Tag Archives: Kilrush

THE construction and fit out of the first floor of the Miltown Malbay Community Centre to provide a dedicated space for youth activities has come a step closer with the announcement of substantial LEADER funding. Minister of State, Pat Breen said that a total of  €141,258 is to be provided through the fund for the youth facility and a functional space for youth based activities, meetings and recreation. “The young people of Miltown Malbay and surrounding area will benefit greatly from this facility. The first floor of the community centre will be fitted with a sprung floor spec on ground floor, sports equipment, multi- use electronic scoreboard and two pool tables,” he said. “A further €51,902 of LEADER funding will also be provided for the purchase of equipment for the community centre.” “On Friday (May 31) €407,329 was allocated to Clare. As well as the Miltown Malbay Community Centre, funding is to be provided for glamping pods in Lahinch. A …

Sixth class children from St Senan’s National School in Kilrush may not have been granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis but they received the next best thing, the Pontiff’s blessing. Last week there was great excitement in the school when a letter, addressed to pupil Jenita Varghese, arrived on her desk from The Vatican. It was a very personal reply written on behalf of Pope Francis from his chief assessor in The Vatican, Monsignor Paolo Borgia. The Pontiff’s letter was in response to one penned by Jenita on behalf of all the pupils in her class. Jenita has posted the letter prior to Christmas wishing him a happy birthday, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. She also implored Pope Francis, if he had “some time to pray for us as we are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation”. Monsignor Paolo Borgia outlined that His Holiness Pope Francis has asked that he reply in his name …

KILRUSH has been identified as the location for a Primary Care Centre. “It is proposed that a developer be appointed to design and construct the centre and then lease it to the HSE,” Deputy Pat Breen said. “The Primary Care Centre will provide the health and social care services that patients require outside of the hospital setting in their own community. This will be an integrated service that will include all the of primary care stake,” he added.

THE latest GeoView commercial vacancy report has found that Kilrush is the town in Ireland with the second-highest rate of unused commercial buildings. In the last quarter of 2018, the Kilrush vacancy rate was 26.6%, with only Ballybofey in Donegal having a higher one. Kilrush declined since the last quarter of 2017, with the vacancy rate going up by nearly 2%. It is more than twice the Irish average of 13.2%. On a miserable Tuesday afternoon, few of the businesses in the centre of Kilrush were very busy but clothes shop owner Pat ‘Rico’ Clancy said things have been getting better. “It’s February. It’s not going to be busy anyway in February but, year on year, it’s going up for the last three or four years. There are more people coming through but people are cuter when they’re doing they’re shopping; they shop when you have sales.” His family has been in business in Kilrush for more than 150 years …

KILRUSH Gardai have acknowledged support from members of the public for their assistance and help in searching for a missing pensioner late on Monday evening. Gardai said that the elderly man “has now been located safe and well.” “Particular thanks to Kilrush GAA, Kilrush Chamber of Commerce. Special mention of thanks to the staff of SuperValu, Kilrush for staying open and providing torches to searchers,” the Garda statement added. The search was led by Gardai, along with the Coast Guard and Cappa based RNLI. The man lives in the town and he was reported missing on Monday evening.

ON Saturday morning, Jimmy Guinnane will leave his home at Toonagh around 5.30am and travel to Annacotty to pick up hundreds of loaves of Brennan’s bread, before spending the next 13 hours or so distributing them around Ennis and West Clare. He has spent thousands of days doing the same routine but Saturday will be the last time, as he finishes a job he has really enjoyed since beginning it 32 years ago. “I was working for Michael O’Sullivan before that in Corofin. I used to do a run up in North Clare and I did a run in Galway for him for six months with Kiely’s Bread. Then I started in West Clare in 1987 with Brennan’s bread.” He says he is very grateful to all the customers and the friends he has made on the route over the years. “I love meeting the people, meeting so many people every day. You’d have the craic with everybody. When I …

THE fire service and Kilrush Gardaí attended the scene of a fire at the dilapidated Inis Cathaigh hotel in Kilrush on Tuesday night. It is understood that the fire started in the second floor and spread to the third. Three units of the fire service from Kilrush and Kilkee used breathing apparatus at the scene. It is believed that extensive damage has been caused to the disused building. Frances Street in the town was closed to traffic, while the fire service attended the scene. The hotel, which incorporated a nightclub, has been closed for many years and has fallen into a state of disrepair. It is located at the bottom of Frances Street with idyllic views of Kilrush Marina.

AN outline of a county-wide approach to dealing with drugs and alcohol addiction was presented to members West Clare Municipal District. It came after Councillor Ian Lynch submitted a motion asking the director of service to “give an update on the multi-agency meeting in relation to addiction and what steps have been taken to help people in West Clare to deal with current addictions and prevent further addiction”. Monica Meehan, senior executive officer, rural development, stated in a written response, a meeting of all key agencies was convened by the Mid West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum to discuss interventions for post addiction services in West Clare and in particular pathways for long term recovery and engagement in the community. The organisations represented at the meeting included the Mid West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum, Bushy Park Treatment Centre, the Probation Service, Clare Local Development Company, An Garda Síochána, Bedford Row Clare, Ana Liffey Drugs Project Mid West, Clare Youth …