Tag Archives: Miltown Malbay

A homeless family, living in emergency accommodation for the past three and a half months, is begging Clare County Council to house them, as they cannot find suitable private, rental accommodation locally. Martin Mongan, his 21-year-old partner, Kathleen Delaney, and their two young children are currently living in one bedroom in a bed and breakfast in Lahinch. “It has been very, very hard. There is a lot of moving. Where we are now, we leave at about 12 noon or 1pm and we have to be gone until about 8pm or 9pm. My parents and brothers would collect us if the weather is bad but we have a double buggie and, in the fine weather, we walk down to Lahinch and wait there until we get collected,” Martin explained. “Then we wait with my parents in their house in Miltown Malbay and then, at night, we come back again. We have breakfast here and that is good and then, within …

NEWLY appointed Killaloe Diocesan Administrator, Fr Des Hillery, has dismissed suggestions that he may have an interest in succeeding Bishop Kieran O’Reilly, who is now Archbishop of Cashel and Emly. A native of Miltown Malbay, Fr Hillery has been parish priest of Nenagh for two and a half years, prior to which he served as a Columban missionary in Lima, Peru for seven years. “We’re not going there. I’m coming back to Nenagh. We’re not going down that road,” Fr Hillery quipped when asked if he is interested in the vacancy. “My focus is certainly here in Nenagh. It’s a very fine parish; the people are extremely good to me. I certainly enjoy where I am and I intend staying here,” he added. The most controversial aspect of Bishop O’Reilly’s tenure was the issue over the proposed exclusion of women from the diaconate. Last September, following a number of public meetings, the then Bishop of Killaloe said he was delaying …

Fr Des Hillery, a native of Miltown Malbay, has been elected as Administrator of the Diocese of Killaloe. This follows the installation of Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly as Archbishop of Cashel and Emly on Sunday last, when the Diocese of Killaloe officially became vacant. At a meeting of the College of Consultors of the Diocese Fr Hillery, who is parish priest in Nenagh, was elected to his new post. A diocesan administrator has responsibility for administering the day-to-day affairs of the diocese while a new bishop is awaited. On Wednesday evening, Fr Hillery, a member of a well-known West Clare family, said, “I am privileged to accept this new role and hope to continue the good work of Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly and Bishop Willie Walsh in encouraging us to respond to the challenges of the Gospel. I hope to do all that I can to facilitate the continued implementation of the Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Killaloe, which recognises our …

A decision on whether or not a discount supermarket can be built on the site of Ennistymon Mart is due to be made before St Patrick’s Day. Clare County Council received an application in the past week from John Spain Associates, on behalf of Aldi Stores, for a proposed shop with 82 car-parking spaces on the mart site at Church Hill and Circular Road. The site has been the subject of controversy in recent years, with local farmers fighting to keep the mart open. In December 2014, officers of the Ennistymon branch of Irish Farmers’ Association, in an unprecedented move in the county, resigned their positions. They took the decision to give up their roles in protest over the sale of the mart to Aldi and what they saw as a lack of support from Clare IFA on the matter. The branch committee members took the united action “to highlight our frustration with the IFA on their approach to the …

MICHAEL ‘Malty’ McDonagh insists that Fianna Fáil in Clare must call a selection convention “immediately” in order to help the party win two seats in the forthcoming general election. He also confirmed that he will be seeking solely a Fianna Fáil nomination and does not now intend standing as an Independent if he is not on the Fianna Fáil ticket. “I believe that the Fianna Fáil convention should be held at the earliest possible date so that we can get ready to visit every house in this county and bring the message that we’re going to be there to work for the people. I think it should be held in a matter of weeks. I’m ready. I will talk to all the Fianna Fáil delegates. I’ve no problem in doing that. I want Fianna Fáil to get ready for a general election in Clare. “My father, Malty McDonagh in Miltown, was a fierce Fianna Fáil activist all his life and …

THE Maggie Cullen memorial walk/run will take place on New Years Day at 12 noon from Hennessy Park, Miltown. This is the second year of the event in memory of the late Maggie Cullen who was a much valued and appreciated  member of St Joseph’s club GAA in Miltown. Maggie was always on hand to help out with any local events or charities  and personified what community spirit means. Following on from Maggie’s untimely passing after a long illness, St Joseph’s decided to name their annual Christmas 5km event in her memory and to help raise money for the West Clare Mini Marathon Cancer Centre which provides such great support and comfort to  cancer sufferers in west Clare. Registration for the event will take place in the clubhouse from 11am on New Years Day with spot prizes and light refreshments afterwards.

MORE than 160 outlets, including shops, pubs, post offices and banks, have closed in West Clare in the last 25 years. These approximate figures, which have been compiled by The Clare Champion, do not include additional outlets such as seasonal businesses in resort towns like Kilkee. The figures show that the region, from Ballynacally to Kilbaha and up to Miltown, has lost 102 shops and 53 public houses since 1989, while AIB has closed outlets in Kildysart and Kilkee. Ballynacally, Coolmeen, Cranny, Cross and Knock have lost their post offices in that period. In the last decade, Kilrush has lost eight pubs and a total of 53 businesses, including 19 in Moore Street alone. However, in the same period, 42 businesses have opened in the town. The breakdown of what has closed in West Clare towns and villages during that period include: Ballynacally, two shops, one post office. Lissycasey, two pubs, two shops; Kildysart, three pubs, two shops and AIB …

Shannon  Councillor Gerry Flynn  raised the possibility of running in the next general election. An independent, he is a former member of Fine Gael and has been a member of Clare County Council since 2004, while he served on Shannon Town Council from 1999 until it was disbanded earlier this year. Speaking to The Clare Champion, he was very critical of the county’s six Oireachtas members (TDs Pat Breen, Joe Carey, Michael McNamara and Timmy Dooley, as well as senators, Martin Conway and Shannon’s Tony Mulcahy). “I feel that the six Oireachtas members aren’t really representing the people, that they have been mute in the Dáil and that’s not the type of representation the people of Clare want. “I said that if they don’t buck themselves up and represent the people of Clare, I would consider running in the Dáil election, basically to replace one of them. “ I don’t think they are representing the people and you need somebody …