Tag Archives: East Clare

By CAROL BYRNE THERE is a reduction in those signing on the live register in East Clare this past year but with very little economic growth locally, Councillor Pat Hayes is calling for something to be done to deal with the 1,271 who remain unemployed there. While there are 183 less people signing on at the Tulla social welfare office in February 2013 when there were 1,454 people signing on than in February 2014, Councillor Hayes says he cannot account for the reduction. The Tulla social welfare office caters to its local community and extends to O’Callaghan’s Mills, Scariff, Whitegate, Feakle, Kilkishen, Bodyke, Broadford, Feakle, Ogonnelloe, Kilmurry and parts of Sixmilebridge. Councillor Hayes said the feeling on the ground is that there is no employment being created across East Clare, and the spending power is going from communities. “Young people have left, and people don’t have any money to spend in the local economy. When you don’t have jobs, you …

TOPPING the play bill at this year’s Clare Drama Festival in the confined section was Skibbereen Theatre Society’s production of No Romance, while Bradán Players performance of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf took first place in the open section. The results at the 67th annual Clare Drama Festival were revealed when the adjudicator, Tony Rushforth gave his views on the performances held in Scariff over the past two weeks. There were two Clare award winners in the confined section with second place going to the East Clare based Sliabh Aughty Drama Group for their production of Unforgiven by John McDwyer. Meanwhile Doonbeg Drama Group took the third spot with their performance of Cavalcaders by Billy Roche. Second place in the open competition went to Nenagh Players for their staging of The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham, while Kilmeen Drama Group took third place with the Enda Walsh play The Walworth Farce.

By CAROL BYRNE THIS year’s Easter commemorations in Tuamgraney and Scariff will focus on Cumann na mBan as this year marks the centenary anniversary of the organisation’s founding. The East Clare Memorial Committee has decided to place a central focus on Cumann na mBan to commemorate the 100th anniversary while also acknowledging the contribution made by women to the struggle for independence in East Clare and across the county. According to oral historian and member of the East Clare Memorial Committee Tomás Mac Conmara, the East Clare Memorial Park in Tuamgraney, which was officially opened in 1952, is the only public monument in Clare to make explicit reference to Cumann na mBan. The monument in Tuamgraney features a Cavalry also contains a bronze plaque which has the following iniscription, “Erected as a tribute to the Patriotism of the East Clare Brigade of the Irish Republican Army and the members of Cumann na mBan who by their valour and sacrfices from …

By CAROL BYRNE EAST Clare had an extensive charcoal blast furnace industry in the 17th century based around several rich haematite mines, and this industry has sparked a visit by an international Historical Metallurgy Society next month. The Historical Metallurgy Society is an International forum for the exchange of information and research in historical metallurgy. Local historian Gerard Madden of East Clare Heritage has been researching the iron works and woods of Sliabh Aughty for the past 20 years. Together with Belgium born Paul Rondelez, who now lives in Mitchelstown County Cork, Gerard is to publish a transcription of 80 hitherto unknown letters written between 1693 and 1701 primarily on the iron works of Scariff and Woodford. John Emmerton owned ironworks in Scariff and Woodford from 1692 to 1697 and the recently acquired letters are from his managers there, George Young and William Downes. In 1997 Gerard published an article in the East Clare Heritage Journal, Sliabh Aughty Vol 7, …

By Carol Byrne PLANS for upgrading Raheen Community Hospital to HIQA standards are expected to be outlined at a meeting on Monday between the HSE and the Hospital Support Group. Speaking after tabling a Ðáil question on the failure of the HSE to meet the Support Group, Deputy Michael McNamara told a HSE Forum in Limerick earlier this week that it should not take a parliamentary question to get a meeting. He said it was good that the meeting is taking place and recognised the commitment by HSE area manager Bernard Gloster, which may see plans for Raheen finalised and published within weeks. “Everybody is delighted that work is almost complete at Ennistymon and Kilrush community hospitals but it is very unsatisfactory for people in East Clare that progress has been so slow, especially as Raheen must be HIQA compliant by July 2015. It also has put Raheen Support Group in a very difficult situation. While fundraising will be required to assist with this …

THE stage has been set for the 67th annual Clare Drama Festival, which gets underway in Scariff next week, showcasing some of the best amateur drama in Ireland. Founded in 1946 the festival has gone from strength to strength taking place over the course of ten nights from Thursday March 20 to Saturday March 29 at Scariff Community College Hall. Opening this year’s festival is Fr Brendan Quinlivan PP Scariff who is no stranger to the Scariff stage. Fr Quinlivan picked up a promising young actor award in his teenage years at the drama festival and has appeared on numerous occasions with the local Sliabh Aughty Drama Group. Festival chairman, Alan Sparling says this is a unique opportunity to enjoy ten very different plays, and this year promises the audience in Scariff eight completely new productions to this local stage. Opening night sees Sliabh Aughty Drama Group present Unforgiven by John McDwyer, which earned them their first win on this …

By CAROL BYRNE THE competition is heating up as ten contenders for the inaugural East Clare Farmerette contest will give their best on stage performance this Saturday night in the hopes of becoming Farmerette Queen. The event takes place on March 15 in Powers Bar, Tulla with all proceeds from the night are to be used to upgrade the Oak ward at the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght. This is a 24 bedded ward catering for children with acute medical conditions, including respiratory, asthma, endocrinology, diabetes, neurology, cystic fibrosis and mental health issues. The ten girls competing for the crown come from all over East Clare and include: Cassandra (Cass) McKenna from Bodyke who is studying home economics and Irish in Sligo;  Aisling Callinan from Crusheen who works as a support worker for the Brothers of Charity in Ennis and who also plays football and camogie with Crusheen; Katie McInerney from Tulla who also is a camogie player with Tulla, …

MORE than €240,000 is necessary to deal with damage caused in non-coastal flooding in the county, following the recent storms, and of that, €80,000 to €100,000 is estimated to be required at Dooras, O’Callaghan’s Mills. According to a revised report issued at a meeting of Clare County Council last week, the estimated cost of repairs for non-coastal storm-related flooding remained at €240,000. However, additional costs are expected due to continued monitoring of flood levels, management of interim defence pumping facilities and construction of sandbag defences until early February. This process, according to the report, is continuing due to ongoing intensive rainfall events and very elevated river systems. In outlining the works required for the areas of non-coastal flooding, county engineer Tom Tiernan highlighted in the report that Dooras, O’Callaghan’s Mills has been cut off from services and the wider community since just before Christmas, due to flood inundation of the access road to them. He states the requirements involved at …