Tag Archives: killaloe

THE decline in commercial activity on the Main Street in Killaloe has been lamented by the man whose business it has been, for the past 10 years, to keep it looking its best. John Tuohy of Millstream, Killaloe, recently retired as local authority street cleaner, has fond memories of meeting business people and shoppers while at his work keeping the picturesque town clean and tidy. However, he was saddened by the relocation of Killaloe Post Office from Main Street to Convent Hill and the closure of several businesses on the street. “A lot of the shops on the street like butchers are gone. Jimmy Whelan’s shop in Church Street also closed. Keith Wood had a lovely restaurant and café for a while before it closed. “It is sad to see the Main Street now, it is practically derelict, you don’t meet people on it. I loved meeting people. Brendan Grace used to drive down the street, let down his car …

A FORMER Bus Eireann bus inspector from Killaloe has driven to the top of Clare County Council. Councillor Tony O’Brien was elected unopposed as Clare’s next first citizen without a vote as part of the power-sharing arrangement that was first brokered in 2004 at the annual general meeting in Ennis on Friday.   The former Smith O’Brien GAA club secretary replaced Councillor P J Ryan, who was lauded for being a great ambassador for the county over the past year. Councillor O’Brien was proposed by his Fianna Fáil colleague, Councillor Pat Hayes and seconded by Joe Cooney, Fine Gael, while Councillor Gerry Flynn, Independent also expressed his support. Councillor Ann Norton was elected as vice-chairperson for the next year, succeeding Councillor Joe Killeen. In his wide-ranging address following his election, Councillor O’Brien pledged to work in partnership with the Shannon Group to attract further investment and more traffic through Shannon Airport. The Killaloe resident promised to continue progressing the proposed …

PEOPLE in Killaloe have been urged to cast their votes to elect up to nine new community councillors for the town. Candidates for election are invited to contact the chairperson, Graham Lightfoot, at killaloecommunitycouncil@gmail.com for nomination papers, which will have to be returned by this Friday June 17. A new Community Council in Killaloe has now been incorporated and registered with the Companies Registration Office as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) under the auspices of Muintir na Tíre, which supports the establishment and development of community councils throughout Ireland. According to the Census, the electorate in the Killaloe Electoral Division comprises of about 1,600 eligible voters, who will be able to vote electronically and in person at a location during the last weekend in June. A steering group is now preparing for the initial election of up to nine community councillors, which will take place on June 24 to 27, with the results being announced on Sunday, July 10. …

A family-run service station located about three kilometres from Killaloe bridge has sold a EuroMillions ticket worth an astonishing €30,928,078. The winning Quick Pick ticket was sold on Sunday, February 6 at Larkin’s Gala Service Station, Garryurtneal, Ballina, Killaloe. The Mid-West player has officially become the 17th EuroMillions jackpot winner ever seen in Ireland following the draw on Friday night. Siobhan Larkin, who owns the business with her husband Michael on the Ballina to Birdhill road, spoke of the complete shock and joy she felt on receiving the news over the weekend. “When our visitors from the National Lottery arrived here on Sunday evening, I was totally overwhelmed and in quite a state of shock. “I couldn’t believe that it was our store that sold the winning ticket worth €30.9 million. We are coming up to 21 years in business here this March so what a way this is to mark the occasion. “The vast majority of our customers are …

Laura Cronin tells Fiona McGarry how writing and poetry have helped her explore issues and navigate her life POETRY has proven to be a lifeline for a Killaloe woman in overcoming depression and breaking a cycle of pain sparked by childhood trauma. Two months before she came into the world, Laura Cronin’s father died by suicide and that loss sent ripples right throughout her life. At an early age, she developed a love of writing and turned to poetry to help her explore difficult issues and the sense of having been born “irreversibly broken”. Writing poetry proved to be cathartic and when Laura began to share poems on social media, she tapped into a network of people living through similar experiences. Delighted as she was with that connection, she could never have dreamed her Facebook page would lead to a publishing deal and the launch, this week, of her debut collection of poetry. “It’s a dream come true,” she said. …

A COVETED Rafael Nadal shirt is now a major item of interest in the Killaloe Ballina Tennis Clubhouse after two local members won this jersey in a recent online charity auction organised by a local coach. Auctioning sports memorabilia has helped Wesley O’Brien to raise €5,133, which will be split between the Access Tennis Foundation and Hit and Hope, Tennis. Signed jerseys from high profile sports stars attracted a lot of interest from sports enthusiasts at home and abroad when they were posted online recently. Tony Head from Kilkee won the Franz Beckenbauer jersey, Jaquie Curness, Surrey, England, won the Lewis Hamilton print, Stephen Monaghan from Cavan, who lives in Slovakia, was awarded the Rory McElroy golf flag, while Kathryn Dennehy from Ardnacrusha, who is a club member, got the Usain Bolt jersey. The Rafael Nadal jersey effectively stays at home in the club, however, after the names of Colleen Donnellan and Daphne Henderson came out of the hat. The …

GARDAI are appealing for information about the theft of a boat from Killaloe. There is a significant window of time in which the boat and outboard engine could have been taken from The Boathouse, Annacarriga in Killaloe. The theft could have occurred at any time between November 21 and December 26. The boat is described as a 20 foot 5 seat fiberglass vessel, beige in colour with a green top and wooden trim. The electric start outboard engine was also stolen. Anyone with information is asked to contact gardai in Killaloe on 061-620540.

A NEW plan for the twin towns of Killaloe-Ballina has been hailed by the council’s CEO as an example of “political and executive collaboration across the water”. Pat Dowling made his remarks as an eagerly-awaited mobility plan was formally ratified by local authority members at their December meeting. The Killaloe and Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan (TEMP), outlines a number of key projects for both sides of The Shannon, including the future pedestrianisation of the old bridge once the new bridge and bypass are completed. Measures to boost walking and cycling are outlined as well as actions to connect the flow of traffic to the bypass, reducing the number of vehicles in the centre of the two towns. The drafting of the plan involved expensive public consultation and cooperation, over the course of more than a year, between the local authorities in Clare and Tipperary. “Killaloe and Ballina are often referred to as two towns, but one community,” Mr …