Tag Archives: Mountshannon Community Council

AN OUTDOOR pavilion planned for Mountshannon has hit a further hitch, with permission for the development being appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Earlier this year, Mountshannon Community Council, which is spearheading the project, secured a funding award of €54,860 from The Department of Rural and Community Development. The facility, to be located at Aistear Park, was given planning permission by Clare County Council at the start of last month. Now, a third-party appeal has been lodged by four residents of the town’s Main Street. The hitch means it will be several months before the future of the project is known. The appeal, which was lodged on April 27, has been made by two couples who had objected to the development when it originally came before the Council. In their correspondence with An Bord Pleanála, the appellants have outlined seven grounds for their opposition to the development. In the first instance, the appellants express the opinion that the planning application should …

AMBITIOUS plans for an outdoor cultural activities space at a lakeside park in Mountshannon have received the green light from planners. Earlier this year, Mountshannon Community Council, who are spear-heading the project, secured a funding award of €54,860 from The Department of Rural and Community Development, to develop the facility at Aistear Park. Conditional planning permission has been granted despite two objections from residents of the town’s Main Street. Planners have asked that steps be take to allay their concerns over the impact on views of Lough Derg. After considering the application and two identical objections, which raised concerns that the open roofed structure would be “rarely used”, and could damage views and attract anti-social behaviour, planners supported the principle of the development. They described the pavilion as “modest in scale relative to the overall park area”, and said it “will not inhibit the use of the area for play and recreational activity”.  In relation to the concerns about visual …

LAKESIDE activities of all kinds are planned as part of ambitious proposals to develop a pavilion at Aistear Park in Mountshannon.  Earlier this month, the Community Council formally lodged plans with Clare County Council for the  facility, after extensive public consultation. The roofed, open structure, which will provide shelter from the elements, and have water and electricity installed, will be able to cater for festivals, performances, classes, social events and a host of other activities. Also awaited is an announcement from the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, to which the Community Council has lodged a funding application.  “We looked at the situation with Covid,” explained Joanne Dunphy-Allen, Chairperson of Mountshannon Community Council. “We’re always looking to enhance the the community and to improve areas and boost what we have. We looked at situations where we’d had events and festivals. We had groups that were having difficulties being able to meet inside and do things, because of Covid. Also, we live …

A MAJOR exhibition focusing on Inis Cealtra is under way at the Scariff Library Gallery, to celebrate the fact that the island is in the running for inclusion on Ireland’s tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Lough Derg’s Holy Island is widely recognised as one of the most important early ecclesiastical sites in Ireland. The island, which is now in the ownership of Clare County Council who are developing a visitor experience centre in Mountshannon, is closely associated with St Caiman. The seventh century saint created a major centre of learning at the monastic site. Organised in conjunction with Mountshannon Community Council, the main exhibition’s main centrepiece comes from the excavations carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in the 1970s. These works unearthed a range of important artefacts and revealed the different phases of activity and occupation on the island. The island’s archaeological remains include the iconic Round Tower, the ruins of several churches, an ancient …

SANITIZER dispensers have torn down at Aistear Park, in a spate of weekend vandalism which has been described by the head of Mountshannon Community Council as “just horrendous”. Last Monday morning, members of the Community Employment (CE) scheme arrived at the park to find a significant amount of rubbish, with broken glass and fragments of cans strewn in the grass close to a children’s play area. A popular community book-swapping facility, which is located in the park, was also vandalised, forcing the community council to consider removing it altogether. “The CE scheme members have worked so hard during, the earlier lockdown, to keep the park up to a standard where everyone in the locality can get in and enjoy it,” said Joanne Dunphy-Allen. “We were delighted to get support from Clare County Council who gave us the sanitizer dispensers and signage, so that we could really help people to feel safe in the park and to remind them of their …

DUMPING and littering in East Clare have prompted calls from community organisations for more to be done to tackle the issues. While the Tidy Towns competition has been called off for this year, community leaders say they are still determined to address persistent littering in their areas. In Mountshannon, which scooped a national Tidy Towns title in 1981 and a Bronze Medal last year, large-scale dumping of household waste has been a recurrent issue. Joanne Dunphy-Allen, Co-Chairperson of Mountshannon Community Council said that a recent incident had generated anger locally. “It is very maddening, particularly because the Scariff Recycling Centre is just down the road,” she pointed out. “We’ve had refuse scattered around the pier and someone even managed to dump a significant amount in at the back of the bottle banks. That would not be an easy thing to do. The community has been very quick to go in an clear up, but this shouldn’t be happening in the …

Connaught Road in Scariff has been named Best Kept Local Authority Estate and Ballynacally Tidy Towns the overall winner of the Clare In Bloom competition, in 2014 Clare County Council’s Community Awards. The Mayor’s Environmental Award went to Mountshannon Community Council, Clare’s four Pride of Place participants were also honoured for their involvement in the all-island competition. Clarecastle Community Development Ltd., Clarisford Ltd., Lisdoonvarna Fáilte Ltd., and Tuamgraney Community Woodland will be hoping to emulate the success of other local community groups in previous years at the Pride of Place ceremony in Ennis on November 15. Speaking at Áras Contae an Chláir, cathaoirleach, John Crowe acknowledged the work being undertaken within Clare communities to enhance the living environment. “There is a great level of volunteerism and community spirit in this county as is evidenced by the interest in these awards. I also want to thank the adjudicators and the two sponsors of the Clare in Bloom Competition; ESB Moneypoint and …

MOUNTSHANNON Community Council is the recipient of a €1,000 funding boost, as part of a nationwide campaign aimed at supporting stand-out community groups and clubs by local retailer Spar. Patron of the Helping Hand Community Fund and Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor was on hand at a gala event in Dublin recently to acknowledge Mountshannon Community Council on their success. The SPAR Helping Hand Community Fund of €50,000 was launched earlier this year as part of the brand’s celebration of its 50th anniversary in Ireland. Funding recipients have been selected on the basis of their contribution to their local communities, along with their need for additional financial support. Speaking about the funding, Tom McNamara of Mountshannon Community Council said, “We are delighted to accept this funding, which recognises our role in the local community and which will go a long way in helping us to provide this worthwhile service”. Katie Taylor said “Mountshannon Community Council is obviously a cornerstone of …