Tag Archives: kilkee

By Peter O’Connell THE co-founder of the company which has put an audio warning system in place in Kilkee and Lahinch, advising people not to let their dogs foul the path, says that footage from the devices will not be used to prosecute people. Aidan McDermott of Riteview, a Kildare based company which offers environmental enforcement and monitoring solutions to organisations across Ireland, says that the system will in fact save Clare County Council money. “We do have some footage but the intent of the footage is not to carry out prosecutions. It’s not to identify people and say ‘we’ve got somebody, lets try and prosecute them.’ The saving for the local authority is on the clean up costs and the frequency of clean ups. The intent is that they may make some savings in that area,” he explained. “Our whole focus was to look at low cost solutions when we set up the company. The whole thrust was could …

ESB WestWave, a Clare project developing Ireland’s wave energy potential, has been awarded €23 million by the EU. This innovative project will develop the first wave energy project in Ireland by 2018, generating an initial five megawatts off the west coast of Clare. It will provide the equivalent to the electricity consumption of households in nearby Kilrush and Kilkee of clean renewable electricity from the plentiful wave energy resource available off the west coast. John McSweeney, head of Innovation, ESB said Ireland’s oceans have the potential to provide large quantities of indigenous, renewable energy and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. “Demonstration projects like ESB WestWave are critical if we are to realise the ultimate aim of progressing to larger commercial scale projects and a low carbon future. The funding award is a huge boost to the ESB Westwave project and to Ocean Energy development in Ireland and Europe.” The funding will be used to demonstrate technologies that will subsequently help …

The Hell of the West may be the title of the testing triathlon in Kilkee but the the 30th annual event over the weekend was staged in heavenly conditions Organised by Limerick Triathlon Club, The Hell of the West is the longest running triathlon race in the country and this year was part of the Triathlon Ireland National Championship race. More than 1, 100 competitions took part and there was also a very large crowd of spectators at the beach, as well as other strategic vantage point along the route. The overall winner was Aaaron O’Brien, from Charles Maltha and Mark Horan, while the first lady home was Carolyn Hayes, ahead of Katie Cooke and Joyce Wolfe. The event brought welcome boost for Kilkee business over the weekend.      

AHEAD of what is expected to be a busy weekend at Clare’s beaches, Clare County Council is urging visitors to “Respect the Banner” by keeping Clare and its beaches litter-free. Clare has been one of the hottest spots in Ireland this week with temperatures regularly hitting 26-28c, which has resulted in a significant increase in the numbers of visitors to popular seaside resorts such as Lahinch and Kilkee. Joan Tarmey, Environmental Awareness Officer commented, “We have incredible beaches stretching along our coastline that is the envy the world over.  With these incredible assets comes a responsibility to look after and respect them.  The council is calling on people to ‘Respect the Banner’ by keeping it litter free. “The council wants to acknowledge the vast majority of diligent people visiting our beaches who ensure all empty packaging or picnic waste is taken home or alternatively deposited in the public bins provided. But we are taking this opportunity to remind people to …

QUERRIN Pier was buzzing last Sunday for the launch of a five-hand currach, built by boat-builder, James Madigan. A vessel of this type has not sailed the estuary waters since the 1800s. The launch was in conjunction with the Querrin regatta, which was held last year, for the first time since 1907. Dixie Collins, of the West Clare Currach Club, said that elements of the five-hand currach were unique to West Clare. “She’s just under 30 foot and she’s a five-hand canoe, with a mast up on the bow with a lug sail. That’s a square sail that you use in boats like this. They wouldn’t have been traditionally used in Clare but they would have been used on the Aran Islands and down in Kerry. “She’s a bit wider on the beam and the oars are a bit longer than our three-hand canoe. We’re all quite curious to know how she’ll handle and how she’ll feel. We have people …

Last week (May 14), a big crowd filled the function room of the Stella Maris Hotel at a protest meeting regarding what organisers maintain is the lack of progress on repairing the storm damage on the sea front in Kilkee. The meeting was supported by all the main organisations in the town. Retired Kilkee pharmacist and community activist, John Williams was among those who spoke at the meeting. “A large number of people spoke, most expressing frustration at the absence of information from Clare County Council on where it stood on the works to be done. Speaker after speaker said it was a disgrace that the local authority would leave a major tourist route and part of the Wild Atlantic Way in the condition it is, over the tourist season,” Mr Williams told The Clare Champion. He said organisers of the Hell of the West Triathlon spoke of their frustration trying to get details of their route from Clare County …

By Peter O’Connell EIGHTY-TWO-year-old Kilkee man, JJ Barry, is hoping to vote for the first time in Ireland on May 23. An emigrant in England for 63 years, JJ returned to his native town two years ago. A man with a keen interest in politics, JJ voted Labour when in England but has yet to receive confirmation that he can vote in the upcoming local and European elections. “I’ve been trying to get a voting card for the last two years. I haven’t got it yet. I don’t know whether I’m voting or not in this election. They don’t send you anything. I’ve never got a letter to say I was registered or anything,” a rather frustrated JJ told The Clare Champion. “I want to vote now because I don’t know how many years I have left. I always wanted to have a vote but, in my time, there was no voting in Ireland until you were 21. I was …

CLARE County Council has reversed its initial decision not to open Loop Head lighthouse, on a daily basis, until the June Bank Holiday weekend. The lighthouse will now open on Saturday and will remain open daily (10am to 6pm) until the end of September. In last weeks Clare Champion Kilbaha businessman Bernie Keating said that the lighthouse should open “every day from the month of May,” as he felt visitor numbers warranted it. In 2013 the lighthouse opened on St Patrick’s Day. Clare County Council manages the lighthouse in conjunction with the Commissioners of Irish Lights. It is one of two Signature Discovery Points in Clare along the route of the recently launched Wild Atlantic Way and attracted 19,000 visitors during the six-month opening period in 2013. The figure represents an increase of 2,000 on the same period in 2012. “The public opening of Loop Head lighthouse will provide a significant boost to the local tourism sector and the economy, …