Tag Archives: North Clare

THREE Ennistymon area councillors have raised concerns about the adequacy of resources in the local authority’s Planning Department, citing a backlog with access to pre-planning advice. In a joint, cross-party, motion tabled before the July meeting of the local authority, Councillors Shane Talty, Joe Killeen and Joe Garrihy described the pre-planning function as being “bedevilled by delays”. “Pre-planning should be the cornerstone of building a house,” Councillor Talty told the meeting. “Planning staff now appear to be swamped with full planning applications. Those have to get priority. This is not a criticism of the Planning Department, but there are delays, in getting pre-planning meetings, in some cases of four or five months and that’s not serving anyone. People are getting frustrated with the wait and they’re firing in their applications and then getting into conflict.” The Fianna Fáil member also described a “geographical lottery” for those looking for pre-planning advice. “There are huge build-ups in some areas and a long …

GARDAÍ are appealing to motorists accessing the county’s beauty spots to show consideration for residents and other road users, with the mercury soaring to 30 degrees this week. Staycationers, in unprecedented numbers, have brought a welcome boost to Clare’s tourism economy and created a festival atmosphere in conditions that have been more or less idyllic all week. The only down side the authorities have reported is significant traffic congestion at locations in the North and West of the county. Spanish Point, Seafield and Doolin were highlighted as particular areas of concern with heavy traffic and parking issues causing chaos. “The Garda message is that the roads, and the facilities, are there for everyone,” said Superintendent John Galvin of the Killrush Garda District. “We’re appealing to people to obey the traffic regulations because everyone wants to enjoy the summer safely.” Hot today and dry with hazy sunshine. ☀️Highs of 26 to 30 degrees🌡️, with slightly lower temperatures along southern and eastern …

KINVARA Area Visual Artists (KAVA) is opening the doors of the Courthouse for an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Terri Kelleher, which contemplate the concept of home. The Ballinderreen-based artist and children’s book illustrator created most the pieces this year and last, and the exhibition, entitled ‘Home’, will run from July 23 to 30. “Most of us have spent so much time at home over the last year-and-a-half and it’s something that we have almost taken for granted,” Terri said. “The exhibition looks at how important this space is to us. It’s somewhere that we should have a sense of safety and be free to find ourselves. Home is usually the place where our loved ones are. It could be linked to our ancestral story and should be our anchor in this world. The drawings and paintings in this exhibition touch on the idea of our connection to familiar places and we often think of home as being a …

Engineer says that a centralised plant for problem areas would be more efficient THE development of single waste water treatment systems for four North Clare locations is a “waste of resources”, according to a local civil engineer. Irish Water has confirmed works to end the long-running practice of discharging raw sewage into Liscannor Bay are due to get underway in the coming months following the appointment of a contractor to construct a new wastewater treatment plant. However, Mick Duffy believes the development of a central treatment plant to deal with waste water issues in Kilfenora, Ennistymon, Lahinch and Liscannor would be far more cost efficient for the taxpayer. “Kilfenora, Ennistymon, Lahinch and Liscannor all have issues with under capacity or dysfunctional wastewater systems,” Mr Duffy told The Champion. “It seems to me a pity and a waste of resources that these are treated individually instead of in combination with one appropriate plant treating all. “Nobody has costed such a solution …

A RARE insight into the people who live and work in the Burren will be revealed in a series of 60 short films being launched by the Burren Ecotourism Network this week. The series entitled ‘The People of the Burren’ will give potential visitors a chance to experience the diverse history, geology, archaeology, food and music of the area through the unique perspective of the people who live there. As well as interviews with each member, the films also showcase the stunning landscapes of the Burren. Over the next few months the films will be released on a regular basis and will be available to view on the network’s social media channels and on the burren.ie website. They are part of an ongoing marketing campaign to encourage visitors to the area, once restrictions are lifted. Jarlath O’Dwyer, CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network said, “This campaign will be directed towards the domestic and Northern Irish Markets, both of whom we …

A MAN is being treated in hospital after he was injured in a rock climbing accident in North Clare on Friday evening. The man in his 20s had been climbing with a female companion at Ballyreen between Doolin and Fanore when the accident happened. It’s believed he fell about five metres (16 feet) after experiencing an issue with his climbing equipment. The alarm was raised at around 7pm when emergency services received a call to report that a person had fallen at the well-known climbing location. The area is a popular with recreational climbers but is also used by search and rescue crews for training. The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard was tasked to the incident along with National Ambulance Service paramedics including an Advanced Paramedic. It’s understood that an off-duty paramedic, who lives close to the scene, also attended the incident and offered assistance. The injured man was assessed and treated the injured man at the scene …

CLARE Person of the Year, Dr Susan Crawford took her seat on Clare County Council on Monday evening last, following her co-option to replace Senator Róisín Garvey. Dr Crawford becomes Councillor Crawford and takes the Green Party mantle on the local authority and a seat in the West Clare Municipal District. Nominating her at the monthly local authority meeting, Councillor Joe Garrihy said that amid all of her previous accolades the autism action campaigner would begin “a new journey”. “It gives me great pleasure to nominate Susan to fill Róisín Garvey’s seat,” he said. “Susan’s addition is very timely. The West Clare district makes up half of the county and Susan is coming on board at a time of lots of challenges and exciting opportunities. Having Susan join us will provide a great boost across so many areas.” Mayor of Clare, Councillor Mary Howard said she was “honoured and delighted” to second Dr Crawford’s nomination. “I took the autism awareness …

THE Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival has been called off. It is only in the last week that organisers confirmed it would not going ahead due to Covid-19.  An important part of Clare’s social calendar, it draws crowds of 80,000 people annually and this year it would have had headline acts such as country music stars Nathan Carter, Derek Ryan, Mike Denver and Cliona Hagan.  It is perhaps the last big festival of the year to be cancelled. The announcement comes following the government’s postponement of phase four of “Reopening Ireland” which would have permitted indoor gatherings of 100 people and 500 people outdoors – this has now been deferred to August 10.  “After careful consideration and following the government’s latest recommendations we have decided to cancel the event. It is regrettable but our primary responsibility is to protect the health and safety of the local community as well as staff, artists, suppliers and visitors” said Marcus White Managing Director of the …