Tag Archives: Gort

This Wednesday’s opening of the M18 Gort to Tuam motorway has been welcomed by Councillor Tom McNamara, Mayor of Clare. Mayor McNamara said the motorway is “a vitally important infrastructure project that will bring a range of significant benefits for the regional economy and for communities along the route that are currently experiencing traffic congestion.  It also will create immediate benefits, especially for drivers of commercial and heavy vehicles.” “There are clear benefits for Shannon Airport which will be easily accessible to customers along the western seaboard while the improved connectivity will make the West of Ireland a more competitive location for foreign direct investment,” he said. Shannon Group and Shannon Airport have stated that the opening of the M18 Gort to Tuam motorway is “an unprecedented opportunity to advance the case of a western economic corridor”. Shannon Airport managing director Andrew Murphy said that this final link in a seamless motorway/dual carriageway chain from Tuam to Galway, Ennis, Shannon, …

CHILDREN aged from nine to 12 years of age are invited to take part in the inaugural Guaire Magazine Children’s Writing Competition. The theme for the inaugural competition is ‘The Loop’. Tonii Kelly, Guaire Magazine editor, said, “Gort is home to Coole Park, which, in the 20th century, was the cradle of the Irish Literary Revival and the foundation of the Abbey Theatre, through Lady Augusta Gregory. With such a history, it is only fitting that Gort should be home to the next generation of young writers and poets through the establishment of the children’s writing competition.” In order to encourage young authors to take part in the competition, Guaire Magazine and Gort Library, with sponsorship from the local Lions Club, will be running a number of creative writing workshops with internationally recognised children’s authors. The first workshop scheduled is for Saturday, October 7 at 3pm, with Debbie Thomas. Debbie is the writer-in-residence with Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. She …

GAA supporters across South Galway are frantically calling in favours from across the country this week in an effort to get their hands on precious All-Ireland hurling final tickets. There is particular excitement in the Harte household in Gort, as Aidan, who has excelled at midfield and in defence in recent years, is expected to line out in the full-back line for the Tribesmen. His father, Josie, believes Galway’s run in the league and championship, following their reversal at the hands of Wexford earlier in the year, gives the Tribesmen the momentum going into Sunday’s decider. “It was good to beat Tipperary in a tight game in the All-Ireland semi-final, considering Galway hadn’t played in five weeks before this encounter. “You would have to be impressed by Galway’s form to date; they are the National League and Leinster champions. However, Galway will have to improve from their display in the semi-final if they want to win the final. Every game …

Irish Water has been granted planning permission for essential upgrade works to the Gort Water Treatment Plant to ensure a consistently high water quality for local homes and businesses. Tender documents are currently being prepared and are expected to be advertised before the summer, with a contractor due to be appointed and work to commence on site before the end of the year. The existing Gort WTP produces up to 1.4MLD per day and the upgrade works are necessary to optimise and strengthen current plant operations to ensure a continuing supply of quality treated water to Gort town. Explaining the benefits of the project, Laura Heneghan, capital programmes lead, said, “The project is needed to strengthen and reinforce existing processes at the plant to ensure consistency in the quality of water supplied to the town of Gort. This project is needed to ensure drinking water is provided in compliance with all of the regulations that ensure that consumers on the …

YEARS of active involvement in the Gort community means Sadie McInerney is not quite ready to give up her work in raising money for charitable causes. The 83-year-old Loughrea native, who has lived in Gort since 1957, is now collecting glasses for use in developing countries. The spectacles are sent to England for upgrading, before being dispatched to their final destination. Ms McInerney is appealing to anyone who has good quality glasses they no longer need, to send them to McInerney Auctioneers on Church Street in the town. Sadie’s life-long work in the local community was rewarded recently when she was one of 16 people shortlisted in Galway County Council’s Cathoirleach Community Award for Volunteer of the Year. With a bus full of local supporters cheering her on, Sadie said she thoroughly enjoyed the function. The citation for her nomination stated: “Sadie McInerney’s lifetime of service to the community has made Gort and its surrounding area a better place to …

Gardaí have advised motorists to slow down and drive with care as rain, sleet and hail over the past couple of days has led to treacherous road conditions. On Thursday afternoon there were a number of crashes on both the northbound and southbound carriages of the M18 motorway between Crusheen and Gort. The incidents resulted in road closures and diversions. Met Éireann is warning there may be more bad weather to come.

SEVERAL club members and the wider Clooney community will tog out next week – not to fulfil a GAA club fixture but to lend a helping hand to fundraising efforts for a fellow parishioner. When Kilburn Gaels lifted their first ever London championship trophy in 2010, they were coached by Clooney clubman Noel Harrison. A key player on that championship-winning team was Gort’s Cathal Forde. Fast forward 18 months and all associated with the London club were utterly devastated when Cathal collapsed and died at a training session. It subsequently emerged that he died as a result of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS). Some time later, Noel Harrison was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. He will soon be returning home to Clooney permanently and will receive ongoing treatment provided locally by MS Ireland. Following Cathal’s death, the Cormac Trust, a group set up following the similar death of Tyrone footballer Cormac McAnallen got in contact with the Forde family, and provided …

GORT parish priest Fr Tommy Marrinan has been appointed to the Diocesan Chapter, earning him the title Canon and meaning he will now act as adviser to the bishop and as a trustee of the diocese. Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, Martin Drennan made the appointment on Thursday last. He announced that four priests were being added to the Diocesan Chapter, which now has 12 members. These canons work as advisers to, and in very close collaboration with, the bishop. They have a particular responsibility to ensure the effective administration of the temporal affairs of the diocese. Other priests appointed on the day were Fr Ian O’Neill, parish priest of Claregalway; Fr Michael McLoughlin, PP, Moycullen; and Martin Glynn, PP, Mervue and Good Shepherd. According to Fr Tommy, the appointment is a reflection of the parish of Gort and Beagh. “It is an honour for the parish, as it is a title usually given to a priest in a …