Tag Archives: Killaloe Municipal District

“RISKY” footpaths around Tulla are to be upgraded, however a funding allocation from the Department of Transport will not cover pavements repairs in one of the area’s oldest housing estates.  The matter is one of ongoing concern in the East Clare town and was back on the agenda at the most recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District. Cathaoirleach Joe Cooney appealed to the authority to replace the main footpath in O’Reilly Park in conjunction with the upgrade works for the centre of the town. The Fine Gael member tabled a motion calling on the Council to take the opportunity to address a long-standing problem for residents.  In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer Niamh Madden said the funding available to the Council only covered the town’s main streets. “ The footpath upgrade works for the town of Tulla are being funded by a grant awarded by the Department of Transport as part of the Active Travel scheme,” her response …

A VISITOR centre for Inis Cealtra is expected to be operational by early to mid-2023, local councillors have been told. Confirmation of the purchase, last year, of the Old Rectory building in Mountshannon, provided a boost for plans to maximise the potential of Holy Island as a major visitor attraction in the east of the county. At the January meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Pat Burke sought an update on work to develop the centre and to provide visitor amenities on the 41-acre island. “The purchase of the Old Rectory last year was great news and very welcome for the whole of East Clare,” Councillor Burke said. “Since then, the dust has settled on that news and I suppose people have been getting curious about what’s happening next and they’re anxious to see progress. “The Holy Island project is eagerly-anticipated across the region and people are very optimistic about it.” A written reply from Tourism Officer Joan Tarmey, …

MORE than 130 landowners in the Killaloe Municipal District have been contacted and reminded about their obligations to maintain hedges while the season is open until the end of February. The figure was revealed at last week’s meeting of the district committee, on foot of a motion from Councillor Pat Burke. The Whitegate member sought an update after raising the issue previously last November. There was widespread support when Councillor Burke raised the matter and told the meeting that drivers, particularly those in high-sided vehicles, were losing windscreens and wing mirrors on a regular basis.  In a written response to Councillor Burke, Niamh Madden, Senior Executive Engineer, said many landowners had complied with correspondence from the authority, but that a number of them had not.  “Between September 2021 and December 2021, one hundred and thirty five letters have been sent by the Killaloe Municipal District to land owners/occupiers outlining their obligations under under S70 of the Roads Act 1993 and …

DOG fouling continues to be a “huge issue” in Killaloe, despite extensive efforts to encourage responsible ownership, the municipal district committee has been told. At last month’s meeting, Councillor Tony O’Brien called for the installation of special bins in the town to allow those walking their dogs to dispose of excrement. While the senior executive engineer (SEE) said that bins may not be necessary, as the existing ones can take dog litter, she gave an undertaking to look at the possibility of providing dispensers for litter bags. In a written response to Councillor O’Brien’s motion, SEE Niamh Madden noted that the majority of people walking dogs in public spaces are conscientious about picking up dog litter. “Unfortunately, still some dog owners … do not take proper responsibility in relation to dog fouling,” she said. “Providing dispensers and dog litter bags has benefits and encourages dog owners to be aware of their responsibilities.” Ms Madden noted that despite the best efforts …

VEGETATION encroaching on a number of roads in East Clare has resulted in drivers losing wing mirrors and windscreens, a meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District has heard. The topic was raised by Councillor Pat Burke who described it as “a famous item” as it is comes up so often. “Many landowners do great work, but there are still sections of our roads where they don’t,” he said. “In this day and age, people deserve better, particularly drivers of HGVs. The problem hasn’t gone away. “The council are doing their bit and lots of landowners do good work. Some respond to letters from the Municipal District office, but others don’t. It’s a major problem. “Last Saturday, a lorry driver broke a mirror. In this day and age, it’s not good enough. Driving a car is no problem, but if you’re in a lorry or a tractor, mirrors are at risk. It’s awful to think you have to keep out to …

ONGOING concerns about the condition of the main road from Ennis through East Clare have been highlighted by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. He told the November meeting of the Killaloe district committee of a bad dip on the R352 close to Henchy’s Cross where larger vehicles are experiencing problems. “The location is just as you’re coming from Clooney towards Henchy’s junction on the regional road,” he said. “There’s a section where the road is narrow with a dip and a jump. I first noticed when I saw a man in front of me with jeep and trailer. There was no speed involved. The trailer jumped a fine height into air. “Maybe the road has gone down a bit. It’s not on any works programme. Can something be done sooner rather than later? This is a busy thoroughfare from Scariff to Ennis, with lots of HGVs and agricultural vehicles using it. There’s a fine jolt off it when you hit it at …

A CONCERTED campaign is being sought to tackle a junction on the main artery into East Clare, where people are “putting their lives at risk”. Several members of the Killaloe Municipal District issued stark warnings about the situation at Henchy’s Cross on the R352. The intersection is one of the preferred routes for traffic coming from the mart in Ennis and Shannon Airport onto the busy regional road. At the November meeting of the district, Councillor Pat Hayes appealed to the Killaloe director to make a case for major safety works. Efforts have been ongoing to secure funding from the Department of Transport for a major €2m scheme. To date, this has not been approved and the meeting heard that interim safety works are expected to begin next year. A frustrated Councillor Hayes said there had been several accidents at the junction and he did not want to see fatalities happen. “I’m calling on our Director of Services to take …

OVER the past seven years, €1.5 million has been invested in the Killaloe Municipal District, thanks to revenues raised through the Local Property Tax (LPT). The funding, which is distributed through the General Municipal Allocation (GMA) to council members for allocation in the draft budgetary plan, was widely welcomed at the district meeting last week. Members were told that funding, distributed through the GMA, has supported a range of significant infrastructural projects across the Killaloe district since 2014. At the outset of the meeting, members were told the recommendation of the council’s executive was to leave the 2022 GMA at the same level as for 2021. Cathaoirleach of the district, Councillor Joe Cooney proposed the adoption of the GMA at the existing level. “The GMA is vital for the funding of all of the municipal districts of the county,” he said. “A lot has been achieved in the Killaloe area with the GMA over last few years. In rural parts …