Tag Archives: kilkee

Clare hospitality industry reaps staycation dividend as Irish tourists spend more money, writes Owen Ryan WITH schools back and the evenings shortening, the peak 2021 tourist season has ended in Clare. While international visitors were absent again, the fact Irish people couldn’t easily travel meant that west and north Clare got a large number of ‘staycationers’ which allowed local businesses to enjoy a very busy summer. Kilkee-based county councillor Cillian Murphy said that the area has been very busy since reopening from lockdown. “It has been unusual in that there was a short run-in, then craziness and a short run out. In a normal year you’d start in April, it’d get busier incrementally, and then you have the mad summer before winding down in September and October. “This year there was no run in, the doors opened on July 26 and it was championship football! I know from being in business myself and talking to a lot of my friends …

AN international research group has welcomed the public attention on Basking Sharks in the wake of a viral video shot by divers off Kilkee last week. The video showed a large group of the giant sharks engaged in a courtship ritual, something that was also observed off Clare’s coast at around the same time last year. A spokesperson for the Irish Basking Shark Group (IBSG) told The Champion, “Basking sharks frequently occupy Irish waters on and off from April through September. They are known to feed here, and based on instances like those observed last week where they are gathering in big groups, basking sharks likely come to Ireland to court and potentially mate.” The group’s store of knowledge has been greatly advanced in the last year, often through the help of the general public sending them pictures and reports. That then allows the multidisciplinary team to square the sightings with any environmental factors that may be bringing the sharks …

THE WATERS off county Clare are once again the focus of attention for eye-opening marine life action. Last week, a group of scuba divers observed a large gathering of Basking Sharks engaged in what is believed to be courtship behaviour and in doing so, captured some amazing footage. Little is known about the behaviour of the giant creatures, the second largest fish in the sea and, like many, sadly now an endangered species. The man responsible for the footage Mark O’Leary of UL Sub Aqua Club was on a dive with friends from Kilkee Sub Aqua Club when the opportunity arose to film the graceful creatures. Mark told The Champion this week that he and his friends had been planning a regular dive when some jet skiers told them at Kilkee pier that there were Basking Sharks in the area, so the group deliberately went out looking for them. “We found them pretty fast in around 70 metres of water,” …

The “Home” art exhibition will be held at Cultúrlann Sweeney in Kilkee from August 30 to October 2 in memory Betty Cauldwell, the artist who passed away in April, 2020. Having been born in Kilrush in 1926 and educated there thereafter, West Clare’s sea and landscapes feature in the legacy that Betty leaves behind. She was the eldest of five children of Dr Dick and Enid Counihan, and studied in University College Dublin to become a dentist, only taking up painting in her 50s and continuing to paint until her eyesight began to fail, shortly after her husband, Peter Cauldwell, died in 2001. Betty spent most of her life in England with Peter, a fellow dentist who wrote poetry in his retirement, but the pair returned “home” to West Clare as often as they could throughout their lives. Betty trained at Lichfield School of Art and exhibited with the Lichfield Society of Artists and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, …

CLARE County Council has announced that people can swim at Kilkee once again. In a statement on Friday, it said, “The temporary prohibition on swimming that had been in place at Kilkee has been lifted with immediate effect.The prohibition on swimming has been lifted following analysis and on the advice of the HSE. “Lifeguard services commence on Saturday, 5th June, for the weekends in June. Clare County Council advises that the safest place to swim is at lifeguarded locations.”

IRISH Water has confirmed that it is working with Clare County Council to carry out repairs to two rising main bursts that may result in a wastewater discharge at Kilkee beach. Crews are working to repair the bursts as quickly and as safely as possible in adherence with current HSE and government Covid-19 advice. Tankers are on-site collecting wastewater to minimise any impact and discharges to the stream which leads to the beach. As a result of this incident, Clare County Council, in consultation with the HSE, has placed a bathing prohibition notice at Kilkee beach. It is likely that this notice will remain in place for a number of days pending the repairs of the wastewater and stormwater rising mains and the results of sampling of the bathing waters early next week, at which point the notice may be lifted. Updates will be available from www.beaches.ie. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other relevant stakeholders have been notified and …

CLARE County Council, on the advice of the HSE, has placed a prohibition on swimming in Kilkee due to a malfunction of Irish Water sewage infrastructure. Emergency remedial works are being undertaken by Irish Water. The notice states, “Do not swim until further notice.”

IT is the end of one era – and the beginning of another – in Kilkee with the moving of the coastal town’s post office to brand new location. On Friday, Margaret Keane will retire as post mistress in Kilkee, having worked there for over 50 years, and the town’s stand-alone post office on O’Connell Street will come to a close. However, the postal service is set to continue in the popular seaside resort, moving to another long standing institution of the town, Haugh’s shop on O’Curry Street. The new post office will open its doors in Haugh’s on Tuesday with preparations now being finalised for the unveiling next week. Carmel Muldoon of Haugh’s explained that the retirement of Mrs Keane meant that the operation of the postal service in Kilkee went up for tender, and Haugh’s were delighted to be successful in their application. She stressed the importance of services like the post office to local communities saying, “With …