Tag Archives: Newmarket-on- Fergus

GARDAÍ have seized cannabis with a value of over €20,000 follow a search of an apartment in the Main Street area of Newmarket-on-Fergus, on Friday. During the course of the search Gardaí discovered suspected cannabis plants (pending analysis). Cannabis with a value of over €20,000 has been seized. No arrests have been made at this time but Gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry. Investigations are ongoing.

SIX towns and villages in Clare have been given a funding boost of just under €800,000 to help local communities adapt to life under Covid-19 restrictions. A total of €779,242 has been allocated to the local projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2020. €200,000 has been granted to Obair in Newmarket-On-Fergus to regenerate a derelict building on main street. The project will see the construction of a production kitchen, cooking enterprise hubs, a commercial cookery school, holistic space and office suites and a youth cafe. The project aims to help make Newmarket-On-Fergus to be a more sustainable village in which to live, work and socialise. In Kilfenora €200,000 in funding has been allocated for the development of a Universal Access Centre of Discovery for the Burren told through the five senses – sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell. Universal Access will increase capacity to cater for a wider audience and enhance the overall tourism offering. €90,242 funding has …

A CLARE County Council decision to grant planning permission for 51 houses at Ballynacragga, Newmarket-on-Fergus has been overturned by An Bord Pleanála. An appeal against the decision was made by a group called Concerned Ballynacragga Residents. A report from An Bord Pleanála inspector Irene McCormack set out a number of issues. “It is considered that the proposed development would be premature by reference to the existing deficiencies in the Newmarket-on-Fergus wastewater treatment plant to which connection is proposed and the period within which this constraint may reasonably be expected to cease. The proposed development would, therefore, be prejudicial to public health and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,” she wrote. Ms McCormack also found that the Board could not be satisfied that the development would not have a significant effect on the Lough Gash River Special Area of Conservation. Thirdly she stated that, “It is considered that the development as proposed fails to …

A CLARE community organisation which has played a vital role in helping the elderly and vulnerable during Covid-19 has been awarded over €90,000 in funding. Obair in Newmarket-on-Fergus will be using the funds to help the South Clare Meals on Wheels service move to a new purpose built state-of-the-art kitchen. The organisation have been granted a total of €91,800 under tranche one of the Covid-19 Stability Fund for community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. Siobhan O Driscoll, Youth and Community Development Officer at Obair explains the meals on wheels service is currently operating from the community cafe Cafe Fergus, however these facilities are “not suitable” for their needs. Since Covid production from the kitchens has tripled, going from delivering 12,000 meals in 2017 to a projection of 80,000 for 2020. They plan to move to a purpose built kitchen at the €1.4million New Tradaree Social Enterprise centre, with the new facilities able to deliver 250,000 meals a year. …

A CLARE teenager is proving to be a cut above with her fundraising efforts for the Irish Cancer Society. Ella Fitzpatrick, a transition year student at Colaiste Muire in Ennis is going to shave off her 14 inch long hair for the charity. The 16-year-old has been be joined by her father Tadhg and family friend John Galvin who will also both have their heads shaved. While two other Colaiste students, Rebecca Meaney and Emma Foxx have agreed to dye their hair pink for the cause. Already the fundraising drive has surpassed its €3,000 target, a delighted Ella tells us. She had planned to shave her head at an event at the Inn at Dromoland, however this had to be cancelled due to Covid-19. Instead, she will cut her hair this Saturday from the socially distant location of her Newmarket-on-Fergus home, and will video the occasion and put on social media. She explains that she had wanted to take part …

CLARE has been ranked fifth highest of Irish counties most exposed to “significant economic disruption” caused by the Covid-19 outbreak with more than half of the commercial units in the county likely to be affected. Cooraclare economist John Daly has conducted a study for the three Regional Assemblies of Ireland which found 50.5% of Clare’s commercial units were operating in sectors likely to be worst affected by Covid-19. This represents just over 2,500 businesses in Clare. The analysis found that 51% of units in Newmarket-on-Fergus were at risk, 47.7% in Ennis, 43.8% Kilrush, 42.6% Sixmilebridge and 32.6% in Shannon. Coastal and rural counties are more likely to be exposed due to their reliance on commercial units that generally require human interaction and cannot be operated remotely, the study outlines. The GeoDirectory commercial database has been used in identifying each area’s reliance on sectors likely to be affected by measures designed to curtail the spread of Covid-19. Sectors determined as likely …

AUTHOR, campaigner and advocate Vicky Phelan has paid tribute to a Clare man for his generosity in helping her to access her ongoing cancer treatment during the Covid-19 crisis. Pat Keogh has operated an executive chauffeur service for the last three decades and described his journey to Dublin with Vicky as one of the most rewarding experience of his career. The Newmarket-on-Fergus resident heard a radio interview in which Vicky discussed her difficulties in getting to the capital for cancer treatment and her concerns over contracting Coronavirus. The Limerick woman has been self-isolating since early March and is continuing to travel for treatment for terminal cancer. She told RTÉ’s Bryan Dobson about her how daunting that prospect was in the context of the pandemic. “I would normally have a very early start in the mornings, but since the travel restrictions I have more time for a lie-in,” Pat said. “I got to hear Morning Ireland and I was really moved …

SHANNON students have been reaching out to residents of a nursing home who are unable to have visitors, letting them know they are not alone during the Covid-19 crisis. More than 80 students of St Caimin’s secondary school have written letters to the residents of Carrigoran House nursing home in Newmarket-on-Fergus. Students of the school usually visit Carrigoran at Easter time, but because of restrictions surrounding the pandemic this annual event had to be cancelled. School chaplain Cora Guinnane said that the letter writing was “the next best thing” and the students at the school were delighted to get involved. Cora explained that she and another teacher saw a similar initiative being carried out at a nursing home in Cork which had been a great success. “We thought it would be a fantastic idea to do with our students. So  I put the call out to students and teachers who would like to participate and we had a fantastic response. …