area in recent weeks, and customers affected have been urged to make complaints …