Tag Archives: killaloe

A KILLALOE tenor, who performed for some of the best-known American politicians and Pope Pious XII, has been awarded the Benemerenti medal for 40 years of service to the church. It was a joyous occasion in the Church of St Paul’s, Ayrfield, Dublin 13, when John was awarded the papal medal by moderator Gerry Corcoran, on behalf of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. The event was followed by John’s 80th birthday party, which was held in Ayrfield Community Centre, across the road from the church. It was attended by 180 people, including relatives and friends who travelled from the United States of America, Canada and Germany. John was born at home in Thomas Street, Killaloe. John’s mother, Madge, a native of Ennis, was a schoolteacher at Ballina National School and his father, Tommy, was a farmer from Loughrea. The youngest child of four, John attended Limerick CBS and was a keen hurler. He played in the Killaloe juvenile hurling team in 1948 and …

People are being urged to dig deep and support the inaugural Clare Relay event, which involves 70 charity runners travelling 140 kilometres across the county this Saturday. As part of its efforts to raise more than €240,000 this year, the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic is organising a sponsored relay from Loop Head to Killaloe. The relay will involve teams completing the 140km route in groups of between six and 10, each running 10km. The proposed route includes points at Loop Head, Cross, Carrigaholt, Kilkee, Kilrush, Cooraclare, Kilmihil, Lissycasey, Ennis, Barefield, Spancilhill, Tulla, Bodyke, Tuamgraney, Ogonnelloe and ending in Killaloe. Starting from Loop Head at 6.30am, it will finish in Killaloe at 8.30pm. Along the way, people will have the opportunity to make a donation to the bucket collectors. The time allocated to each leg is about one hour and teams can complete more than one leg during the day and one member of the team has to carry a phone. The relay …

AN environmentalist has been refused leave to appeal against the rejection of his legal challenge to a grant of permission for a 2km bypass around Killaloe in South East Clare. Peter Sweetman, and an environmental protection company, The Swans and the Snails Ltd, claimed the project, including construction of a 170 metre bridge over the River Shannon, would result in irreversible destruction of a woodlands habitat. The habitat, an alluvial wet willow-alder-ash woodland, is located on the western side of the proposed bridge. The High Court case was brought against An Bord Pleanala after it granted permission for the project in March 2013 to Clare County Council. Mr Sweetman, Bunahowen Cashel, Countty Galway, and the company, with an address at Rossport, South Ballina, County Mayo, claimed an environmental impact assessment carried out by the Board did not comply with the Habitats Directive or planning legislation. Mr Justice Paul McDermott dismissed their challenge last month after finding the board received comprehensive …

AN environmentalist has lost his legal challenge to a grant of permission for a 2km bypass around Killaloe. Peter Sweetman, along with an environmental protection company, The Swans and the Snails Ltd, claimed the project, which includes construction of a 170 metre long bridge over the River Shannon, will result in the direct, permanent, and irreversible destruction of a woodlands habitat. The High Court, with Mr Justice Paul McDermott presiding, heard the habitat in question, an alluvial wet willow-alder-ash woodland, is located on the western side [Clare bank] of the proposed bridge. Mr Sweetman and the company argued permission for the project should never have been granted to Clare County Council by An Bord Pleanála. It was claimed the board failed to carry out an adequate assessment under the EU Habitats Directive. Mr Sweetman, of Bunahowen Cashel, County Galway, and the company, with an address at Rossport, South Ballina, County Mayo, claimed an environmental impact assessment carried out by the board …

St Anne’s Killaloe 4-6 De La Salle, Bagnalstown 0-4 Bonfires are blazing in Killaloe this Friday evening after the local secondary school, St Anne’s captured their first All-Ireland camogie title. A merited win over Peresentation De La Salle from Bagnalstown in Carlow has earned the Killaloe side the All-Ireland junior D colleges title. A tally of 3-3 from full forward Maeve Óg O’Leary earned her the player of the game award at the end of a contest n which they led from the outset. Playing with the aid if the breeze in the first half, they took the lead through team captain Aoife Power in the third minute and went on to be 1-6 to 0-2 in front at half time, O’Leary’s opening goal coming in the thirteenth minute. The player of the game struck for her second goal in the opening minute of the second half and this score really rocked their opponents and she had her third goal …

A KILLALOE couple have embarked on another planning battle opposing a new housing development near a former ghost estate where they were “locked out” of their home for eight years. Michele Burke and William Buck have requested An Bord Pleanála to overturn Clare County Council’s planning approval to construct one block containing two semi-detached houses, boundary treatments, connection to necessary services and infrastructure at Ard na Deirge, Knockyclovaun, Killaloe. A few years ago, they lodged their first appeal with the board after AIB were granted permission to construct two houses, along with retention and completion of 25 houses, estate roads, boundary treatments, street lighting, entrance from public roadway and all associated site works at Ard na Deirge. Although the board upheld the council’s decision to grant planning permission, it modified the planning conditions, which included a requirement to finish off the connection of public services for house purchasers who couldn’t access their homes. The couple paid a booking deposit on …

Killaloe nurse Charlotte Gleeson will travel to New York later this year to observe practice at one of the world’s top cancer centres. Charlotte, (33), who works at University Hospital Limerick, is off to the world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan for a week’s clinical observation in October after winning the inaugural Sheila Clarke Travel Bursary at the annual conference of the Irish Association for Nurses in Oncology (IANO). The award is worth €2,000 and is named in honour of the late Sheila Clarke, a pioneer in the development of cancer nursing as a specialty in Ireland and a former president of the IANO. Charlotte was nominated for the Innovation in Clinical Practice Award by her clinical nurse manager Cathleen Osborne and by Catherine Hand, nurse services manager, cancer services, University Hospital Limerick. The award recognises not just Charlotte’s excellent care but also the manner in which she has driven innovation in clinical practice for the benefit of …

A COMBINATION of good weather, the Wild Atlantic Way and a public holiday saw huge numbers of people flock to the Clare coast at the weekend. Tourism providers across the county are reporting one of the busiest Easter weekends in recent years. One prominent hotelier said it was “more like August than April”, which meant that seasonal staff could be hired over a month earlier than usual. Attractions across the county also recorded high visitor numbers, with the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre, Bunratty Folk Park and Craggaunowen all recording increases this year compared to last. “It was a super weekend,” John Burke from the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point and Hotel Doolin stated. “We had a surge in customer numbers. People just want to flock to the coast to cool down and it was great to see it pick up so early in the season. It has allowed us to recruit earlier in the year. Normally, seasonal staff wouldn’t …